Keeps you occupied for a weekend

The entire point of playing videogames is to be transported to a time and place that no longer exists or has never existed at all. Whatever Keeper is, it certainly succeeds in doing exactly that. It introduced a universe with no humans. With vast expanses of colourful grasslands, a few helpful birds, and a sentient lighthouse. No evil enemies out to get me. A cool breeze drifts by as I gently press the buttons. And then my phone buzzed. The illusion shattered. Im home again, and my cat is screaming at my chair. For most video games, the immersion continues the moment you hit resume. Unfortunately for Keeper, a single distraction can cause you to completely check out of the experience. Thats it. Youre no longer invested in the game, and you may never ever continue to play it. This is because it is an extremely short, simple game that relies completely on being atmospheric and vibes-based. The older I get, the less patient I feel myself becoming, and less mentally available for games like Keeper. But who knows, maybe you might like it. How did I come across Keeper? Well, I constantly find myself sandwiching a nice meaty AAA long game with small cozy games that I can finish over a weekend. Keeper is one of the tiniest games Ive played recently. Its an atmospheric puzzle adventure you play as a lighthouse with a magical guiding light. The Lighthouse must find its way to the top of a mountain, illuminating the dark realms along its way. Is this a metaphor? Is it trying to convey something deeper? I dont know. Probably not. As a story, it felt as though it was trying to explain to us the unlikely friendship between a bird and a lighthouse. But not very well, and for some reason, I was never very emotionally invested in the story. I have played games less than five hours long that have managed to convey an emotional story arc and left me weeping, so you can say that my expectations were quite high to start with. I might also grant Keeper the added challenge of being completely wordless. Theres only so much you can do because lighthouses cant really communicate. But again, I wonder if this lack of wonder and empathy for characters in video games comes with being much older than I was when I played Machinarium and Samorost (similar but very, very good puzzle adventure games if youre inclined to the format). But Anusha, the gameplay! What about it? Okay, let me explain a thing to you about writing in video games. If the game is meant to be an atmospheric puzzle, you must have one of two things. A) The emotional arc ties in with the puzzles themselves. Or B) A challenging and competent puzzle structure. Unfortunately, the game has neither. For the most part, the puzzles were too simple. The most interesting one involved altering time within the environment to alter its structure and progress in the map, but there wasnt much of this to actually make me stall for more than a few seconds. I also liked the parts where we would occasionally play as the bird to control certain in-game elements. However, these were far and few between and didnt really need a whole lot of figuring out. All the puzzles also had similar goals it involved navigating through brambles and slimy pockets in jungles, waters, and mountains with no real rhyme or reason except the idea that the lighthouse must climb to the mountain top. Having reread my review so far, I come across as extremely uncharitable towards the game. I love that games like Keeper exist and have publishers like Xbox funding them. The game is not without its high points. The visuals are absolutely stunning in a lot of the scenes. I actually love the character design of the lighthouse, the attention to its unique movements like the way it stumbles across while it walks. I just wish a lot more had been done with it! The score is absolutely beautiful, and changes and marks the transitions between the realms very well. Even the puzzles are suitable for someone who kind of just wants something a little more simple so they can appreciate the vibes more. The game is currently available for free with the Xbox Game Pass I recommend that route as this might be a bit too expensive to purchase on Steam (given that it takes less than five hours to complete), and is not exactly replayable. Its best played with a controller and is suitable for beginners.