Yes, you're trapped underground in the dark surrounded by horrors. But it's still perfectly lovely and chill.

In the case of games that use cloud streaming technology, a free launcher application or demo can be downloaded.

does a great job of slowly revealing its crafting system, and the breadth of ways you can build up your base. You largely learn by doing — unlocking additional perks or finding new materials and wondering “What can I do with this?

Which isn't to say there aren't genuinely spooky areas and scary moments. There are ominous, off-screen sounds when you get close to one of Core Keeper's bosses. Breaking through a wall and suddenly seeing you're at the edge of a massive chasm is alarming, and building a narrow bridge across it doesn't feel comfy at all (even though you can't actually fall in).

Like other unfinished or content-strained adventures, the early- to mid-game portions are the highlight. It’s best when you don’t fully know what you might find in far-out caverns and the XP-based progression system still has that satisfying pace to keep you glued.

Depending on the hardware model you own and your use of it, an additional storage device may be required to download content from Nintendo eShop. Please visit our Support section for more information.

Create a totally unique base using a variety of different materials and customisations. From the ultimate adventurer’s lair to a cozy underground cottage, shape the underground your way.

 on the Nintendo Entertainment System. I've had a controller in my hand since I was 4 and I… More about Robert N

You’ll have goals in mind, sure — maybe you want to find a certain ore to craft a certain helmet with a certain perk before facing a boss — but it can be just as easy to pick a direction, any direction, and start tunneling.

Spirit Merchant (technically traded). Each of these marks the exact location of an outer biome boss spawn. Each scanner recipe uses a resource unique to the boss's biome. Either found on the ground or as a mob drop.

In open world games with a day-night cycle, I'll hop in bed when it gets sun sets and fast-forward to morning. I don't like caves, I don't like mines, I don't like gloom. This isn't true of me in real life, but in games I'm just an outdoorsy, daytime person.

But beating bosses also drops good items, unlocks gear, weapons and other things that make it easier to explore and deal with randomly spawned enemies; the statues Core Keeper Gameplay also act like a crafting workbench, each offering up 3 additional items to craft. Crafting and Items[edit]

And there's nothing that makes me feel more at home in a game than fishing, farming, and cooking, and they're all great in Core Keeper. Fishing works almost like a rhythm game, with each fish struggling to its own "beat.

It’s a great value at $13, but don’t let it overstay, either. Just because you can automate rare scarlet ore mining with a drill, conveyor belt, and a robot arm, that doesn’t mean you strictly “need to.” It can feel like progress for progress’ sake.