What is it about mining in videogames that always reels us in? Minecraft, Terraria, and even Valheim aren’t survival sandbox royalty because of mining, but there’s something about plunging into the depths for resources and then using them to create a base that never gets old. Core Keeper knows this, and while it’s proved to be a success since the early access launch in 2022, it’s reaching new heights now that we finally have 1.0 on Steam.
Nothing beats spelunking a good cave, and Core Keeper is full of them. You and up to seven friends dive into the depths to mine for resources, emerge and build your base while upgrading equipment, and then head back into the darkness to do it all over again and fight bosses. If you’ve never played Core Keeper it’s a true indie darling, and one that perfectly continues my obsession that started with Redstone contraptions in Minecraft.
Core Keeper’s 1.0 update has propelled the survival game to just over 31,000 Steam concurrents, closing in on the launch peak of 34,508 players. The recent free trial saw a steady build in players returning, but 1.0 has helped numbers skyrocket. With a strong 91% positive review score from over 26,000 players, the game was already beloved, but now it’s also the biggest it’s been in a while.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a new or old player in Core Keeper 1.0, as Fireshine Games has bulked up both sides of the experience. First up, you can now customize seed features like the number of caverns and ore density when starting a new world, alongside new loot, equipment, and enemies in the early game dirt biome.
1.0 even has a magic system, as Mage and Summoner combat styles and talent trees have been added. There’s also the new endgame biome The Passage, which is filled to the brim with fresh encounters and collectibles. You can even engage in PvP instead of fighting the three new bosses, if you think you can knock out your friends.
While the Core Keeper free trial is over, you can pick right up from where you left off if you buy the game. The trial was a sneak preview of what 1.0 had to offer, so it’s as simple as booting up the game as normal.
Fireshine has even more planned for Core Keeper past 1.0 as well, so this is far from the end of the journey. “As a sandbox game, you can enjoy Core Keeper long after you’ve experienced the game’s main story arc, and we’ll be building on this wonderful underground world with new content, quality-of-life improvements, and more! We’ll have lots more to share with you soon,” Fireshine writes.
Core Keeper 1.0 is live now on Steam, with a 20% discount available until Thursday September 5, so expect to pay $15.99 / £12.79 until then. You can pick up the game right here.
You can also play Core Keeper on Game Pass right now, which is available on Xbox consoles, PCs, and the Cloud.
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