Keeper (video game)

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Keeper is an adventure game by Double Fine, published by Xbox Game Studios. It came out on Windows and Xbox Series X/S on October 17, 2025. You play as a walking lighthouse that can move and use its lamp to light the way or interact with the world. The lighthouse is joined by Twig, a bird-like creature. The lighthouse protects Twig with light, and Twig helps by interacting with the world to help the lighthouse progress.

The two travel through a surreal, post-apocalyptic world guided by a beacon from a distant mountain, while avoiding a parasite-like swarm called the Wither. Along their journey they meet shrine sites about the Elders, who once used light to keep the Wither away but are long gone. The lighthouse falls into an abyss and later washes ashore with Twig fleeing and carrying an egg.

Afterward, the lighthouse is fused with an old fishing boat and can navigate the ocean, protecting creatures from the Wither. Twig finds the young bird born from the egg, and together they continue toward the surface. They discover the source of the Wither’s infestation in the ocean—a large spider-like creature—and, with help from those they saved, drive the Wither away.

The lighthouse chases along a river, crashes into rocks, but the lens survives and can roll to strike targets, helping defeat the Wither. Twig and the youngling carry the lens back to the surface to be reunited with its parts. The lighthouse regains its ability to walk and, with the heavier boat body, presses on through high winds toward the mountain summit. They meet Twig’s flock, and at the summit they confront an eye-like beacon infected by the Wither. The lighthouse uses its light to destroy the infection, is absorbed by the beacon, and its light spreads across the land, destroying remaining Wither and letting life flourish again.

Keeper was conceived by Lee Petty during the COVID-19 pandemic. Petty spent time exploring wilderness and caves in California, which inspired a post-human world. The game draws on surreal artists like Max Ernst and Salvador Dalí, and films such as The Dark Crystal and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. It’s designed as a short, narration-free experience where puzzles are part of the environment, encouraging players to figure things out without direct guidance and to focus on visual storytelling between the lighthouse and Twig.

Reception and awards: Keeper received generally favorable reviews. It was nominated for the Statue of Liberty Award for Best World at the 15th New York Game Awards and for Best Visual Art at the 26th Game Developers Choice Awards.