Forget humans, animals, extraterrestrials, or any sort of fantasy creature, in Double Fine’s Keeper, you play as a lighthouse — a living, walking lighthouse. Atmospheric puzzle-adventure Keeper, created by Lee Petty and Double Fine Productions, is among the strangest games showcased during Gamescom Opening Night Live.
While the artsy visuals may have intrigued you, the teaser creates more questions than it answers. Why does the lighthouse awaken? Where is it going? And more importantly, what sort of challenges will it run into? Following a preview at Gamescom, I can answer… well, some of those questions.
Here’s the gist: Bird lands on lighthouse, lighthouse grows a bunch of legs, and together, bird and building enter an odd world full of weird critters and the occasional living tree. That’s basically what Keeper entails.
At the start of the preview, I worried that this concept might prove a bit boring. I saw the lighthouse walking around, following a linear path, shining its light at critters to scare them away, and illuminating an overgrown tree-person to remove its roots, but the gameplay appeared a tad tame.
Then, though, the lighthouse started to pick up items, solve puzzles, and even manipulate time, turning its bird companion back into an egg. Things had already started to get quite trippy at this point, but then the lighthouse walked into a gorgeous, light gray valley full of pink fluffy mist, unlocking the ability to jump and float around like bouncy cotton candy. Oh, and there was also a flying whale.
While certainly not devoid of life, what stands out most about Keeper is the lack of humans. Inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic, developer Lee Petty, with nothing to do but hike in nature, dreamed up a world with no people at all. No people means no words, which brings us to the second thing that stands out: Keeper feels awfully serene. If you want to know what’s going on in this strange realm, you’ll have to observe carefully.
That means the narrative isn’t as in your face as more traditional games with dialogue.
Tim Schafer, founder of Double Fine Productions, confirms this: “The story is open to interpretation,” he said. “It centers around the bond between the lighthouse and the bird, and how that character relationship develops.” A bit of mystery, such as the lighthouse’s sudden liveliness, will certainly remain.
I reckon Keeper’s success, and whether or not you should keep it on your radar, depends on whether its atmospheric design resonates with you. That said, I’m 100% sold on a lighthouse being the protagonist — watching him hop around with his bird buddy is just too cute.
Keeper is out Oct. 17 on Windows PC and Xbox Series X. It will be available through Game Pass.
