This fall's strangest game is Double Fine's psychedelic meditation on friendship

Keeper's story begins without much fanfare: a curious bird lands on the roof of an abandoned lighthouse. Shortly after, the whole structure breaks in half, and from the roots, reinforcement elements, and stones grown into its structure, slowly emerge two pairs of legs. The autonomous building and its animal companion begin their joint journey towards the mountain range visible on the horizon.

A lighthouse and a bird walk into a bar...

The rest of the depicted world helps in creating a specific, melancholic-dreamlike atmosphere. The space is full of vibrant colors but empty of people, with scattered ruins as the only signs of their past presence. During the journey, players might come across other weird creatures like a giant tree with a face, flying giants that look like turtles, or tiny robots living in a city full of gears. As mentioned by Lee Petty, the person responsible for the project, a strong inspiration for the game was the recent COVID-19 pandemic, during which he spent a lot of time on solitary walks in nature, contemplating a vision of a world from which humanity has disappeared.

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Keeper, Xbox Game Studios, 2025.

The presenter, Tim Schafer, emphasized that the story in Keeper is to be devoid of dialogue and focus heavily on the relationship between the Lighthouse and its winged companion. During the trip, we'll also learn a bit more about the secrets of the dream world, and the whole thing is meant to be open to interpretations and guesses.

When discussing Keeper's artistic identity, it's also worth noting that the presented gameplay fragments were essentially devoid of excessive interface elements. This procedure helps you feel immersed in a surreal reality, making the game a unique and artistic experience.

And how do you play this game?

The gameplay footage clearly suggests that Keeper will focus mainly on exploration and environmental puzzles. While exploring semi-open locations, the quirky duo of protagonists occasionally encounters obstacles that need to be overcome to progress further.

Keeper, Xbox Game Studios, 2025.

Most puzzles are based on manipulating the environment using light (emitted by the spotlight at the top of the Lighthouse) and a bird companion. I particularly remember a puzzle where the player's task was to guide a group of creatures onto an ice sheet and then break the shell using light signals. The broken ice then revealed a luminous ball, which a bird could fly up to. The artifact obtained was then given to the tree with a face, which then opened the next path. The gameplay also suggested that in further parts of the game, additional abilities may appear, such as time manipulation, turning the bird into an egg.

Keeper, Xbox Game Studios, 2025.

The devs noted that they don't plan to introduce any kind of combat into the game. In Keeper, it's basically impossible to lose. Although this type of fun may not necessarily appeal to everyone, there will certainly also be players eager for this kind of peaceful experience.

Intrigued?

Keeper will be available for PC and Xbox Series X/S players on October 17th. It's worth mentioning that the game will be available on Game Pass for both platforms right away. As Tim Schafer himself pointed out, the studio's goal is to create a smaller, intimate title that audiences will be able to reach for between larger releases. The new Double Fine game seems to really play into the studio's identity, known for creating unique and original projects. Lee Petty's involvement, known for games like Brutal Legend and Broken Age, indicates that once again, we will receive a production with a distinct and strong identity.

Keeper

October 17, 2025

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• Overview

• adventure games
• Double Fine Productions
• Tim Schafer
• gamescom 2025