Core Keeper looks kind of like Stardew Valley, but in a cave

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Caves are a popular setting for games, and it doesn't look like that's changing soon.

Announced during IGN's livestream today, Core Keeper is a co-op adventure set in "an endless cavern of creatures, relics, and resources." The trailer instantly reminded me of Stardew Valley, if all of Stardew Valley were moved into its caves.

Hey, caves can be just as cozy as farmsteads and hamlets. You can even grow plants in Core Keeper, though I'm not sure how they get by without sunlight. I'm guessing magic.

Not so cozy is Glurch the Abominous Mass, a giant blob that attempts to hop on the adventuring party late in the trailer. Anything described as a "mass" isn't good. (Except maybe the effect in Mass Effect. But is interstellar travel good? Things don't really work out for anyone in those games. I digress.)

Core Keeper supports up to eight players, and although its caves are described as endless, there is a sort of story to it: You and your friends are meant to "unravel the mystery of the ancient Core." 

Part of that story will be included in Core Keeper's initial release on Steam Early Access, along with three bosses, 140 items, and essential systems like combat, base building, farming, and cooking. It'll be available near the end of this year.

"We've already been working on Core Keeper for almost a year and feel like the Early Access version is at a great point in development for players to begin the adventure and start playing," says the developer, a Swedish studio called Pugstorm.

If all goes well, the 1.0 version of Core Keeper will be out before the end of 2022. You can read more about the developer's plans on Core Keeper's Steam page. 

Tyler Wilde
Tyler Wilde
Editor-in-Chief, US

Tyler grew up in Silicon Valley during the '80s and '90s, playing games like Zork and Arkanoid on early PCs. He was later captivated by Myst, SimCity, Civilization, Command & Conquer, all the shooters they call "boomer shooters" now, and PS1 classic Bushido Blade (that's right: he had Bleem!). Tyler joined PC Gamer in 2011, and today he's focused on the site's news coverage. His hobbies include amateur boxing and adding to his 1,200-plus hours in Rocket League.