BLACK SOULS II New Game+ Guide
How New Game+ cycles work in BLACK SOULS II — what carries over, what resets, and how to plan cycles toward all 8 endings and the full Fairy Tale collection.
“Encore!” — the achievement for starting New Game+ — is earned by 41.2% of BLACK SOULS II players, higher than five of the eight endings. That’s the tell: this game’s audience understands that cycle one is the prologue. Here’s how to make the cycles after it count.
The cycle economy
Each cycle buys you: one main ending, progress on failable questlines, and whatever collectibles and optional bosses you routed in. Power persists between cycles; story states don’t. So the planning question for every new cycle is simple — which ending, and which two or three side-threads? Overloading a cycle is how questlines get half-finished, and in this game half-finished threads can mean dead characters.
A proven cycle plan
| Cycle | Ending target | Side focus |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alice End (39.1%) | Learn everything; collect tales casually |
| 2 | Catastrophe (35.3%) + save-branch toward Good/Death/Exclusion | Vernai’s questline → Moonlight Greatsword |
| 3 | Remaining main-cluster endings | Griffy, Chikerost; town-boss cleanup |
| 4 | Born End (22%) | Gerda/Kai thread → The Snow Queen tale |
| 5+ | Fairy End (18.6%), then Hell & Heartbroken (18.1%) | Full shelf (“Sweet dreams”), Hyde, the Prince of Fear |
The main-branch cluster (Good/Death/Exclusion at 29% each, Catastrophe at 35.3%) forks late — with a well-placed save near the final act you can often collect more than one per cycle. The deep tier can’t be shortcut that way; it wants full cycles built for it.
What each cycle should always include
- A pass on the Library shelf. Set every Fairy Tale you’re carrying — the full-shelf achievement (15.3%) dies to forgetfulness, not difficulty.
- A questline audit at the midpoint. Which failable threads are live? Who’s about to be somewhere dangerous? The missables guide is the checklist.
- One deep experiment. A low-SEN excursion, an area you’ve never risked, a boss above your weight. NG+ cycles are where the game’s 10–25% events actually get witnessed.
Veteran-cycle content
Things that only make sense with NG+ power and knowledge: the Chaos Dungeon; the sub-20% boss tier (Mad Devil Hyde, Prince of Fear, Mabel’s mystery reward); the blank Fairy Tale (9.4%); and the strange corners — the Moon (24%), the Dormouse’s prison event (9.2%), sparing Unis (8.6%), the Jubjub-and-Chick meeting at Carroll River (10.7%). The rarest achievements in the game are almost all witnessing achievements: NG+ is when you have the freedom to stand in the right places.
Related pages
- All Endings — the targets each cycle aims at
- Fairy Tale Locations — the collection plan
- Route Planner — these cycles as interactive checklists
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I start New Game+ in BLACK SOULS II?
Finish any ending and start a new cycle — the game tracks it with the 'Encore!' achievement (41.2% of players). The name is literal: the play begins again.
What carries over in BLACK SOULS II New Game+?
Your character's development carries forward while story states, questlines and endings reset — the structure the 8-ending design requires. Collected Fairy Tales' achievement progress is permanent on Steam regardless of cycle.
How many playthroughs does BLACK SOULS II need for everything?
Realistically five or more cycles: one for the Alice End, two or three for the main-branch cluster, and dedicated late cycles for Born, Fairy, and Hell & Heartbroken.