Core Keeper
Core Keeper not-so-quietly took over Steam earlier this year. A Minecraft block-puncher about digging through caves and making them feel like home, it’s as if you took Terraria’s 2D levels and turned them into top down labyrinths. There are slimes to fight, light RPG elements, and the occasional boss fight, but the real emphasis is on taking all the junk you harvest and using it to build an underground paradise dotted with crop gardens and smelting depots. Still in Early Access, Core Keeper has nevertheless delivered several updates in 2022, adding new biomes, tools, and features, including a recent holiday patch that turns your network of tunnels into a festive winter wonderland.—Ethan Gach
