Steam Next Fest is upon us, with a massive pile of free game demos. There are far more games here than anyone could reasonably play in the week the event is active, so I'm doing the only thing I can do - checking out cool-looking things at random, and reporting back when one of those things plays well, too.
Turn Terraria from a side view to a top-down perspective, and you'll understand the basic vibe of Core Keeper. This is a crafting and survival game in the post-Minecraft tradition, but one that takes place entirely underground, and which gives you a series of bosses to hunt down in order to pursue an overarching objective.
Loading up Core Keeper for the first time, its punchy effects make a strong first impression. Knocking down blocks makes up the vast majority of a game like this, and they all come down with a satisfying pop - a small thing, but it's the kind of detail that gives Core Keeper an immediate feeling of quality.
