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Sometimes it\u2019s the simplest games that end up leaving you all teary-eyed and emotional.<\/p>\n
When I first downloaded Cool Lemon Club\u2019s The Keyper <\/em>for Playdate, I didn\u2019t 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 <\/a> and the official <\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n On its face, it seems like a pretty standard game of puzzle solving and exploration. It\u2019s effectively frustrating throughout, as you repeatedly retrace your steps trying to navigate the Winchester 21\u2019s 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\u2019s secrets, The Keyper <\/em>reveals itself to be a game with a lot of heart.<\/p>\n Its charm lies in the strange interactions between you and the people who live in the apartments (and tunnels\u2026 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\u2019t dare spoil it for you here.<\/p>\n The Keyper<\/em> 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\u2019d 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n