Keeper’s Toll is a new roguelike title from developer Stingbot Games and retro publisher EastAsiaSoft. It is releasing on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S on the 11th of June, priced at $6.99. We’ve been putting the pixel art game through its paces on the Switch, and the bottom line is that Keeper’s Toll is a great example of a game competing in an ever-crowded genre.
As with all roguelike titles, Keeper’s Toll requires the player to survive as long as they can as wave after wave of enemies descend on them. You start the game with six different warriors to choose from, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Depending on your play style, you can go with magic, range, or melee attacks and decide if you prefer speed and agility over toughness and defence.
The main portion of the game is all about keeping momentum so as not to get stuck, firing aimed shots at enemies, collecting the XP droplets, and building a character for as long as you can. Each time you die, your character will reset back to basic, however, a clever permanent skill tree is in place, so all your collected loot doesn’t go to waste. As you keep replaying, your character will slowly start to become more powerful from the off, and the game opens up.
There are also some extra bits to explore post-game, such as seeing any new enemy types you’ve encountered or new skills earned during the last playthrough. Keeper’s Toll has a surprising amount of depth for a game at this price point, and to uncover all aspects of it, for every character, will require many hours and many dungeon runs. It’s refreshing to see a budget title have such a large number of things to do.
The biggest aspect of Keeper’s Toll is the grand boss battles that you stumble across from time to time. They require unlocking by searching the play area and finding different things. Once activated, your character is thrust into a scrolling battle that is very tough to beat. During our initial playthrough, we encountered three bosses and couldn’t defeat any of them, even with the extra life vials that replenish your health. These boss battles are the cornerstone that helps Keeper’s Toll stand out in this genre.
Overall, Keeper’s Toll is a fine example of a roguelike. While not doing anything particularly new, it nails down the genre staples to a high quality and has lots of replay value. The presentation is great, with bold pixel art that helps enemies, bullets, and the large bosses stand out. There is also some pumping music which helps create the tension as the swarms continue to grow, as your inevitable death comes closer. Anyone who enjoys these games will find lots of enjoyment in this one. Fans of the genre may also wish to check out our preview of Submarine Survivor.
