Steam open-world adventure with Stardew Valley charm is free this weekend

Developer Pugstorm is hosting a free-to-play weekend for its hit open-world survival title Core Keeper that you can dive into via PC storefront Steam.

If you’re unfamiliar with Core Keeper, it first launched two years ago and essentially offers a Valheim-style gameplay loop with the aesthetic appeal of Stardew Valley.

Playable solo or with up to seven of your friends, you awaken as an explorer in a “long forgotten cavern teeming with untold secrets”.

As far as survival games go, this one definitely sits on the cozier side of the spectrum and isn’t too punishing, as some entries in the genre can be.

Players will need to, of course, harvest resources, craft tools, establish a base, and explore - all of the usual survival fare.

Fireshine Games, bilibili

There’s something quite theraueputic about it all though, and that could be in part thanks to Core Keeper’s charming pixel-art graphics which ooze nostalgia.

As players progress, you’ll be able to level up your skills as you deepen your exploration and try to “unveil the power of the Core”.

There are also plenty of cozy life sim elements thrown in, with the opportunity to grow your own garden, fish, cook, raise animals, and more.

There’s combat too with players required to fend off “legendary titans”. Whatever you’re craving, Core Keeper probably has it.

To fend off foes, you can craft traps and bombs as well as awesome weapons like the powerful Obliteration Ray.

Again, this is an open-world adventure and there are plenty of biomes to explore.

“From the living walls of the Clay Caves to the crystal caverns of the Shimmering Frontier, discover more about this mysterious world as you uncover the secrets of the Cavelings,” devs tease.

“Build a boat to set sail across the Sunken Sea, race across the Desert of Beginnings, and encounter the remnants of ancient civilisations.”

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Core Keeper is 40% off if you want to keep playing past the free play weekend

The free play weekend is now underway on Steam - and it’s the first one to be held since Core Keeper launched its 1.0 update.

The free play period draws to a close at 6pm BST on Monday October 12; there’s no limit on how far you can progress during that time window.

While your game access will be revoked following that October 12 deadline, your save data will be stored, so if you do decide to purchase Core Keeper, you can pick up right where you left off.

Obviously, the hope here is that you do want to purchase the full release, which is why Core Keeper is currently 40%, bringing the price down to £9.59/$11.99 instead of £15.99/$19.99. That offer expires on October 22.

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Core Keeper is very much beloved by its pre-existing players with a ‘Very Positive’ review score of 94% on Steam.

“PLEASE play this blind [because] exploring each outer biome is like multiple spiritual experiences at once,” one player said.

“The best fusion of Terraria and Stardew I have found, and I've found about four of them. And even in absolute terms, it's a great game that stands far and away above nearly everything in the broader genre,” another added.

Don’t miss out on your chance to sample Core Keeper for free.