Launch status: Graveyard Keeper 2 is out now worldwide (September 22, 2026) on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch & Switch 2 — full details in the release date & platform schedule.
On this page 7 sections
Core Data & Verification Matrix
| Pyre Construction Cost | 8 Wooden Billets per burn |
| Burn Duration | Approx. 45 in-game seconds |
| Yield Per Corpse | 1 Burial Certificate, 5 Ash, 1 Salt |
| Burial Certificate Value | 1 Silver 50 Bronze at Horadric's Tavern |
| Columbarium Capacity | 12 Urns (Stone Columbarium) / 16 Urns (Marble Columbarium) |
| Max Columbarium Rating | +12 Quality (Stone) / +20 Quality (Marble) |
Official Video Reference
Verified gameplay showcase footage covering key mechanics and features discussed in this guide.
Cremation Mechanics & Byproduct Alchemy
Why incinerating trash corpses is superior to river dumping or low-quality burials.
Whenever Donkey delivers a mutilated corpse with 4 or 5 Red Skulls that would ruin your cemetery rating, do not throw it in the river! Dumping bodies down the river voids the Burial Certificate and angers the town ghosts. Instead, carry the body to the outdoor Crematorium.
Each cremation consumes 8 Wooden Billets. Once the pyre burns down to white embers, you retrieve the official Burial Certificate (granting full silver cash value at Horadric), 5 piles of Ash, and 1 chunk of pure Salt.
| Cremation Byproduct | Quantity Yielded | Primary Utility / Destination | Economic Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burial Certificate | 1 Certificate | Sold to Horadric at Dead Horse Tavern | 1 Silver 50 Bronze Coins |
| Pure Ash | 5 Ash Heaps | Packed into Ceramic Urns & used for Scriptorium Ink | High (Core building block) |
| Refined Salt | 1 Salt Chunk | Food preservation, sauerkraut, and healing salves | Medium (Culinary & alchemy) |
| Ash Urn (Ceramic) | 1 Urn + 5 Ash | Inserted into Stone / Marble Columbaria | +1 to +2 Quality per urn |
| Scriptorium Ink | 1 Ash + 1 Seed Oil | Crafted at Alchemy Workbench I | Powers book writing |
Cremating 10 low-grade corpses generates 15 Silver in Burial Certificates, 50 Ash for 10 Columbarium Urns, and 10 Salt, turning a graveyard liability into massive wealth.
Always harvest Skin, Flesh, and Fat from a corpse before placing it on the pyre! The cremation process incinerates the carcass entirely, so harvest all valuable organs beforehand.
Columbarium Architecture: Maximum Rating in Minimum Space
Building monument walls that hold dozens of urns without taking up cemetery plot space.
Burial plots in your cemetery are finite. Once your main yard fills up, expanding your rating requires vertical architecture. Columbaria are multi-tier memorial walls built along the cemetery borders that house urns holding cremated ash.
A Marble Columbarium holds up to 16 Ceramic Urns and awards an enormous +20 Graveyard Quality while occupying only a 3x3 perimeter footprint. It requires zero regular grave upkeep and is entirely immune to ground weather decay.
| Memorial Wall Type | Building Materials Needed | Urn Capacity | Total Graveyard Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stone Columbarium Tier I | 4 Carved Stone + 2 Complex Parts | 8 Ceramic Urns | +8 Quality |
| Stone Columbarium Tier II | 8 Carved Stone + 4 Polished Bricks | 12 Ceramic Urns | +12 Quality |
| Marble Columbarium Tier I | 4 Carved Marble + 4 Polished Stone | 12 Ceramic Urns | +15 Quality |
| Grand Marble Columbarium | 8 Carved Marble + 8 Polished Bricks | 16 Ceramic Urns | +20 Quality |
| Ceramic Urn Recipe | 1 Clay Bowl + 1 Carved Stone + 5 Ash | 1 Finished Urn | Slot component |
Constructing four Grand Marble Columbaria along the cemetery edge delivers an instant +80 Graveyard Quality, fulfilling 40% of the Cathedral requirement singlehandedly.
Urns must be sealed at the Potter's Wheel with Beeswax or Clay Sealant before they can be placed into Columbarium niches.
Step-by-Step Strategic Walkthrough
- Unlock Cremation in the Theology and Mortuary technology branch.
- Construct a Cremation Pyre south of the morgue using 8 Wooden Billets.
- Place a ruined, decayed, or high-red-skull corpse onto the pyre and light it with a torch.
- Collect 1 Burial Certificate (worth 1 Silver 50 Bronze at Horadric), 5 Ash, and 1 Salt from the ashes.
- Craft Ceramic Urns at the Potter's Wheel and insert them into Columbarium walls to gain massive graveyard rating points.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you still get a Burial Certificate when you cremate a corpse in GK2?
Yes, burning a body on a Cremation Pyre awards the exact same Burial Certificate as an underground burial.
Where can I build the Crematorium?
In the designated mortuary yard south of the morgue building after unlocking the Cremation tech node.
What is the advantage of a Columbarium over normal graves?
Columbaria take up far less ground space, require no corpse embalming math, and provide up to +20 Quality per wall.
What is Salt used for in Graveyard Keeper 2?
Salt is used to preserve raw food, ferment sauerkraut in the kitchen, and synthesize medicinal salves at the alchemy bench.