Gold Rush! 2

Last updated: January 13, 2026

Overview

Gold Rush! 2 is a point-and-click adventure game developed and published by Sunlight Games, released on April 28, 2017 for Windows, with Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android versions following shortly after¹. The game serves as a direct sequel to the 1988 Sierra On-Line classic Gold Rush!, continuing the story of the Wilson brothers twenty years after their original adventure to California’s Mother Lode². Notably, the story for the sequel came from the pen of Ken MacNeill and Doug MacNeill, the original developers from the 1980s, lending authenticity to the continuation of the narrative³.

Set in 1869, the game takes place during a pivotal time in American history, featuring the newly constructed Transcontinental Railroad and incorporating real historical figures such as William “Boss” Tweed⁴. The game flew largely under the radar upon release, becoming something of a niche title within the adventure gaming community⁵. As one reviewer noted, “You know you’ve a niche game on your hands when after a certain amount of time there still aren’t any reviews to find about it”⁵.

Gold Rush! 2 follows the graphical style established by Gold Rush! Anniversary, the 2014 remake of the original game also developed by Sunlight Games⁶. The game features more than 80 pre-rendered images and animated scenes in full HD resolution, though critics noted the presentation fell short of contemporary standards². Despite its historical setting and educational elements, the sequel failed to achieve the critical acclaim of its Sierra predecessor, with reviewers citing overly simplistic puzzles and poor voice acting as significant drawbacks⁷.

Game Info

Developer: Sunlight Games¹ Designer: Ken MacNeill, Doug MacNeill (story)³ Publisher: Sunlight Games (digital), Kiss Ltd (retail)⁷ Engine: Unknown Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android¹ Release Year: 2017 Series: Gold Rush! Protagonist: Jake Wilson Sierra Lineage: Spiritual Successor

Story Summary

The narrative of Gold Rush! 2 picks up twenty years after the events of the original game. In the first adventure, Jerrod Wilson left his home in Brooklyn, New York during the legendary Gold Rush of 1849 to find his brother Jake, who had been forced to leave eleven years earlier². After an arduous journey across America, Jake and Jerrod discovered the richest vein of gold in California’s Mother Lode⁸.

By 1869, twenty years of hard work have made their mine extraordinarily successful⁴. Most of their mining profits were sent home to Mr. Quail, a banker and family friend, who invested them wisely⁴. The brothers have become as wealthy as Wall Street tycoons, and their return to New York would make them very influential gentlemen⁴. However, trouble brews in their home town, as a gang that Jake and Jerrod personally knew has risen to power and taken control of Brooklyn⁸.

The game incorporates authentic historical elements from the 1860s era, most notably featuring William “Boss” Tweed as a significant character⁶. Tweed was a real historical figure who led the Tammany Hall political machine in New York during this period⁴. The newly constructed Transcontinental Railroad, completed in 1869, plays a prominent role in the game’s setting and transportation mechanics².

The story, while praised for being historically interesting and somewhat educational, was criticized for not providing enough content to justify a full sequel, with some reviewers describing the experience as “more like an epilogue to the original story rather than a full on game itself”⁹.

Gameplay

Interface and Controls

Gold Rush! 2 utilizes a traditional point-and-click interface, continuing the adventure game conventions established by its predecessors⁷. Players interact with the environment by clicking on objects and characters, using an inventory system to collect and combine items for puzzle-solving⁶. The interface mirrors the system used in Gold Rush! Anniversary, the 2014 remake⁶.

The game presents more than 80 pre-rendered images and animated scenes displayed in full HD resolution². However, players reported issues with hotspot identification, noting that it was easy to mis-click and merely examine objects rather than interact with them properly¹⁰. Some technical issues affected gameplay, including a bug where incorrect resolution settings caused hotspots to appear in wrong locations, preventing players from accessing certain areas of the screen⁹.

Structure and Progression

The game follows a linear adventure structure, guiding players through the story of the Wilson brothers as they confront the criminal gang threatening Brooklyn. Unlike the original Gold Rush!, which featured three distinct routes to California (by wagon, around Cape Horn, or through the Panama Canal), Gold Rush! 2 presents a more straightforward narrative path¹⁰.

The game can be completed in a remarkably short time for experienced players. One reviewer noted completing the game with a full score in only three hours on their first attempt without any assistance⁹. Another critic suggested the game offered “less than 3 hours gameplay to achieve full score”⁶, making it significantly shorter than many adventure games of its era.

Puzzles and Mechanics

The puzzle design in Gold Rush! 2 received considerable criticism for being overly simplistic. Critics described the puzzles as “mind-numbingly easy,” failing to provide the challenge that adventure game enthusiasts typically expect⁷. As Adventure Gamers summarized: “A historically interesting, slightly educational narrative can’t save the experience from its mind-numbingly easy puzzles and poor presentation in every respect”⁷.

For players seeking a challenge, however, at least one reviewer offered a contrasting opinion, stating “If you are looking for a game that will really test your mental mettle, then Gold Rush! 2 is something you have to look into”⁵. This discrepancy in perception suggests the difficulty may vary based on player experience with adventure games.

Implementation issues affected puzzle logic in some instances. Reviewers reported bugs where success messages appeared before players had even encountered the relevant puzzle, and odd error messages like “I don’t understand, girl” appeared inappropriately⁶. The ability to bypass vital conversations also created problems with puzzle progression⁶.

Reception

Contemporary Reviews

Gold Rush! 2 received a mixed to poor reception from critics upon release. Adventure Gamers awarded the game only 2 out of 5 stars, noting that “there are some good elements that shine through occasionally, but generally the game is not a positive experience”⁷. The publication’s more detailed score of 40/100 appeared on Metacritic, making it the only recorded critic review on the aggregator¹¹.

3rd-strike.com provided a more moderate assessment, awarding the game 6.1 out of 10, though user reviews on the site averaged only 4.7 out of 10 from 3 votes⁵. Reviewer “Q” offered a balanced perspective, acknowledging the game’s appeal to niche audiences while criticizing its voice acting: “The voice acting is about as captivating as listening to sandpaper grinding along a wooden 2 by 4”⁵.

Just Adventure gave the game a “C” grade in their April 2018 review⁶. Reviewer Jeffry Houser criticized the game’s value proposition, stating it “gave me 15% of the gameplay for 75% of the cost”⁶. The voice acting received particular scorn, with Houser commenting “The voice actors fall flat, and if you were to tell me they were created using a text-to-speech program, I’d believe it”⁶.

Modern Assessment

Steam user reviews show a “Mixed” rating with 61% positive reviews from 13 total reviews². Third-party analytics site Raijin.gg reported a Steam review score of 69.23%¹². Individual Steam reviewers offered varied opinions, with user “saucerat” praising the game: “Great graphics, very good game flow. Nice to see the old games redone or new editions”⁹. In contrast, user “Renodox” offered criticism: “this game plays more like an epilogue to the original story rather than a full on game itself and leaves a lot to be desired”⁹.

Aggregate Scores:

• Steam: 61% positive (13 reviews)²
• Metacritic: 40/100 (1 critic review)¹¹
• MobyGames: 40%¹³
• 3rd-strike.com: 6.1/10 (site), 4.7/10 (users, 3 votes)⁵

Development

Origins

Gold Rush! 2 emerged from Sunlight Games’ revival of the Gold Rush! franchise, which began with Gold Rush! Anniversary in November 2014¹⁰. That remake was a “virtually shot-for-shot remake of the original Gold Rush! with updated graphics”¹⁰, establishing the foundation for the sequel’s development.

The decision to create a true sequel rather than another remake allowed the developers to expand the Wilson brothers’ story beyond the 1849 setting³. As Sunlight Games announced: “Good news for all gold searchers and adventure fans: the gold rush continues!“¹. The company emphasized that the sequel’s story originated from the original developers, the MacNeill brothers, providing narrative continuity with the 1988 Sierra classic³.

Development took longer than initially anticipated. The Gold Rush! Companion App, released in January 2016, announced Gold Rush! 2 for a 2016 release¹⁴. However, according to Sunlight Games CEO Marco Sowa, “Development took longer than expected due to expanding story and other projects”¹. The company stated their goal was to “offer our players an even greater gaming experience and this can only be done by improving some minor but important details”¹.

Production

Sunlight Games, a German development studio (GmbH indicates a German limited liability company), handled all aspects of development and initial digital publishing¹³. The creators reportedly had “full liberty to improve where improvements should be made”⁵, though critical reception suggested these improvements were not fully realized.

The game was designed to follow the graphic style of Gold Rush! Anniversary⁶, maintaining visual consistency within the rebooted franchise. This approach allowed Sunlight Games to leverage existing assets and development pipelines while creating new content for the sequel.

For retail distribution, Kiss Ltd served as publisher for the boxed PC version, which released on June 30, 2017 in Germany¹. This partnership allowed Sunlight Games to maintain digital publishing control while accessing traditional retail channels.

Development Credits:¹

• Story: Ken MacNeill, Doug MacNeill (original developers)
• Development: Sunlight Games GmbH
• CEO: Marco Sowa

Technical Achievements

Gold Rush! 2 represented an effort to modernize the classic adventure game formula with contemporary presentation standards. The game features full HD resolution graphics with more than 80 pre-rendered images and animated scenes². However, critics noted the graphics appeared dated, with Adventure Gamers comparing the Anniversary remake’s visuals to “something released in 2001”¹⁰, and the sequel inherited this aesthetic.

The game includes full voice acting throughout, though this feature received significant criticism⁵⁶. The implementation of the voice work was described as poor by multiple reviewers, significantly detracting from the presentation quality⁶.

Technical Specifications

PC Version:²

• Resolution: Full HD
• Minimum OS: Windows 7, 8, or 10
• Processor: Pentium 4 with 2 GHz (or better)
• Memory: 1 GB RAM
• Graphics: Graphic card with minimum 512 MB RAM
• Storage: 1800 MB available space

Mac Version:⁶

• Minimum OS: Mac OS X Lion
• Note: Not compatible with macOS 10.15 Catalina or above²

Mobile Version:⁴

• Android: Minimum 1 GB RAM (512 MB devices not supported)
• Recommended Screen: 7 inches or larger
• iOS: iOS 12.1 or later

Technical Issues

Several technical problems affected the player experience. Some users on Windows 10 reported the game crashing or failing to start, returning to the Steam menu instead of launching¹⁵. A significant bug affected resolution settings, causing hotspot locations to become misaligned and preventing players from accessing the right side of the screen⁹.

The macOS version has known compatibility issues, not functioning on macOS 10.15 Catalina or later versions². This represents a significant limitation for Mac users with updated operating systems.

Implementation bugs affected gameplay logic, including:

• Success messages appearing before encountering related puzzles⁶
• Ability to bypass vital conversations⁶
• Incorrect error messages displaying inappropriately⁶

Some reviewers attributed these issues to the developers seeming “inexperienced in game making and puzzle development”⁹.

Version History

Version	Date	Platform	Notes
1.0	April 28, 2017	Windows (Steam)	Initial release1
Update	May 11, 2017	Windows (Steam)	Steam update1
1.0	May 24, 2017	Mac, Linux	Mac and Linux release1
1.0	June 1, 2017	iOS	iOS App Store release1
1.0	June 12, 2017	Android	Google Play and Amazon release1
Box	June 30, 2017	PC	German retail release1
Update	May 30, 2024	Multiple	New update after nine years1

Easter Eggs and Trivia

• The game has no direct ties to the original 1988 Sierra sequel concepts that may have been planned, representing an entirely new continuation⁵
• The Steam version includes 12 trading cards⁹
• The boxed version includes a making-of feature and three postcards¹
• Pre-orders shipped earlier than the official retail release date¹
• The game contains no in-app purchases or advertising⁴
• One reviewer described the main character as having a “Tom Selleck-esque” appearance (though this may reference the unrelated Digital Chocolate game)¹⁶

Voice Cast

The game features full voice acting throughout, though specific voice actor credits are not available in the research data. The voice work received consistently negative reviews, with critics describing it as poor quality:

• “The voice acting is about as captivating as listening to sandpaper grinding along a wooden 2 by 4”⁵
• “The voice actors fall flat, and if you were to tell me they were created using a text-to-speech program, I’d believe it”⁶

Legacy

Sales and Commercial Impact

Gold Rush! 2 achieved modest commercial performance. According to third-party analytics, the game sold approximately 680 units on Steam¹². The Google Play Store listing shows “100+ Downloads” for the Android version⁴, indicating limited mobile market penetration.

The game represents the continuation of Sunlight Games’ efforts to revive the Gold Rush! franchise, following Gold Rush! Anniversary’s release in 2014¹⁰. However, the critical and commercial reception suggests the sequel did not achieve the breakthrough success needed to firmly establish the revival.

Collections

Gold Rush! 2 has not appeared in any known compilation releases as of this writing. The game remains available individually through digital storefronts.

Fan Projects

A companion app was released by Sunlight Games in January 2016, providing information about the Gold Rush! series history, screenshots, and walkthroughs¹⁴. The app received updates through December 2022, including:

• Version 1.2 (December 2016): Added Gold Rush! 2 details and screenshots
• Version 1.3 (June 2017): Added Gold Rush! 2 walkthrough and updated links
• Version 1.4 (December 2022): Minor fixes¹⁴

Related Publications

The original Gold Rush! (1988) used copy protection requiring players to reference “California Gold: Story of the Rush to Riches” by Lou and Phyllis Zauner¹⁷. No equivalent publications for Gold Rush! 2 have been documented.

Critical Perspective

Gold Rush! 2 occupies an unusual position in adventure gaming history. While carrying forward a beloved Sierra legacy with story input from the original developers, the game failed to recapture the magic that made the 1988 original memorable. The original Gold Rush! ranked 96th on Adventure Gamers’ list of best adventure games ever released in 2011¹⁷, demonstrating the high expectations facing any sequel.

The game’s historical setting and educational elements represent its strongest attributes, offering players a glimpse into post-Civil War America during the Reconstruction era. The inclusion of real historical figures like Boss Tweed and accurate period details about the Transcontinental Railroad demonstrate genuine research into the era⁴. However, as Adventure Gamers concluded: “Unlike its renowned predecessor by Sierra, Gold Rush! 2 fails to strike it rich”⁷.

The game’s short length (completable in under three hours) and easy puzzles positioned it poorly against both classic adventures and modern indie titles. For dedicated fans of the original, it provided closure to the Wilson brothers’ story, but newcomers found little reason to engage. The sequel’s legacy ultimately serves as a cautionary tale about reviving beloved franchises—authentic involvement from original creators does not guarantee success without equally strong execution.

Downloads

Purchase / Digital Stores

• Steam - Windows, Mac, Linux
• Google Play - Android
• Apple App Store - iOS

Official Website

• Gold Rush! Game - Developer website

Series Continuity

Gold Rush! 2 continues the story established in the original 1988 Gold Rush! and carried forward through Gold Rush! Anniversary (2014). The game picks up twenty years after the original adventure, following Jake and Jerrod Wilson as they confront new challenges in their home of Brooklyn, New York. The narrative connection to the original is strengthened by the involvement of original developers Ken and Doug MacNeill in crafting the sequel’s story³.

The game maintains thematic consistency with its predecessor, focusing on American historical events and incorporating authentic period details. While the original centered on the California Gold Rush of 1849, the sequel explores the Reconstruction era following the Civil War, including the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad and the rise of machine politics in New York⁴.

• Previous: 2014 - Gold Rush Anniversary
• Related: 1988 - Gold Rush

References

Footnotes

1. Gold Rush! Game – Official Website – release dates, version history, development timeline, box version details ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷

2. Steam Store – Gold Rush! 2 – release date, platforms, system requirements, user reviews, technical specifications ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹

3. Steam Store Description – developer credits, story origin from original developers ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

4. Google Play Store – Gold Rush! 2 – mobile version details, historical setting, technical requirements, story details ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰

5. 3rd-strike.com – Gold Rush 2 Review – review score 6.1/10, voice acting criticism, developer analysis, reviewer quotes ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰

6. Just Adventure – Gold Rush! 2 Review – C grade review, gameplay length, bug reports, voice acting criticism, system requirements ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸

7. Adventure Gamers – Gold Rush! 2 – 2 star review, release date, publisher information, critical quotes ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

8. Raijin.gg – Game Description – story summary, Steam review aggregation ↩ ↩²

9. Steam Community – User Reviews – player feedback, technical issues, gameplay length, trading cards ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

10. Adventure Gamers – Gold Rush! Anniversary – remake review, original game features, graphics comparison ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

11. Metacritic – Gold Rush! 2 – aggregated score 40/100, platforms, release date ↩ ↩²

12. Raijin.gg – Sales Data – Steam sales figures, review percentage ↩ ↩²

13. MobyGames – Gold Rush! 2 – developer information, platforms, rating ↩ ↩²

14. Apple App Store – Gold Rush! Companion App – companion app details, version history, development timeline ↩ ↩² ↩³

15. Steam Community – Technical Discussions – technical issues, launch problems ↩

16. IGN – California Gold Rush 2 Review – different game by Digital Chocolate, context for franchise confusion ↩

17. Wikipedia – Gold Rush! – original game history, copy protection, Adventure Gamers ranking, series context ↩ ↩²