Tiny Keep is the game where every damn thing is trying to kill you, and the people who are trapped in the dungeons probably deserve to be there. Now, obviously, the enemies want to see your rotted corpse lying on the ground, but the randomly-generated dungeons are set up to take you out, as well. There are traps everywhere; fire burns your ass as you are trying to help save people (who are too stupid to get out of the way when things are attacking), and there is general chaos all over.
The game is described on the official page as something where “players will embrace the role of a hopeless prisoner held deep in a forgotten dungeon who one day wakes up to find themselves mysteriously released.” It goes on to say “their savior is nowhere to be seen, but the cell door is broken and ajar, tempting them with the sweet scent of freedom.” I’m thinking that ya might be better off staying in your cage and hoping for the occasional dungeon rat to gnaw on for nourishment.
Now, to be fair, the game isn’t unfair. Far from it, in fact. Your enemies can be hurt by the spikes coming out of the floor and a pot of fire being knocked into them, too. I keep finding myself luring the jerks with the bow and arrow onto the trap and watching as the spikes take what little life they had left from them. Admittedly, I sometimes enjoy the more macabre parts of this game.
Did I mention the game features permadeath? That’s right! Kill your tiny little dude or dudette and they stay dead. This isn’t like some cheesy TV show where death is only slightly sad because you know your favorite character is coming back. Dead in this game means dead. Say goodbye, hold a vigil and put them in the ground. They won’t be back in time for the next episode, and you won’t be seeing them in a sequel. You can reset your player data, but the rest of us are going to call you cheaters if you do.
I tried Tiny Keep with the keyboard controls and sort of wanted to lock myself in one of the cages buried deep in the dungeon with the stupid people. I’ll be the first to admit that, while I enjoy PC gaming, I sometimes desire a controller. I don’t enjoy walking with one set of controls while moving the camera angle, which you have to do in order to fight, and attacking with yet another button. Maybe my coordination level is just newb tier? I quickly got out my trusty pink PS3 controller, made the computer think it was a 360 controller and got back to gaming. Ahh, much better.
Death, destruction, random annoyances and people you need to save… what more could a girl ask for? I’ve played the game for about an hour or two now and managed to kill my chick off a couple of times already and save a grand total of zero people. Here is hoping that I get better as I go! Anyhow, check out the trailer and a few key features below and be sure to come back for the full review in the coming weeks! As for me, I am going to play this oddly addictive game a bit more and discover all the ways I can kill my enemies and probably myself!
Key Features (from official page)
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Procedurally-generated random dungeons – no playthrough is ever the same!
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Watch your step as it can be your last! Extremely challenging Permadeath gameplay.
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Explore a variety of beautiful but deadly environments. From the cold slimy walls of the dungeon to the hot fiery pits of hell, TinyKeep is a visual treat.
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Battle a variety of intelligent enemies, each one determined to make your escape as difficult as possible. Creatures work together to chase you down, flee from threats and fight each other for dominance.
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Use traps and environmental hazards to your advantage – fire, spike pits and rotating crushers hurt your enemies as well as you!
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Collect coins from fallen foes to purchase random player-altering Buffs that just might give you the advantage you need to make it out alive.
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Rescue other captives to fight along side you, but beware as you never know which ones have gone crazy trapped up in the Keep.
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Experience 3 separate endings to the game, depending on how you play.
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Hours of gameplay with secrets that extend the experience – discover items that can slow down time, render you invincible or provide secret saves.
