Core Keeper has been monumentally successful since its launch in March of 2022. Created by the sophomore effort of developer Pugstorm, which previously developed 2020’s Radical Rabbit Stew, and published by Fireshine Games. Sales figures are still coming in, but at the last report, they had sold over half a million copies of the indie sandbox survival game! Let’s find out why.

Story

Core Keeper doesn’t have much of a story beyond the opening cutscene, which shows that the player is part of a group of adventurers trekking through the wilderness before stumbling upon an ancient artifact, which after a quick interaction sends the group underground. What few further bits of story there is is largely implied. They are implied by the names of the monsters you fight and the design of the endless caves you explore.

To that end, one isn’t really needed. The story isn’t just on the back burner, it’s in the fridge. That’s not a slight, either. Core Keeper relegating its story to the background only helps to propel itself forward. The promise of seeing new things and creating your own context for what you see makes the world deeply personal and vivid.

Gameplay

The gameplay loop is incredibly solid and fun! Digging through walls, setting up your base, and mastering the game’s many skills is rewarding and engaging. There’s always something to do, too.

Perhaps the most reliably fun thing bout Core Keeper is that the variety in its gameplay is matched with the relaxed atmosphere I found in my solo play sessions. Would you like to hunt for rare metals to make your tools, weapons, and armor better for monster hunting? Core Keeper has that. Do you want to play a relaxed farming simulator where your primary concern is growing crops and cooking tasty meals? Core Keeper has that, too!

In fact, one of the best things about the game is the laid-back way it allows you to approach it. Never in any of the many hours I sank into this game did I feel like I was being rushed. In a game like Stardew Valley, which I have purchased on at least 3 platforms and played more than I’d care to admit, there’s always the ticking clock of the day ending pushing you to accomplish your goals. In fact, it’s a bit of a meme in the Stardew Valley community that the happy farming game could be so stressful.

There’s none of that in Core Keeper. There is no day-to-night cycle keeping you in check, no in-game timer that tells you when you need to stop playing. The pacing allows the game to make you feel safe and calm in a totally alien world. The promise of danger is always there, however, ready for you whenever you decide to face it.

Audio and Visual

Speaking as a fan of the pixel aesthetic in general, and as someone who appreciates well-made pixel art, this is a gorgeous game brimming with atmosphere. One of the most standout aspects of the game’s visuals is the lighting system. Core Keeper has an impressively immersive lighting system that is modified by things like your equipment, meals you eat, and torches you place on the ground. It really goes the extra mile to show how much the developers cared about the visual mood the game conveys.

However, the music isn’t my favorite in the sub-genre, as there aren’t any songs that particularly stand out to me aside from the title theme. This is not to say that the music is bad by any means, but it lacks the more memorable qualities of Stardew Valley’s OST or the diversity of Minecraft’s soundtrack. Sound effects here are good and add the necessary weight to your actions that the controls don’t always convey.

Replayability

Games like Core Keeper are infinitely playable by design. While I haven’t yet reached the end goal of this title, if there is one, I’ve had more than enough fun sinking into it as a solo player that I fully intend to start the game again with a group of friends soon.

What It Could Have Done Better

Here I would like to utilize the opportunity I have here to directly address the developers and make suggestions. I don’t have many large critiques of the game. Even in my completely solo adventure through the caverns I never felt lonely or like I wanted there to be NPCs around. The music isn’t my favorite, but I won’t deny its quality.

What Core Keeper can do better is to just give us more of it. There’s nothing wrong with what we’ve got, but the best thing Pugstorm could do is to expand on what we’ve already got; more crafting, more recipes, more bosses to fight. At the end of the day, the only real critique I have of Core Keeper is that it can always offer more!

Verdict

I was incredibly skeptical going into Core Keeper for the first time. It took me a few sessions to really get hooked on it, but once I found myself flowing with the game instead of expecting it to be Minecraft or Stardew Valley or Terraria I found a game that was something familiar but wholly different and exciting. If you’ve played any of the games mentioned above, Core Keeper is well worth your time!

Core Keeper is currently available on PC via Steam.