It’s not often an Early Access game on Steam has record-breaking sales in the first week, let alone launching to “very positive” reviews with thousands of pleased gamers, but that’s just what Core Keeper did. Originally launched on March 8, just eight days ago, the game amassed over 250,000 sales in under a week and is now a top seller on Steam. Could this be the adventure game I’ve been waiting for? Let’s take a closer look at whether or not Core Keeper could be your next platformer.
Could Core Keeper be the next Stardew Valley?
Why do I mention Stardew Valley? Well, that game really took the indie world by storm when it came to market. Aimed to replace Harvest Moon on the GameCube, Stardew Valley has become a fan-favorite the world over for both PC and console, eventually launching a board game.
Core Keeper seems to have amassed an audience and following that’s astronomically sized seemingly overnight. In just two days the game sold over 100,000 copies, and just a few days later it passed the 250,000 mark. It quickly rose to the “top seller” list on Steam and has over 3,000 reviews just over a week after its launch, garnering the “Very Positive” rating on Steam, which isn’t easy to achieve.
So what is Core Keeper and why should you give it a shot? I wasn’t convinced of its popularity until I really started to dig into what the game is all about. In Core Keeper, you’re “drawn toward a mysterious relic” as you explore an ancient cavern of “creatures, resources, and trinkets.” Essentially trapped underground, you’ll be working on mining, crafting, discovering, growing, and more.
As you explore and discover the “ancient world” in Core Keeper, you’ll have to mine ores and discover hidden crystals, fossils, and other items inside of the procedurally-generated underground world. This includes stumbling across “living biomes” and battling “cavernous creatures” in the system. Along the way, you’ll customize your character and craft new items, armor, and equipment to prepare for traveling deeper into the caves. Be sure to grow a variety of plants though, and take some time to fish and cook as each recipe has a different effect.
Core Keeper also allows you to play essentially however you want. Whether you want to play the game in a sandbox or online with up to seven other players, it’s ready to handle any combination of the two. Multiplayer allows you to specialize in a role and help the other explorers on your team, making it a great co-op experience.
The game is currently in Early Access on Steam and costs $12.99. While it’s rare for me to pick up Early Access games, this one might break the mold for me as it fits the bill for many different areas of my liking.
9to5Toys’ take
As I said, Core Keeper could be my next favorite platformer. It’s not often I pick up titles like this, as I normally stick to the AAA side of the spectrum, but I have kinda been wanting to switch things up lately. With the various aspects of this game, it seems like a cross between Runescape (an MMORPG I’ve played for over a decade and a half on and off), as well as Stardew Valley and other exploration titles. All of that to say, it’s right up my alley and doesn’t cost a fortune.
I’ll be spending some time with family this weekend, and their favorite types of games are indie platformers just like Core Keeper. I’ll likely be picking up Core Keeper to play with the family come Saturday and will see if it lives up to the hype surrounding the unique game.
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