If you're a fan of games like Terraria or Valheim, you're going to want to check out Core Keeper. This game from Pugstorm and Fireshrine Games (formerly Sold Out) drops you in the middle of a mysterious underground world. Featuring multiple biomes, five bosses, and a ton of things to do, Core Keeper promises to provide players with a lot of fun -- and we're here to help you learn how to play this game!
Quicklinks: Strategy Guides | Biome and Dungeon Guides | Boss Fight Guides | Beginner's Guide | F.A.Q.
Core Keeper Strategy Guides
- Skills Guide
- Crafting Guide
- Farming Guide
- Cooking Guide
- Fishing Guide
- Bug Catching Guide
- Money Making Guide
- Monster Farm Guide
- Portal Guide
- Boat Guide
- Go-Kart Guide
Core Keeper Biome and Dungeon Guides
- Dirt Biome Guide
- The Clay Caves Biome Guide
- The Forgotten Ruins Biome Guide
- Azeos' Wilderness Biome Guide
- The Mould Dungeon Guide
- The Sunken Sea Biome Guide
- Forlorn Metropolis Biome Guide
- The Desert of Beginnings Biome Guide
- Molten Quarry Biome Guide
Core Keeper Boss Fight Guides
- Glurch Boss Fight Guide
- Ghorm Boss Fight Guide
- Hive Mother Boss Fight Guide
- Ivy Boss Fight Guide
- Azeos Boss Fight Guide
- Malugaz the Corrupted Boss Fight Guide
- Omoroth Boss Fight Guide
- Morpha Boss Fight Guide
- Ra-Akar Boss Fight Guide
- Igneous Boss Fight Guide
Core Keeper Beginner's Guide - Game Mechanics You Need to Know
Core Keeper has quite a few mechanics to understand. Fortunately, it's not too difficult compared to some other games in this genre.
Health
Health is a measure of your hit points. If your Health reaches zero, you die. You'll leave a Tombstone behind with everything you had in your inventory (but not your Hotbar!) and you'll have to physically retrieve it if you want it back.
Your maximum Health can be reduced if you're low on food.
Hunger
Core Keeper has some light survival elements -- you need to eat to stay in good health. If you don't keep your Hunger meter filled, your maximum Health will be temporarily reduced until you eat some food.
Cooked food does a better job of filling your Hunger meter compared to raw ingredients, and it provides some cool buffs, too -- check out our Core Keeper Cooking Guide to learn more!
Buffs and Debuffs
There are various buffs and debuffs in Core Keeper. Some buffs are permanent as long as you have an item equipped and other buffs last for a short time.
Skills
Core Keeper has a total of 72 skills at launch -- 9 skill trees with 8 skills apiece. Most skills will affect their related tree; for example, most Mining skills improve your ability to dig through the earth. However, a small portion of skills also gives you boosts in combat.
You can learn more about Skills in our Core Keeper Skills Guide.
Crafting
Crafting is a big part of Core Keeper. You can craft building pieces, workbenches, and equipment for your character.
Check out our Crafting Guide to learn more!
Combat
Core Keeper has enemies and bosses, and that means you'll have to fight them. You have four major options for combat:
- Melee combat - Fighting enemies with a melee weapon, such as a sword or battle axe.
- Ranged combat - Fighting enemies with a ranged weapon, such as a Slingshot or Flintlock Rifle.
- Explosives - Blowing enemies to bits with bombs.
- Traps - Passively fighting enemies through various traps, such as Spike Traps.
Biomes
There are four biomes and a dungeon in Core Keeper at launch, each of which has their own distinct enemies, plants, and loot. Most biomes have their own dedicated boss, too. Check out our Biomes Guides to learn about each one!
Core Keeper F.A.Q.
What is Core Keeper?
Core Keeper is an open-world survival crafting action RPG developed by Pugstorm and published by Fireshrine Games (formerly Sold Out).
Does Core Keeper Have Online Multiplayer?
Yes, Core Keeper has online multiplayer. Up to a total of 8 players are supported.
What Happens When You Die in Core Keeper?
If you die in Core Keeper, any equipped armor will take some durability damage. Any items you had in your inventory (but not on your Hotbar) will be collected in a tombstone marking where you died.
Can You Set a Spawn Point in Core Keeper?
Yes, you can set a spawn point. Simply build and place a bed, then lie in the bed for a short time. When you die, you will respawn at the last bed you used.
How do I Power Up the Core in Core Keeper?
You can power up the Core by defeating the first three bosses in the game: Glurch the Abominous Mass, Ghorm the Devourer, and the Hive Mother.
What Happens When You Power Up the Core?
Powering up the Core will give you the ability to gain access to the Azeos' Wilderness biome. Additionally, each statue you power up provides three special crafting recipes.
Is There Crafting in Core Keeper?
Yes, there is crafting in Core Keeper. You can read our Crafting Guide to learn more about it!
Is There Farming in Core Keeper?
Yes, there is farming in Core Keeper. Check out our Farming Guide to learn how to do it!
Is There Fishing in Core Keeper?
Yes, there is fishing in Core Keeper -- check out our Fishing Guide to learn more!
Is There Cooking in Core Keeper?
Yes, there is cooking in Core Keeper. Learn about how it works in our Cooking Guide!
Is There Automation in Core Keeper?
Yes, there is some automation. Drills can be used to mine the big rocks of ore you find underground. Unfortunately, you won't get access to them until you reach the Azeos' Wilderness biome.
Are There Friendly NPCs in Core Keeper?
Yes, there are friendly NPCs. Specifically, there are two merchants that you can find in the world -- check out our Money Making Guide to learn more!
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