Deal | 92% positive: Addictive survival sandbox is free to play on Steam right now

In Core Keeper, players take on the role of an explorer who discovers a mysterious artifact known as the Core during an expedition. Upon touching it, they suddenly find themselves deep underground – without any equipment or any idea how they got there. So what's the solution? A pickaxe, of course. From there, players dig their way through different biomes, gather resources, build bases and try to uncover the mystery surrounding the Core.

In terms of gameplay, Core Keeper feels like a mix of Minecraft and Stardew Valley. While the largely customizable game world encourages exploration and experimentation, farming, fishing, cooking and animal husbandry add a generous dose of coziness. However, life underground isn't entirely peaceful. Numerous monsters and powerful bosses stand in the players' way and must be defeated using swords, bows or magic. New equipment and unlockable abilities allow players to develop different combat styles. Those who don't want to face the dangers alone can also experience the adventure in co-op with up to seven friends. The whole experience is presented in charming pixel art with atmospheric lighting and shadow effects.

Once players get lost in the underground world of Core Keeper, they apparently have a hard time leaving. At least, many Steam players describe the game as highly addictive, with some reporting playtimes in the hundreds of hours. The extensive freedom, lovingly crafted pixel world and atmospheric soundtrack are particularly well received. The co-op mode also earns frequent praise. However, some players find the gameplay increasingly repetitive, especially in the later stages. Other criticisms include lengthy resource grinding and occasionally unbalanced character classes. Overall, 92% of more than 67,000 Steam reviews are positive. On Metacritic, Core Keeper has a Metascore of 86 and a User Score of 7.5.

Core Keeper normally costs $19.99 on Steam, but is completely free to play until October 12. Those who want to continue playing afterward can pick up the survival sandbox for $11.99 with a 40% discount until October 22. According to SteamDB, the current offer matches the game's usual discount level, which was last reached in late August. Thanks to its “Verified” status on Steam Deck, Core Keeper can also be played on the go without any issues.

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