The new game by Double Fine has a starting online player count of fewer than 200 people on Steam

Another Marketing Failure for Xbox Game Studios on PC.

Keeper

On Friday, the adventure game from Double Fine, the studio behind projects like Psychonauts and Broken Age, was released. The new title is called Keeper, a colorful and absurdist adventure about the exploits of a lighthouse on legs.

Despite its vibrant style, unique concept, and excellent reviews (the game's rating is 93%), its initial performance leaves much to be desired. In the first three days of sales, the game, published by Xbox Game Studios, garnered fewer than 138 reviews on Steam, and its peak online presence was 191 players.

Such modest initial performance on Steam can be attributed to several factors:

• The game has been available from day one through the Game Pass Ultimate subscription;
• Keeper was released a week after Little Nightmares III (both are puzzle adventures with a psychedelic vibe);
• A relatively high price of $29 (the same as the subscription).

Whether the game can achieve better sales over time remains an open question. Typically, a significant portion of sales for premium projects occurs in the first week of their digital release.

Overall, Keeper is yet another demonstration that:

• Firstly, Microsoft struggles to promote its portfolio products on a crucial platform like Steam;
• Secondly, media promotions and game announcements at major shows do not guarantee audience attention: Keeper received 46 media reviews at launch, and its announcement was grandly made at the Xbox Games Showcase 2025.