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Core Keeper cover

Core Keeper 2024

Role-playing (RPG) by Pugstorm, published by Fireshine Games.

Xbox Series X|S PlayStation 4 Linux Nintendo Switch 2 PC (Microsoft Windows) PlayStation 5 Role-playing (RPG) Simulator Adventure ESRB: E Steam Deck Verified
86
Critics
aggregate score
76
Players
IGDB rating
93%
Very Positive
51,049 Steam reviews
2,647 playing now
on Steam, 3,080 peak today
34 h to beat
main story
0 awards won
2 nominations
Core Keeper trailer Trailer

About

Core Keeper came out on August 27, 2024 for Linux, PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, then for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on October 17, 2024 and for Nintendo Switch 2 on January 28, 2026. It was shown at PC Gaming Show: Tokyo Direct 2026. On Steam, 93% of 51,049 player reviews are positive (Very Positive). 2,647 people are playing it on Steam right now, with a peak of 12,675 in the last 30 days. It is Verified on Steam Deck. The main story takes about 34 hours. It was nominated for 2 awards.

Explore an endless cavern of creatures, relics and resources in a mining sandbox adventure for 1-8 players. Mine, build, fight, craft and farm to unravel the mystery of the ancient Core.

Story

Drawn towards a mysterious relic, you are an explorer who awakens in an ancient cavern of creatures, resources and trinkets. Trapped deep underground will your survival skills be up to the task?

What is happening now

Core Keeper is an indie RPG and adventure simulator where players explore and build in underground caverns across multiple platforms. Since its August 2024 launch, the game has built a substantial player base, recently crossing six million players. The latest development focuses on the version 1.3 update, titled "Riders of the Underground," which introduces rideable mounts to the game's exploration mechanics. The update also expands the world with new sub-biome content. This marks a significant expansion to Core Keeper's gameplay loop, giving players new ways to traverse the underground environments they've been digging through since the game's release.

How long to beat Core Keeper

from 2 players
Main + extrasstory plus side content
34 h

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Awards

0 won, 2 more nominations
Other awards 2024
Nominated: Indie Game Award for Music
Gamescom Award 2023
Nominated: Most Entertaining

Media

Core Keeper screenshot

Trailers

Core Keeper trailer 1 Core Keeper trailer 2 Core Keeper trailer 3 Core Keeper trailer 4 Core Keeper trailer 5 Core Keeper trailer 6

Shown at

All showcases
Core Keeper - Riders of the Underground · Update with mounts, a new sub-biome and three hydras, out the next day.
Sep 20, 2026
Watch trailer

Releases

Platform
Date
August 27, 2024 (early access from March 8, 2022)
August 27, 2024 (early access from March 8, 2022)
August 27, 2024
August 27, 2024
October 17, 2024
October 17, 2024
October 17, 2024
January 28, 2026

Earliest full release on each platform; regional dates can differ.

PC and Steam Deck

Steam store page

Steam Deck: Verified works great out of the box

Minimum
Recommended
OS
Windows 10 64-bit
Windows 10 64-bit
Processor
Intel Core i5-2300 / AMD Ryzen 3 1200
Intel Core i5-8400 / AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
Memory
8 GB RAM
8 GB RAM
Graphics
GeForce GTX 460 / Radeon HD 5850
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti / Radeon R9 280X

Will it run on my PC?

Your numbers stay in this browser.

Requirements and Deck status as listed on Steam, checked Oct 29, 2026.

Core Keeper player count

concurrent players on Steam
2,647playing now53m ago
3,080peak today
12,67530-day peak
12,675highest we have seenOct 24, 2026
Oct 23: 9,519 Oct 24: 12,675 Oct 25: 12,051 Oct 26: 8,956 Oct 27: 8,567 Oct 28: 7,596 Oct 29: 6,971 Oct 30: 7,292 Oct 31: 8,653 Nov 1: 8,324 Nov 2: 6,747 Nov 3: 6,537 Nov 4: 5,646 Nov 5: 5,048 Nov 6: 3,080
Oct 23daily peak, last 15 daystoday

Players counted on Steam every one to six hours; the daily peak is the highest count of the day.

Core Keeper achievements

59 achievements on Steam

Rarest

Fortune and Glory Equipped a Hookshot and the Explorer's vanity set
0.2%
Racer's Garage Stored 3 different kinds of Go-Karts in a chest
0.3%
The Veil Crux
0.7%
The Credence of Ruin
1.9%
Impersonator Syndrome
2.1%
Giddy Up Saddle-straddle-skedaddled cattle
2.2%
All 59 achievements by how many players unlocked them
Explosion Mastery Gained 100 skill points in explosions
2.4%
5 Centimeters Per Second Planted 10 Cherry Trees
3.2%
Gossip Group Talked to a Big Larva
3.4%
The Titan Breath
3.4%
A Wizard Is Never Late Gained 100 skill points in magic
3.6%
Whisper of the Void
3.6%
Stay Away From The Summoner! Gained 100 skill points in summoning
3.7%
A Strange Song Play the Tune of Tempest
4%
Calculated Prophecy
4.2%
A Throne Fit for a King
4.6%
Legion Commander Had 8 or more active minions
4.8%
The Heart of the Cards
4.9%
I want ’em all! Stored all color variations of one pet type in a chest
5%
In a Rush
6.3%
Certified Chef Discovered 100 recipes in the cook book
6.6%
Diggy Diggy Hole Gained 100 skill points in mining
7.4%
Health Conscious Gained 100 skill points in vitality
7.9%
Cheese it! Gained 100 skill points in cooking
8.2%
...Sting like a bee Gained 100 skill points in melee
8.3%
Robin Hood Gained 100 skill points in range
8.4%
Crafty Explorer Gained 100 skill points in crafting
8.4%
Silence the Symphony
8.7%
Float like a butterfly... Gained 100 skill points in running
8.9%
Completely Hooked Gained 100 skill points in fishing
9.2%
The Soul Seeker
9.3%
Wielder of Legends
10%
Legendary Fossil
10.3%
Cambrian Behemoth
10.3%
The Phantom Spark
12.6%
Thalassophobia
14.3%
The Rune Song
14.6%
Nature Nurturer Gained 100 skill points in gardening
14.9%
Visitor From A Dying World
15.3%
Roar of the Flames
17%
Howl of the Sea
17.4%
Burning Through
17.9%
Song of the Woods
18.4%
Slippery When Wet
23.2%
Just Deserts
25%
Pet Prodigy Reached max level on a pet
26.5%
Farmer Midas Harvested a golden plant
28.2%
From the Depths!
28.6%
Toxic Personality
28.8%
A Good Life Fed cattle
30.2%
Slippery Shinobi
34.3%
From the Skies!
37.2%
Beam Me Up Used a waypoint
38.4%
Rock and Stone! Equipped the Ring of Rock and Ring of Stone
38.9%
Watch Your Step
43.2%
You're a Wizard
44.2%
Your Very First Hatched your first pet from an egg
52.3%
Bugging Out
53.1%
A Slimey Encounter
64.4%

Share of Steam players who unlocked each achievement.

In the news

4 stories
How to Keep Playing Core Keeper for Less After the Free Trial
1 outlet · Oct 21, 2026
Core Keeper is FREE to play on Steam until Monday!
1 outlet · Oct 9, 2026
Core Keeper's Riders of the Underground update drops tomorrow, and you can get a sneak peek of it right here
4 outlets · Sep 21, 2026
Core Keeper 1.3 “Riders of the Underground” update announced
3 outlets · Sep 11, 2026