Double Fine’s Keeper: A Walking Lighthouse Adventure That’ll Make You Go 'Wait, What?'

This is Keeper. Let me paint you a picture. You’re scrolling through gaming news, minding your own business, when suddenly you see a trailer featuring a walking lighthouse with chicken legs being piloted by what can only be described as a “goofy bird.” Your first thought? “Well, that’s either the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen, or pure genius.” Spoiler alert: it’s definitely the latter.

Double Fine just dropped their latest creation at Gamescom 2024, and honestly, I’m still processing what I witnessed. Keeper isn’t just another indie adventure game – it’s what happens when someone asks, “What if we took everything normal about gaming and threw it out the window?” The result? A fever dream that somehow makes perfect sense.

What the Heck is Keeper Anyway?

You’re controlling a lighthouse that’s suddenly decided walking is better than staying put. Your faithful companion? A bird named Twig, who’s apparently the brains of this operation. Together, you’re wandering through landscapes that look like they were designed by someone who’s never seen Earth but has really vivid dreams about it.

The lighthouse doesn’t just waddle around aimlessly, though. It’s got purpose – even if that purpose involves shining beams of light at weird creatures and watching them dance. Because apparently, that’s how you solve problems in this world. Who needs swords when you’ve got photons, right?

The Magic of Discovery Without Hand-Holding

Here’s where Keeper gets interesting. Remember those games that spend the first hour explaining every single button and mechanic until your brain feels like mush? Yeah, this isn’t one of those. Creative Director Lee Petty and his team at Double Fine basically said, “Figure it out yourself, but don’t worry – you literally cannot die.”

It’s like they’ve created the gaming equivalent of a stress ball. You can poke, prod, and experiment without fear of seeing that dreaded “Game Over” screen. The lighthouse has two light modes: unfocused for exploring (think of it as your gaming flashlight) and focused for actually getting stuff done. Twig handles the manual labor since, you know, lighthouses aren’t exactly known for their dexterity.

Gamescom: Where Dreams Get Weird