Keeper Review

Double Fine’s Keeper flew under the radar of many, including me. In fact, if you had told me that it was announced months ago during the Xbox Games Showcase, I wouldn’t have believed you, but by the time you read this, the game will have already launched on Xbox and PC, bringing another story-driven title from the makers of classics like Psychonauts 2 and Grim Fandango Remastered.

Keeper is a third-person atmospheric puzzle adventure set in a post-human world, long after humans have inhabited the place. One thing to note about the game is that there is no written or spoken human dialogue because you control a dilapidated lighthouse that has suddenly sprouted 4 feet, traversing biomes and unfolding the story through your own interpretation.

It’s not a game for everybody, that much is sure, but for players who are into the Double Fine brand of storytelling, there’s a brief but sweet adventure that trusts the player and will satisfy despite the lack of actual “gameplay.”

Shine a Light

In Keeper, players take on the role of a sentient lighthouse that has mysteriously sprouted legs. Accompanied by Twig, a resourceful seabird companion, the duo traverses a post-human world teeming with Wither, a purple swarm that threatens the environment. Twig plays a crucial role in puzzle-solving and repelling the Wither using the lighthouse’s beam of light.

The premise is unconventional, especially given the absence of spoken or written human dialogue. This narrative silence creates a unique challenge: players must interpret the story through environmental cues and gameplay interactions, which can make the emotional connection with the protagonists feel distant at times.

Visually, Keeper is a feast for the eyes. Its vibrant art direction brings whimsical biomes to life, from glowing caverns adorned with fluorescent flora to bustling cities inhabited by mechanical beings. There’s a Tim Burton-esque look and feel to it, and you can even see majestic flying creatures and lush valleys, further enriching the scenery and often inviting players to stop and stare, especially when paired with the fantastic soundtrack that sets the tone.

Gameplay centers around exploration and light-based interaction. Controlling the lighthouse involves navigating a complete 360-degree environment, which can feel slightly unintuitive at first. However, the light mechanic is deeply symbolic by illuminating paths, triggering environmental changes, and metaphorically healing the world in a time of darkness.

While actual gameplay is limited, puzzles are woven throughout the experience, ranging from simple one-step tasks to more layered sequences that require coordination between Twig and the lighthouse. Twig isn’t just a passive companion as he actively engages with the world, untangling vines, moving objects, and assisting in multi-step solutions.

While the puzzles aren’t overly complex, they encourage curiosity and reward observation, offering satisfying “aha” moments without impeding progress. That said, most puzzles are simple shine a light-command Twig-shine another light sequences, which could feel quite repetitive. There’s one puzzle sequence that’s wildly inventive, and is a great example of how the game really shines in certain moments.

The lighthouse itself possesses abilities that complement puzzle-solving, primarily through its light, which reveals hidden paths and activates environmental responses. This interplay between light and discovery forms the core of Keeper’s gameplay loop, relying on player intuition over anything else.

While a “game” might be too generous to call Keeper because of its lack of actual gameplay and its brief 6 hours of playtime, it might be better to define this as something you’ll want to experience in between the flurry of big-budget titles and blockbusters over the past month. A story about companionship and change that could surprise, Keeper is worth a look.

Verdict: Buy it!

Keeper is a wordless journey that trusts players to uncover meaning through exploration. Its psychedelic visuals, minimalist storytelling, and gentle puzzle design create a relaxing time that, although brief, is a joy to experience.

Double Fine’s brand of storytelling shines through, and it’s quite hard to imagine how they managed to tell such a story without words and a walking lighthouse. But they did, and while it won’t be for everybody, it will be fantastic for those who appreciate these types of experiences.

*Keeper was reviewed on an Xbox Series X with a review code provided by the publisher.