Keeper (2025)

Double Fine’s unique and creative art direction is one of the many reasons why they have been my favorite developer. I say this as I am wearing my Backer shirt I got for their Kickstarter reward for Broken Age at the vets office while writing this review. However I did not intend this, it is just a shirt I wear quite often. Keeper which is their newest game about a lighthouse that moves around crafts an environmental narrative that utilizes that unique Double Fine charm at the right moments in its brief playtime

Keeper is a game that doesn't have a single line of dialogue, spoken or written. The entire story is played out through environmental story telling and character emotions. It really is a testament to how good the writers can be when those storybeats tug at heartstrings when no actual words are spoken.

At the beginning of the game, a lone but sentient lighthouse sprouts legs made out of what seems to be tree roots, and starts crawling along. It’s reminiscent of the bathtub in Tim Burton’s A Nightmare Before Christmas. The lighthouse is able to utilize its light to swivel and direct its beam to shine brighter and illuminate certain spots to advance. While the beam flickers early on and the lighthouse wobbles while learning to scuttle, it soon starts off on its adventure.

Initially the Lighthouse section, which takes up about 2 or so hours of the game, caused me to nearly put the game down, and was such a disappointment as the follow-up to Psychonauts 2. While its visual style and dreamlike design is a sight to behold, and it has some of the mouth watering cotton candy like fluff ever found in the game, I found myself bored with the nature of it all. Most would call this early section a “Walking Simulator”, but its puzzle mechanics and platforming sections do help elevate it more than what it appears to be.

I honestly was about to give up on the game, but I know Double Fine does great work, and also knew the game was pretty short at about 4 hours. So I powered through it and I'm glad I did, because luckily once the Lighthouse section finishes up, the game transforms into a much faster paced and enjoyable game.

As the lighthouse now turns into a boat, puzzles and collecting things to complete tasks has much more emphasis and agency to the gameplay loop. I found the only issue in this section to be figuring out the layout of the ocean/lake with all its twisty tentacles and otherworldly obstacles. Crablike creatures or massive sea turtle-esque monsters need the help of the light to burn away brambles and clear out sections, which adds to the collection of mechanics. I loved the ending cinematic of the boat’s rush up a mountainous waterfall.

In the third section of the game the lighthouse light stands on its side and becomes a rolling wheel. I found this section the most fun and it's where it felt the most at home in its own skin. It finally felt like a Double Fine game by harkening back to Raz’s psychic levitation ball. The speed is breakneck and the puzzles here require rolling over gas geysers to light them on fire and continue that flame on to the next area. Popping the pulsating boils and breaking down barriers with different colored and intensity flames really felt satisfying

Keeper is a gorgeous and interesting game, but sadly it starts out on a bit of a rough patch and leaves a sour first impression that it really needed to be cut down significantly. The movement and control of the lighthouse didn’t feel good, and I never felt fully in control. Its wobbly nature had me tipping over several times in the first two minutes. While the worlds are breathtaking, it was difficult for me to feel immediately engrossed and care about the lighthouse initially. The addition of a bird companion who helps out with the puzzles is a saving grace that keeps me emotionally engaged.

I believe Keeper is an interesting environmental puzzle adventure but with it light on mainstream mechanics. An arthouse game for a rainy day if you will. At its core Keeper feels more at home as a level in a Psychonauts 3 game where Raz could transform into a lighthouse, boat or a beam. Luckily at 4 hours, it's worth the investment for an offline evening. And more so since it’s free on GamePass. if you can appreciate an experience more than actual gameplay, Double Fine’s latest expression evokes passion over product.