Underplayed Gems

Return from Core (2023)

Return from Core cover
Developer
Tanxun Studio
Publisher
2P Games, Shochiku
Platforms
Windows
Genres
Action, Adventure, Indie, RPG, Simulation, Early Access
Rating
3.8 of 5, 1,803 player ratings
Typical playtime
about 24 hours
Where to get it
Steam
The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A tense, lonely survival crawl through barren tunnels where every swing of a pickaxe feels like a fight for mankind's last breath.

methodicaltensionsurvival grindatmosphericdangerousdesperateslow burnlonely

What players say

Players describe it as a lighter Core Keeper with monster girl companions and a surprising narrative, but the game is unfinished: the roadmap was abandoned, bugs are common, automation is clunky, and the sound stacking on loot or combat is jarring. Reviews split on whether the low sale price justifies the rough state.

Screenshots

Return from Core screenshot 1Return from Core screenshot 2Return from Core screenshot 3Return from Core screenshot 4Return from Core screenshot 5Return from Core screenshot 6

More games like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.