As if Xbox’s most creative game in years wasn’t beautiful enough already — it just got a crazy cool black and white mode

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Xbox has released a lot of great exclusive games this year. Obsidian Entertainment, for example, launched three new titles, including Gears of War: Reloaded and DOOM: The Dark Ages, among others. But for me, one game really shines above all the rest.

Double Fine Productions’ *Keeper* is a fantastic game – my review gave it a perfect score. Now, after a month and a half, the first major update has arrived, and it’s full of the quirky charm you’d expect from Double Fine.

The new Back in Black (and White) Update introduces a fun, fresh game mode called Noir Mode. As the name suggests, it changes the game’s vibrant colors to black and white. Plus, we’ve added some new features, including one that PC gamers are going to love!

Too much color, they said…

Keeper is a unique adventure game where you play as a living lighthouse and its bird friend. It’s a touching story about finding meaning in life, the families we choose, and the connections we make while facing difficult times. The game also reveals the sad story of a long-lost, broken civilization.

The story is brought to life with incredibly creative and visually stunning art. The game uses bold colors and strong contrasts to create a truly memorable experience.

It turns out one of the artists on Keeper, Levi Ryken, tried removing all the color, likely because of a single, strange comment from someone who didn’t want to play the game due to its vibrant palette.

The Double Fine team really enjoyed the black-and-white experiment, so they turned it into a permanent feature called Noir Mode. It’s a beautifully optimized version of the game designed to look its best in black and white, and it’s the main addition in this new update.

But there’s more! Double Fine also improved the game for PC players by adding support for ultrawide monitors. This lets you see even more of the stunning landscapes and really immerse yourself in the experience.

I’ve put together some helpful comparisons to show you how Noir Mode and ultrawide support work in Keeper.

https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/juxtapose/latest/watch?v=index.htmlhttps://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/juxtapose/latest/watch?v=index.htmlhttps://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/juxtapose/latest/watch?v=index.html

Looks pretty good, right? You’re right, it really does. Thank you for your feedback.

Beyond the sleek Noir Mode and support for ultrawide monitors, Double Fine has included helpful new accessibility features with high contrast options. These improvements are fantastic, and now Keeper offers various ways to highlight important objects, creatures, and anything you can interact with. Great addition!

The update also includes the typical assortment of bug fixes – the game was already quite smooth at launch – and a new tool to calibrate High Dynamic Range (HDR) displays for optimal viewing.

The latest update for The Keeper, called ‘Back in Black (and White)’, is now available on all platforms. You can find more details about it on the Double Fine website: DoubleFine.com. If you’re new to the game, you might be interested in my review conclusion.

Keeper is what happens when a talented and imaginative team is given the freedom and support to make their vision a reality. It’s best experienced knowing as little as possible beforehand.

Keeper is now playable on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PCs, and with an Xbox Game Pass subscription. Plus, Xbox Play Anywhere lets you enjoy the game seamlessly on both your console and PC.

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2025-12-05 01:10