Chris InglisDouble Fine has long held a reputation for infusing their projects with undeniable charm and delightful weirdness, and Keeper is perhaps their most unique creation yet. Pitched as a beautiful and surreal third-person, atmospheric, puzzle adventure, the game quickly defies expectations by placing players not near a lighthouse, but as one. You take control of a towering, lanky, and wonderfully decrepit lighthouse, complete with a perpetually perched bird companion called Twig. With a story that unfolds without words, this game has been highly engaging, breathtaking in parts, and a wonder to play through.
The initial moments perfectly encapsulate the game’s surprising design. After the introductory cinematic, the sudden lack of a prompt – accompanied only by the bird tapping on the lighthouse roof with a subtle controller vibration – left me briefly waiting for the action to begin. After a few moments I thought to try move the left stick and I realised that I, the lighthouse, am the main character. This early confusion quickly gave way to pure enjoyment as I learned to master the lighthouse’s surprisingly graceful lurch.
From the Keeper Steam page, the premise is this: On an island in a long-lost sea, a forgotten lighthouse stands dormant in the shadow of a distant mountain peak. As withering tendrils spread and coalesce, it awakens. Taken with a mysterious sense of purpose and joined by a spirited seabird, it embarks upon a heartening tale of unlikely companionship, an odyssey of mystifying metamorphosis, and an unexpected journey towards the center of the island, into realms beyond understanding.
The core mechanic of the game revolves around the lighthouse’s beam and working with Twig to solve puzzles. The lighthouse light is not just for illumination; it’s an engine of change. The light actively promotes plant growth, removes rot, and is the central tool used to solve increasingly more complex puzzles. This system is instantly gratifying, turning the surrounding environment into a dynamic canvas reacting to your light’s focus. Flowers that you easily walk past can be blossomed into bright and colourful plant life with the sweep of your light.
As you progress through the game, the puzzle complexity ramps up beautifully. Keeper ensures that mastery is rewarded, compelling you to investigate every corner of the environment. The development team was particularly clever with their camera angles, which often disguised essential nooks and crannies, making their eventual discovery more satisfying. Finding these hidden pathways and solving the subsequent environmental riddles is the heart of the Keeper’s loop. You are constantly rewarded for your inquisitiveness and precision with the light beam.
Interestingly, the game features no fail state, no way to die or fall off a cliff edge, and no way to lose puzzles. I had to backtrack a few times, and later you learn to jump and glide and I fell off a few high ledges, but it was easy to get back up to them again. With no stress of failure or losing progress, the game became quite a chill part of each evening as I was excited all day at work to continue my journey and see what else the game would throw at me. I was pleasantly surprised by many moments in the game.
Beyond the creative gameplay, Keeper is a feast for the eyes. The graphics are nothing short of amazing, showcasing a vibrant, detailed world that feels both mystical and intriguing. The visual design frequently creates moments of breathtaking beauty, often utilising depth perception to enhance the sense of scale. There were countless times where the sheer spectacle of the scenery demanded a pause, turning the game into an impromptu screenshot collector and making it a must-play for those who appreciate environmental design in gaming.
Keeper is a wonderfully fun, mechanically solid, and visually stunning puzzle game that was chill to play and a joy to experience. It’s a testament to Double Fine’s ability to inject soul and surprise into every genre they touch. If you’re looking for a puzzle platformer that delights in its own strangeness, looks incredible, and rewards curiosity, Keeper is a must-play and easy recommendation.
This review utilised an Xbox key provided by Microsoft and Keeper launches on October 18 on Steam, Xbox and Game Pass.
#roundtablecoop
