Xbox and Double Fine’s Keeper on Game Pass is filled to the brim with strange little guys — I just think they’re neat!

by

Whether you’re enjoying a game or a film, interesting and unusual characters almost always make it better. This idea was central to the vision of Star Wars creator George Lucas. While he imagined epic battles between good and evil with magical beings across the galaxy, he also loved filling his scenes with as many unique and quirky creatures as possible.

It’s now clear that director Lee Petty and the team at Double Fine Productions, who released Keeper earlier this year, share this understanding as well.

October was incredibly hectic for me—I even found myself writing my review of The Outer Worlds 2 from a hotel room while getting ready to preview Halo: Combat Evolved! Because of that, I didn’t get around to playing Keeper until just recently.

As my colleague Zachary Boddy pointed out in their review, Keeper is a beautiful story about the surprising friendship between a lighthouse and a bird. I was also thrilled to find it filled with all sorts of quirky and unusual characters.

Almost as soon as the lighthouse began to move, I started noticing strange little creatures everywhere. Some relaxed outside their miniature homes on a small island, watching me with big, curious eyes. Others scurried around cliffs, peeked from rocky shelters, or even danced excitedly near some old ruins I discovered while exploring.

It would have been interesting enough if there were just a few different enemy types, but each new area introduced a completely new and unique creature. Some had a single, giant eye, while others were featureless, looking like animated piles of rocks. Still others moved like mechanical toys, rolling through towns.

I especially liked how the creatures respond when the lighthouse beam hits them. They each have a little reaction – some wobble and fall, others try to hide – and it’s a charming detail that makes the game more engaging.

It didn’t take me long to realize that my main goal in this game wasn’t about appreciating the beautiful art or figuring out the story from achievement descriptions. I was just really excited to discover all the strange and unique characters.

Games often benefit from including quirky, unusual creatures, and I really appreciate that Keeper went above and beyond in this area.

Tim Schafer, head of Double Fine Productions, announced at Gamescom 2025 that the studio is currently developing several new games. He clarified that none of these projects are a sequel to Brutal Legend, and they aren’t continuing the Psychonauts series at this time. However, he hinted that all their upcoming games will likely feature plenty of quirky characters.

I’m eager to see if this holds true with Double Fine’s future games.

If you haven’t tried Keeper yet, you really should! It’s a fantastic game, especially considering how many great games have come out this year. You can play it now on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and it’s also part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

What are your favorite strange little guys in video games? Let me know in the comments!

Read More

2025-12-30 17:09