Sometimes it’s the simplest games that end up leaving you all teary-eyed and emotional.
When I first downloaded Cool Lemon Club’s The Keyper for Playdate, I didn’t have much in the way of expectations beyond a general sense that it should be pretty good, since lots of people online seemed to be recommending it. The adventure game, which is available on and the official , sees the player searching for the many different keys needed to unlock areas of the mysterious Winchester 21 building after taking over the role of caretaker. The person who formerly held the job is gone, leaving only some cryptic notes behind, and the residents are varying degrees of weird.
On its face, it seems like a pretty standard game of puzzle solving and exploration. It’s effectively frustrating throughout, as you repeatedly retrace your steps trying to navigate the Winchester 21’s several floors and labyrinthine tunnel system to find the keys and the doors they unlock. But as the plot unfolds and you uncover more of the building’s secrets, The Keyper reveals itself to be a game with a lot of heart.
Its charm lies in the strange interactions between you and the people who live in the apartments (and tunnels… and walls) of the Winchester 21. They each have their own little storylines, some of which present new mysteries and side-quests for you to take on. One of these in particular really tugged at my heartstrings, but I wouldn’t dare spoil it for you here.
The Keyper is a little dark, a little funny and just the right amount of challenging. While it does offer the option to save your progress so you can walk away from it and come back later, I’d recommend setting aside a few hours and just playing this through in one shot for the most impact. By the time you reach the end and finally figure out what’s been going on all along, the entire tone of the game has shifted into something a lot more heartwarming than it all first appears. I may even have cried a little during the final scene.
Trending Products
![Cooler Master MasterBox Q300L Micro-ATX Tower with Magnetic Design Dust Filter, Transparent Acrylic Side Panel, Adjustable I/O & Fully Ventilated Airflow, Black (MCB-Q300L-KANN-S00)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51WfytAtGCL._SS300_.jpg)
Cooler Master MasterBox Q300L Micro-ATX Tower with Magnetic Design Dust Filter, Transparent Acrylic Side Panel, Adjustable I/O & Fully Ventilated Airflow, Black (MCB-Q300L-KANN-S00)
![ASUS TUF Gaming GT301 ZAKU II Edition ATX mid-Tower Compact case with Tempered Glass Side Panel, Honeycomb Front Panel, 120mm Aura Addressable RGB Fan, Headphone Hanger,360mm Radiator, Gundam Edition](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41JUuW8Yc5S._SS300_.jpg)
ASUS TUF Gaming GT301 ZAKU II Edition ATX mid-Tower Compact case with Tempered Glass Side Panel, Honeycomb Front Panel, 120mm Aura Addressable RGB Fan, Headphone Hanger,360mm Radiator, Gundam Edition
![ASUS TUF Gaming GT501 Mid-Tower Computer Case for up to EATX Motherboards with USB 3.0 Front Panel Cases GT501/GRY/WITH Handle](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41j9qzlOi2L._SS300_.jpg)
ASUS TUF Gaming GT501 Mid-Tower Computer Case for up to EATX Motherboards with USB 3.0 Front Panel Cases GT501/GRY/WITH Handle
![be quiet! Pure Base 500DX ATX Mid Tower PC case | ARGB | 3 Pre-Installed Pure Wings 2 Fans | Tempered Glass Window | Black | BGW37](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41xW6xrbicL._SS300_.jpg)
be quiet! Pure Base 500DX ATX Mid Tower PC case | ARGB | 3 Pre-Installed Pure Wings 2 Fans | Tempered Glass Window | Black | BGW37
![ASUS ROG Strix Helios GX601 White Edition RGB Mid-Tower Computer Case for ATX/EATX Motherboards with tempered glass, aluminum frame, GPU braces, 420mm radiator support and Aura Sync](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41T-2v3IuML._SS300_.jpg)
ASUS ROG Strix Helios GX601 White Edition RGB Mid-Tower Computer Case for ATX/EATX Motherboards with tempered glass, aluminum frame, GPU braces, 420mm radiator support and Aura Sync
![Bgears b-Voguish Gaming PC Case with Tempered Glass panels, USB3.0, Support E-ATX, ATX, mATX, ITX. (Fans are sold separately)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41p2u3NJN6L._SS300_.jpg)