In The Sinking City 2, the leveling system is based on 22 talents, spread across four tiers: Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, and a separate category, “Eldritch Rewards.” To level them all up, you’ll need 60 Dream Essences. You won’t be able to collect that much in a single run—prepare for a New Game+. Talents aren’t just floating around: they need to be inserted into mask slots of a certain shape, and you can only change your set in safe rooms. Below is how it all works in practice, without unnecessary details.
Table of Contents
Mask, slots, and tiers: how leveling works
The first Talent Table awaits you in Part 3, in the Redemption Church. It’s there that the game first introduces the mechanics around which the entire build is built. The currency is Dream Essence. It’s earned through story progression, solving puzzles, and opening E.R.C. crates. You can’t just farm it, so you need to spend it wisely.
The tier system is strict. Want to reach Intermediate? Unlock 4 Basic. Then 4 Intermediate for Advanced. And the final “Eldritch Rewards” are completely separate. The shape of the talents also matters: the mask has round and triangular slots. If you can’t fit them, you’ll have to change your priorities.
How to open the Talent Table for the first time
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Reach Part 3.
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Meet the character the community nicknames “the man with worms in his eyes.”
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Go through the church and the cemetery.
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Find the first locked door—it leads to a safe room.
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Activate the Talent Table.
That’s it. The game doesn’t hold your hand from here.
All Safe Rooms with Talent Charts
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Opening / Near Floodgate
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Redemption Church – door under the stairs in the main hall
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Devil’s Reef Hotel – on the left as you descend into the basement
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Arkham Fish Market / Warehouse – two safe rooms
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Gallery – far end
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Saint Mary’s Hospital – to the right of the main entrance
A complete list of talents in The Sinking City 2
Following is a straightforward guide. Each talent has its own unique name, effect, and who can use it. We’ve broken it down into tiers so you can see which unlocks early and which you’ll have to wait for.
Basic Talents
| Talent Name | Effect | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|
| Carapace of the Damned | Reduced damage from humanoids | For beginners |
| Gunslinger’s Trance | Faster weapon swap | For weapon collectors |
| Instruments of Death | Increased damage after swapping weapons | For weapon collectors |
| Potent Tincture | Less damage per healing item (up to 5) | For hard difficulty |
| Profane Reload | Faster reload | For weapon builds |
| Silent Hunter | More damage when flashlight is off | For those who aren’t afraid of the dark |
Intermediate Talents
| Talent Name | Effect | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|
| Alchemical Abundance | More ammo when crafting | For long-range Combat |
| Butcher’s Zeal | Massive melee damage after killing | Melee |
| Chitinbound | Less damage from monsters and anomalies | Melee |
| Feral Surge | More damage to nearby enemies | Aggressive |
| Strange Evasion | Less damage after dodging | Tactics |
| Unhallowed Salve | More health from healing | Survival |
Advanced Talents
| Talent Name | Effect | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|
| Crimson Threshold | More damage at low health | Playing on the edge |
| Deathless Vigor | Noticeably more damage tolerance | Tanking |
| Inner Beast | Massive melee damage when the magazine is empty | Melee, high Difficulty |
| Opening Gambit | The first bullet deals more damage | Snipers |
| Vengeful Spirit | Chance to avoid death by killing the assassin | Hard difficulty |
| Wandering Bullet | More damage to weak points with inaccurate shots | Shooting on the move |
Eldritch Rewards – 4 final talents
This is where the formula breaks down. These talents are not purchased at the Table. They are designed with in-game goals in mind and are unlocked in the main menu. To purchase all four, you must complete the game. This is part of the requirement for the “What Dreams Are Made Of” trophy.
Important: the exact names and effects of these four talents require testing. Open sources vary, so we can’t confirm them with certainty unless you see them in the Eldritch Rewards menu.
How much Dream Essence is needed for all talents and where to farm them
The numbers are as follows: 60 Dream Essence for everything. You’ll get about 25 in a single playthrough. This means two runs at least, and ideally three. New Game+ is a must.
The standard sources of currency are story missions, puzzles, collecting clues, and opening E.R.C. crates. If you bought the Deluxe Edition, the Arkham Field Kit will give you three Dream Essences at the start—a small change, but a nice touch. Learned talents carry over into New Game+, so your second run will be easier.
The best talents for different playstyles
We’ve compiled three working combinations. They’re not set in stone, but they’re easier to work from.
Melee Build
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Butcher’s Zeal – Huge damage after a kill
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Inner Beast – Melee damage when the magazine is empty
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Chitinbound – Monster defense
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Vengeful Spirit – Second chance
Ranged Build
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Alchemical Abundance – More ammo when crafting
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Profane Reload – Faster reload
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Opening Gambit – First bullet is more powerful
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Wandering Bullet – Weakness damage
Survival Build (Hard Difficulty)
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Potent Tincture – Less damage from healing items
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Unhallowed Salve – More health from healing
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Deathless Vigor – More stamina
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Vengeful Spirit – Second chance
Talents and Trophies: “What Dreams Are Made Of” and “From Oblivion”
The “What Dreams Are Made Of” trophy is tied to obtaining all talents. Requires 60 DE and the purchase of 4 talents in Eldritch Rewards. “From Oblivion” is for collecting all 8 Ex Oblivione documents in New Game+. Incidentally, New Game+ itself is called Ex Oblivione Mode here. “For Her” is an umbrella trophy for all the others.
Rushing through all the talents isn’t a sprint, but a methodical prioritization for each stage. Plan ahead, otherwise you’ll have to make unnecessary laps around locations. The game exceeds expectations in terms of customization, but the only annoying aspect is the inability to change your build on the fly. Keep this in mind when choosing what to level up first.
