Doublefine's Keeper may have the most endearing videogame double-act since Banjo and Kazooie

"It's been a while since Tim Schafer's done press briefings, he admits. The head of Double Fine, a studio best known for the Psychonauts series, is trying to explain Keeper, a puzzle adventure game where you are, literally, a sentient, walking lighthouse. Double Fine is now one of several studios bought up by Microsoft and the team apparently took the opportunity to lean into all the resources available and, he said, "make something weird.""

"Double Fine's art director, Lee Petty came up with the concept for the game, apparently inspired by his time spent hiking during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is reflected in a lot of ways, whether its the rolling hills and landscapes that the anthropomorphised lighthouse roams, or the fact that there's not a single word of dialogue. The interactions between the bird and building, which seem to pepper both cutscenes and gameplay, are like Pixar shorts."

"In some early gameplay footage, I saw how the lighthouse's main form of interaction comes from its light beam. Not only does this help you seek out pathways and objects, but it can also be focused on the countless skittering creatures. Sometimes this causes creatures to flee, while other times they'll offer up magical orbs willingly and unwillingly, which open up later areas or bring towering creatures (structures?) to life. In Double Fine fashion, things look weird, too, with melted mountain peaks"

Keeper is a puzzle-adventure game that places the player in control of a sentient, walking lighthouse accompanied by a curious, occasionally aggressive bird named Twig. Double Fine developed the game after joining Microsoft, leveraging larger resources to pursue a surreal, experimental vision. Lee Petty conceived the concept inspired by pandemic-era hikes, reflected in rolling hills and lack of dialogue. Gameplay centers on the lighthouse's light beam to reveal paths, interact with skittering creatures, and unlock magical orbs that open new areas or animate towering structures. The presentation emphasizes atmosphere with no HUD and drippy surrealist visuals reminiscent of Psychonauts.

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