Core Keeper is giving us serious Stardew Valley vibes as it reveals an Early Access release date

Core Keeper got a brand new trailer and a 2022 Early Access release date during the Future Games Show Powered by AMD.

The indie sandbox adventure is part Stardew Valley and part Spelunky, as your character is trapped underground and trying to discover a mysterious relic. You'll be able to survive and thrive thanks to the Core, which powers your subterranean homestead, while you burrow through the caves and caverns to mine for resources that help power it. 

You'll have the option of tackling this adventure on your own or recruiting up to seven other players to get a healthy party tackling the challenges the procedurally generated world will throw at you. And believe us, there will be plenty of challenges, whether it's farming and growing crops to help keep your character fighting fit or tackling the creatures who linger in the caves you explore. 

The wildlife you'll encounter down here isn't too excited by your presence, as we see from a boss fight against "Glurch The Abominus Mass" (what a name), a giant blob-like creature who leaps across the screen terrorizing a gang of adorable pixel-art explorers. Having said that, considering the explorers are mining its home, it's not hard to empathize with Glurch's actions.

This combination of soothing farming and tense encounters promises to tap into the same compulsive vibe that Stardew Valley so effectively creates. With the early access coming so soon, the mysteries that Core Keeper is hinting at can't come soon enough. 

Core Keeper is burrowing its way onto PC via Early Access in 2022 and you can wishlist Core Keeper on Steam now.