Core Keeper, a sandbox survival title sometimes described as a hybrid of Minecraft, Terraria, and Stardew Valley, is making its way to PC and multiple consoles in 2024. Previously confirmed for PlayStation and Xbox platforms, the game’s appearance on Nintendo Switch was confirmed during the Nintendo Indie World broadcast on November 14, 2023.
Supporting up to eight players at a time, Core Keeper stars a group of characters building a new settlement in a procedurally generated underground world centered around the mysterious titular “Core.” Players can build houses using a variety of tools, explore dungeons, battle against many different underground monsters, and even grow crops and raise animals on a farm. As they explore, they will discover different devices related to the Core, guarded by tricky bosses which they must defeat as a team. There’s even a rhythm-based fishing mini-game – after all, you’ve got to stay healthy and make sure you have plenty to eat when exploring the world around the Core!
Drawn towards a mysterious relic, you are an explorer transported to an ancient cavern. Uncover the mysteries of this strange new world and escape the dangers of the underground when @CoreKeeperGame comes to #NintendoSwitch summer 2024. #IndieWorld pic.twitter.com/VOCk6f4AKa
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) November 14, 2023
Currently, Core Keeper has been available in Early Access since 2022. It has received generally positive reviews, which have praised the game for effectively blending survival mechanics with the classic sandbox sim genre. Other reviewers commented on the game’s ability to balance tense dungeon exploration gameplay with the more relaxed, “slow living” style of gameplay featured in titles such as Stardew Valley. In 2022, it was described as “the year’s best co-op survival game” by PCGamer.
The Nintendo Switch version of Core Keeper will release in Summer 2024. A more specific release date has not been revealed at this time. Playing online multiplayer mode will require a Nintendo Account and a Nintendo Switch Online membership. The game is also planned to release for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
