Core Keeper is a 2D top-down co-op underground adventure developed by Pugstorm and published by Fireshine Games. Launched into Early Access in March 2022 and reaching full release in August 2023, it combines mining, crafting, base building, boss fights, farming, and fishing in a procedurally generated underground world with no surface and no set end state.
Every session starts at The Core, a mysterious ancient structure at the centre of the world. Players mine outward through biomes like Fungal Caverns, Azeos' Wilderness, and the Sunken Sea, each locked behind a gatekeeper boss. Defeat Glurch the Abominous Mass, Ghorm the Devourer, and beyond to unlock deeper tiers of gear and resources. Farming, fishing, cooking, and base construction layer on top of the progression loop.
Core Keeper supports up to 8 players per session and runs a persistent world that stays loaded between sessions. Friends drop in and out freely, and since the Xbox launch in August 2024, PC and Xbox players can join the same server. With a private dedicated server, your group controls the world: no strangers raiding your base, no admin wipes, no sessions ending when one person logs off.
Core Keeper has a growing modding community built around Steam Workshop and the BepInEx framework via Thunderstore. Popular mods add quality-of-life improvements like stack size increases, auto-collect mechanics, faster crafting, and difficulty rebalances. Content mods introduce new items, biomes, and endgame challenges. Workshop mods install server-side, so your whole group gets them automatically without separate client installs.
Core Keeper is lighter on hardware than many open-world survival games, but the world simulation, mob AI, and crafting economy still run constantly in the background even when no players are connected. High-frequency CPUs keep boss fight physics and underground mob density smooth at full player count. NVMe SSD storage prevents save-lag during autosaves and world chunk loads. DDR5 RAM keeps modded worlds responsive as the group installs more Workshop content and digs into late-game biomes.
| Server type | RAM needed | Players | Recommended plan |
|---|
| Vanilla / small group | 2–3 GB | 1–4 | 3 GB plan |
| Standard group + Workshop mods | 4–6 GB | 4–6 | 6 GB plan |
| Full server, heavy mods (6–8 players) | 6–10 GB | 6–8 | 6 GB or 10 GB plan |
A private dedicated Core Keeper server gives your group full control over the experience. Set max players, adjust difficulty, configure boss respawn timers, manage world settings, and handle Workshop mod installs through the file manager. Admin tools let you grant player permissions, manage the player list, and handle issues without being logged in yourself. The world runs 24/7, so loot respawns, crafted items stay put, and your base is exactly where you left it.
PingPlayers provides the hardware your Core Keeper server needs: high-frequency CPUs, NVMe SSD storage, DDR5 RAM, automated world backups, and 24/7 real human support. The integrated Ping AI assistant handles mod installs, configuration changes, and server restarts by chat, so you spend your time mining, not troubleshooting.
