Things are looking bleak… and that’s okay! From the creator of the Indie Arcade ‘Slay-Em-Up’ Slay the Minotaur comes a new daunting challenge: avenge your king, climb the keep, and defeat the wicked wizard who betrayed him!

Easier said than done.

KEEP it Coming!

The newest project by indie developer Cache of Bones, The Bleakest Keep is one you’ll want to ‘KEEP’ an eye on! Like its predecessor Slay the Minotaur, The Bleakest Keep is a tense, arcade romp with roguelite elements and a simple, but unique art style! Armed with naught but a sword and bow, you’ll build your arsenal by battling evil, collecting new weapons, and spending your well-earned gold on upgrades at your sorceress friend’s shop! Death is always lurking around the corner, sure, but who knows? There might be a shotgun waiting there too! 

Yep, you heard right.

The Bleakest Keep doesn’t take itself too seriously, and neither should you. Broken up into four unique levels stuffed with monsters, loot, and other goodies, the game is meant to be tried and tried again! If you manage to wrest victory from Cormac the Wizard’s grasp, well… see if you can do it faster next time! The Bleakest Keep is by no means the longest indie game on the catalog, but you can’t argue with that replayability! Have a favorite build? Try a new one! Feeling daring? See how far you can go without any upgrades! 

The Bleakest?

What you see is what you get. While The Bleakest Keep is still in development, it’s not without its quirks. Level 1 gets old rather quickly–defeat the monsters, kick a door, move on to another walled-off cemetery and repeat. While The Bleakest Keep is split into levels, Slay the Minotaur isn’t. Sure, the latter takes place in a big maze, but there was variety! Sprawling chambers! Yawning abysses! Rooms that weren’t just squares! It’s still a little early to pass judgement, but I’m eager to see newer and more-varied scenery.

What I am concerned about, however, is damage, namely how it’s shown. Whether you’re attacking or being attacked, there’s not much ‘oomph‘ behind it. This isn’t inherently a game-breaker, but I think The Bleakest Keep would benefit from bigger animations when being hit. You can block attacks, but it’s easy for enemies to wallop you when they don’t need to wind up. That said, The Bleakest Keep is still a demo for a game designed for multiple playthroughs. While graphics and animations may change, gameplay remains… and this game? 

It looks like a KEEPer!

The Bleakest Keep is part of Steam Next Fest: June 2025! Think you’ve got what it takes to slay the wizard? Enter the keep… if you DARE!