‘Core Keeper’ and its underground world keeps growing: What Xbox players should know about the ambitious, survival RPG before its next update

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When introducing a new game, it’s common to compare it to older, well-known titles. We could say Core Keeper is similar to games like Stardew Valley, Spelunky, or Terraria and Satisfactory, and that wouldn’t be wrong. However, these comparisons only give you a basic idea of the game. They don’t really capture what it’s like to play this unique top-down, pixel art sandbox adventure created by Pugstorm and published by Fireshrine Games.

Core Keeper starts with a straightforward idea: you wake up as a custom character inside a huge underground cave. At the center of this world, which is different every time you play, is a large, glowing object called the Core. It’s a powerful mystery, and you begin knowing very little about it. Your main goal is to simply survive, because you’ll face dangers from hungry creatures and the need to find food!

The Core, the heart of the game, is hidden inside a cavern with dirt walls. You’ll need to gather materials and craft tools like pickaxes and shovels to dig your way through and create paths. As you explore, improving your crafting, mining, and fighting skills will unlock better gear. But Core Keeper isn’t just about mining and fighting—you can also enjoy relaxing survival elements like farming, raising animals, and building a base. And the best part is, you can play with up to eight friends!

In Core Keeper, every new game creates a unique world. While key elements like boss locations and certain items always appear near the core, the overall landscape and specific areas change with each playthrough. This means no two worlds are ever exactly alike – a forest biome that’s south of you in your game might be northeast in a friend’s game.

When playing with friends in Core Keeper, you can use the same custom character across different worlds. This means if you’ve already gotten great gear, you can join a friend’s world and help them progress. However, if you’re worried about a friend accidentally damaging your base, it might be better to start a new character and world with them, keeping your original save safe and sound.

Core Keeper is a fantastic game to play with friends because it blends different types of gameplay. This means everyone in a large group can enjoy the parts they like best. For example, one player might focus on fighting all the monsters and discovering the game’s story, while another builds and crafts items back at the base to support the team. Everyone gets a fulfilling experience tailored to their preferences.

As an analyst, I’ve been really impressed with how Core Keeper tackles the common issue of resource management in base-building games. The game’s world is beautiful, but constantly running back and forth to storage gets old fast, especially when you’re hauling things like mushrooms. Thankfully, Core Keeper lets you build intricate conveyor belt systems. This automation isn’t just a nice addition; it’s a key feature that lets you move resources across the entire map, which really helps prevent that frustrating back-and-forth and adds a lot more depth to the gameplay.

A battery-powered drill automatically extracts gold, which a crane then lifts and moves along conveyor belts to the base. Finally, a robotic arm places the gold into a storage container.

Core Keeper is fundamentally a game about working together with friends. Players build and expand their own base in a dark, dangerous world, gradually turning it into a safe and flourishing home. While the game features tough bosses later on, overcoming them is a great way for players to truly collaborate and succeed as a team.

Core Keeper was first announced by Pugstorm and Fireshrine Games in 2021, and became available to play in early access on Steam in 2022. Throughout development, the team added lots of new content, including seasonal events, a collaboration with the game Terraria, and two large new areas to explore.

Core Keeper became available on consoles and with its full version 1.0 release in 2024. It was initially included with Xbox Game Pass on both Xbox consoles and PC, but it’s no longer part of the subscription. If you didn’t get a chance to play it then, you can now get it at a 40% discount during the Xbox Countdown Sale.

Even while working on their new game, Kyora, the creators of Core Keeper are still adding content to it. A large, free update called Void & Voltage is planned for release on Core Keeper, including Xbox, on January 28, 2026.

I’m really excited about the new update for Core Keeper! It’s adding a whole new area called Breaker’s Reach to explore, and some seriously powerful weapons – I’ve heard there’s a flamethrower and a minigun coming! If you’re like me and love building automated resource farms, they’re including tools like a critter catcher, seed extractor, and conveyor belt splitters. Core Keeper is already a huge game, easily taking over a hundred hours to fully experience, and this update looks like it’s going to add even *more* to do.

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2026-01-11 23:40