Steam Next Fest is upon us, with a massive pile of free game demos. There are far more games here than anyone could reasonably play in the week the event is active, so I’m doing the only thing I can do – checking out cool-looking things at random, and reporting back when one of those things plays well, too.
Turn Terraria from a side view to a top-down perspective, and you’ll understand the basic vibe of Core Keeper. This is a crafting and survival game in the post-Minecraft tradition, but one that takes place entirely underground, and which gives you a series of bosses to hunt down in order to pursue an overarching objective.
Loading up Core Keeper for the first time, its punchy effects make a strong first impression. Knocking down blocks makes up the vast majority of a game like this, and they all come down with a satisfying pop – a small thing, but it’s the kind of detail that gives Core Keeper an immediate feeling of quality.
The combat works well too. It’s not as immediate as a traditional ARPG in the Diablo school, but the top-down perspective and procedurally generated, underground setting gives it a similar flavour. It’s also fully playable in co-op with up to eight players.
You can check the demo out for yourself on Steam, or take a quick peek at the trailer below.
Core Keeper launches into Steam Early Access on March 8. For more indie games to check out in the meantime, you can follow that link.