A lot of us genuinely like the idea of testing ourselves with video games, convinced that the more demanding the ride, the more rewarding it becomes. Overcoming these obstacles can bring a real rush and a strong sense of achievement. And, to be fair, there are also players who refuse to turn the difficulty down—choosing to walk away from the game instead.
On the other hand (and it’s worth stressing that there’s no single “correct” way to enjoy a game, as long as you’re satisfied and you treat others with respect), some players prefer an experience that’s not built around constant, punishing waves of enemies that grind you down, or puzzles that feel like they require an expert-level mind to crack. Others simply want a calmer, low-stress escape they can enjoy for a couple of hours after a long, exhausting day. That flexible mindset matters to Double Fine as well, the studio behind Psychonauts and Brütal Legend.
At launch, the studio’s most recent release, Psychonauts 2, shipped with a range of accessibility options, including an invincibility mode. That feature let players raise the challenge to its top level while still allowing others to move through the game without the worry of “failure.” Double Fine says this approach will carry into its next project, Keeper, a story about a sentient lighthouse and its feathered companion.
In an interview with Eurogamer during Gamescom, studio head Tim Schafer said accessibility is a “huge priority” for Double Fine—and that Microsoft, which acquired the studio in 2019, backs it as well. “[Microsoft] has extensive testing available for various levels of accessibility, and Keeper is an accessible game that is very easy to handle – there aren’t many buttons to master,” Schafer said, adding:
“Accessibility is something we always bring to the forefront in our games, supporting all kinds of players, because I don’t think anyone should be told how they have to play. If someone wants to reduce the difficulty, they can.
“Some people simply connect with the character design and the world. We don’t want to exclude them.”
When asked whether Keeper poses any kind of threat, the studio’s founder responded that you “can’t fail and you can’t die” throughout the gameplay, which lasts roughly six to eight hours. “It’s more about the experience itself, and taking in the atmosphere,” Schafer added.
As I mentioned, Keeper will follow the adventures of a lighthouse that suddenly becomes alive, fitted with leg-like tendrils that let it cross a strange island with its avian partner, Twig. Does that sound a little strange? Good—because that’s exactly the kind of goal Double Fine is pursuing. “[Creative lead Lee Petty] said, ‘I want to build something really bizarre,'” Schafer recalled about Keeper. “We tried to create something we probably wouldn’t have gotten approval for back when Double Fine was still independent. It’s artful, and while it may not click immediately, it’s genuinely captivating.”
In terms of gameplay, Keeper will mix exploration and puzzle-solving, and as Schafer put it, it includes plenty that should catch players off guard—maybe even surprise them. During a showing that focused on earlier portions of the game, I watched the lighthouse use its beam to reshape the area, uncovering routes that weren’t visible before. At the same time, Twig could sit on levers or place objects beyond the lighthouse’s reach to help the game progress.
Visually, Keeper draws inspiration from surrealist creators such as Salvador Dali and Max Ernst, plus films like The Dark Crystal. Together, these influences form a vibrant blend of imagination and color that feels both distinctive and naturally appealing.
That said, Keeper won’t include any dialogue, described as “a narrative delivered without words.” During a later group Q&A, I asked Schafer what it was like for the team to develop a story without the usual spoken lines.
“It’s fascinating, because if I were working on the team, it would be packed with dialogue—like the lighthouse shouting, ‘I’m too old for this nonsense,'” he joked, before explaining that Keeper was built around making the most of everyone’s existing strengths. That includes Petty, whom Schafer praised for his ability in visual storytelling. Besides working on Keeper, Petty has also been art director for Brütal Legend and served as creative lead on a number of other Double Fine projects, including the matryoshka-themed puzzle game Stacking, the sci-fi side-scroller Headlander, and the post-post-apocalyptic roguelike RAD.
“He’s an artist, and the animators are used to an approach where they’re communicating the story even with the sound off,” said Double Fine’s chief. “Twig is especially expressive. You can tell how Twig feels about everything, and the lighthouse looks like it has facial reactions. The narrative still carries a lot of emotional weight. The characters develop over time, have feelings, and share a sense of companionship.”
“We tackle these creative problems with the resources we have,” Schafer wrapped up. “I’m a writer, so I start there. Lee and his team started from a different angle—that’s one of the studio’s strong points.”
Sadly, I didn’t get the chance to play Keeper during Double Fine’s Gamescom presentation, but even so, it’s already among the releases I’m most eager to see this year. I honestly never expected to feel an emotional bond with a lighthouse, yet after just a few quick glimpses of gameplay and the trailers, I’m much more invested in the wellbeing of Keeper’s lighthouse—especially with its personality-filled beam, which lights up the scene and shapes the surreal, stunning world it lives in. Yes, Keeper is absolutely one I’ll be watching closely.
Keeper is scheduled to release later this year, on October 17, for Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Game Pass.