Gatekeeper

About

Gatekeeper is a single player and multiplayer shooter game. It was developed by Gravity Lagoon and was released on August 1, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

"Gatekeeper is a Shooter game with exceptional mechanics, splendid graphics, and spectacular music. Play solo or team up with a friend in multi-player co-op mode. Your mission: reclaim the stolen Heart of the Universe from an unknown galaxy, utilizing unique abilities of playable characters and collectibles to defeat ancient guardians and unlock new locations."

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86%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,522 reviews

gameplay90 positive mentions

grinding30 negative mentions

Fun gameplay that combines elements of Risk of Rain 2 and Vampire Survivors.
Great art style and engaging soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
Diverse characters with unique abilities and a satisfying progression system.

Significant issues with game balance, particularly with melee characters feeling underpowered.
Runs can be lengthy and repetitive, with limited variety in objectives and enemy types.
Lack of a save feature during runs, making it difficult for players with limited time to enjoy the game.

gameplay
217 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
55%
4%
The gameplay of Gatekeeper is generally praised for its fluidity and engaging mechanics, particularly in multiplayer settings, offering a satisfying roguelike experience reminiscent of Risk of Rain. However, many players note a lack of variety in maps and enemy types, leading to a repetitive gameplay loop that can feel hollow over time. While the core mechanics are solid and enjoyable, there are calls for more content and unique gameplay elements to enhance replayability and depth.
- “Absolutely love the gameplay, excited to unlock more characters!”
- “I love the game, the gameplay loop is addictive and it's fun to see how the different builds can benefit from different artifacts, synergizing close-range builds with close-range buffs, or increasing projectiles for ranged builds with projectile-spawning artifacts.”
- “The gameplay is smooth, fast-paced, and satisfying, offering the kind of fluid combat that makes every run engaging.”
- “Different planets/maps only differ in map layout and enemy types and feel like a re-skin otherwise, no new mechanics from the environment, nothing.”
- “The gameplay gets repetitive very quickly, and it feels like after a few hours of playtime, even with roguelike mechanics, the game gets boring and it doesn't really feel like anything is new or changing.”
- “The major problem lies in the intended gameplay loop.”
music
134 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
47%
2%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many players praising its energetic and engaging soundtrack that enhances the overall gameplay experience. While some describe it as a mix of ambient and electronic styles reminiscent of other titles, others note that it can feel repetitive over time. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, with many players expressing a desire for a standalone OST.
- “The soundtrack is just banger after banger nonstop.”
- “The atmosphere along with the soundtrack is very good.”
- “The music is fantastic.”
- “Overall, it’s a classic roguelike with decent music, though the limited number of map objectives eventually starts to feel repetitive.”
- “Come early access, I played for around 2 hours, but there were no sensations from the gameplay, music, or progression; everything felt stale, dull, boring, and worthless.”
- “If you're going to play, I'd suggest turning the music off and playing your own stuff.”
graphics
123 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
31%
5%
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their vibrant and engaging art style, often compared to the "Risk of Rain" series, with many users highlighting the clean visuals and smooth animations. While the aesthetic is generally well-received, some players noted issues with clutter during intense gameplay, which can make it difficult to distinguish characters and objects. Overall, the visuals are described as beautiful and polished, contributing significantly to the game's immersive atmosphere and enjoyable experience.
- “The visual design of Gatekeeper is sleek and clean, leaning into a minimalist sci-fi aesthetic that doesn’t overwhelm but still provides a clear and engaging environment for the action.”
- “The graphics are solid, the gameplay feels good.”
- “The art style is sharp and stunning, the sound design is very immersive, the gameplay feels smooth and responsive, and the characters are all very different and enjoyable in their own way.”
- “The graphics component looks outdated, even for an indie project, and the poor quality of textures and lack of detail give the impression that you are playing a game from the 90s.”
- “The game lags so bad even when it's on minimum graphics.”
- “Overall, extremely unenjoyable progression system, bland empty levels, uninspired enemy visuals and lack of gameplay depth.”
grinding
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
3%
94%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and repetitive, with many players feeling that it lacks meaningful progression and variety. While some appreciate the ability to farm in-game currency and unlock items, the overall experience is marred by long, monotonous runs and a lack of impactful rewards, leading to frustration rather than enjoyment. Comparisons to other roguelikes highlight the game's shortcomings in providing a satisfying grind, making it less appealing to those seeking a more engaging gameplay loop.
- “The unlocks aren't too grindy so far, but given that they're achievement-based, there will probably be a few bad eggs in the basket down the line.”
- “Way too grindy, expects you to do way too many long, repetitive runs with no save points and boring unlocks.”
- “As a roguelike fan, I’m all for grinding runs and chasing better builds, but here it just turns into repetition without enough payoff.”
- “Overall, this game feels tedious to play.”
story
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
73%
10%
The game's story is generally perceived as minimal and underdeveloped, often taking a backseat to gameplay. While some players appreciate the simple and thought-provoking narrative framework, many criticize the lack of depth and variety in quests, leading to a repetitive experience. Overall, the narrative elements are seen as insufficient to elevate the gameplay, with calls for a more fleshed-out story mode akin to other franchises.
- “While the story takes a backseat to the gameplay, the narrative framework provides just enough of a setup to justify the relentless action that unfolds across procedurally generated alien landscapes.”
- “The story is simple, but thought-provoking and well written.”
- “The characters (mostly) are a lot of fun, and the story concept is great.”
- “Any sort of lore and story has been thrown overboard and it's just a mindless horde shooter now.”
- “Gatekeeper is a story-less, stage-based roguelite that gives you control of one of seven unlockable gatekeepers, then asks you to murder everything in sight over and over again until you, yourself, are inevitably murdered.”
- “The story is the same.”
replayability
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
40%
21%
Overall, "Gatekeeper" offers a mixed bag in terms of replayability. While many players appreciate the fast-paced action, artifact system, and co-op potential that contribute to its replay value, others criticize the lack of variety and depth in gameplay, which can lead to repetitiveness. With potential for future content updates, some believe it could evolve into a more engaging experience akin to titles like "Risk of Rain 2."
- “Overall, it has great replay value with its artifact system.”
- “A lot of replayability thanks to achievements unlocking different items, keeping the gameplay new.”
- “The replayability, music, atmosphere, and ramping difficulty are one of the main reasons for someone to easily lose 3 to 4 hours playing, with a feeling that only 15 minutes have passed.”
- “The upgrade system is neat, the characters are fun, but everything else lacks depth and replayability.”
- “As good as the core gameplay is, Gatekeeper suffers from a severe lack of variety, which drastically affects replayability.”
- “However, it suffers from a lack of content that makes it more replayable in the long run.”
optimization
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
43%
14%
Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised, with many players reporting smooth performance and stability even on modest systems. However, some users noted issues on lower-end setups, particularly the Steam Deck, where frame rates can drop during intense moments. While most reviews highlight solid performance and minimal bugs, a few players expressed concerns about the need for further optimization to enhance gameplay experience.
- “The game itself is very well optimized (didn't encounter problems while playing) and the soundtrack is really good (kinda gives me Tron vibes).”
- “Performance is outstanding, even in a flurry of chain item procs in a sea of enemies there's no visible frame drops.”
- “Great roguelike game, great design, insane optimization, tons of content and fun during all your runs.”
- “Played exclusively on Steam Deck and it can usually hold 60fps, but once it starts getting crazy with a lot of enemies and particle effects, it will drop down to the 40s or less, so it definitely needs more optimization.”
- “I want to like this game but it needs work... the content isn't bad but everything is so poorly optimized you can't tell if your game is crashing, freezing, or just stopped working.”
- “The performance is god awful now and it feels like the demo was miles ahead.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
38%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its depth, vibrant visuals, and excellent soundtrack, creating an immersive experience that captivates players. The clean user interface and polished mechanics further enhance the overall ambiance, making it easy for players to lose track of time while enjoying the game. Overall, the combination of graphics, music, and engaging gameplay contributes to a compelling and memorable atmosphere.
- “The atmosphere is very deep, the music is great, the visuals are nice, and the user interface is clean and informative.”
- “Still, the game’s polish—evident in its vibrant visuals, atmospheric soundtrack, and bug-free experience—makes it shine.”
- “A risk of rain remix, this game brings all the best parts of ROR while still managing to change the recipe and atmosphere enough to draw you in.”
- “The user interface, the character models, the sounds, the music, the atmosphere, the mechanic with the pillars pushing you away... I want to make it clear that I have zero issue with creators getting inspired by other games, but Gatekeeper feels more than 'we were inspired by Risk of Rain' if you follow me.”
- “A Risk of Rain remix, this game brings all the best parts of ROR while still managing to change the recipe and atmosphere enough to draw you in.”
- “The replayability, music, atmosphere, and ramping difficulty are one of the main reasons for someone to easily lose 3 to 4 hours playing, with a feeling that only 15 minutes have passed.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
88%
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with users reporting frequent bugs, lag, and disconnections, particularly after extended play sessions. Many players experience freezing issues, especially when navigating the main menu or using the game browser, which hampers overall gameplay. While some users note that it runs well on specific platforms like the Steam Deck, the overall early access experience is marred by technical problems.
- “Runs great on Steam Deck, too.”
- “Arena gets buggy after a while, and after two hours the game can lag, players disconnect.”
- “For one, when any of us exits to the main menu, the game completely freezes up on the loading screen.”
- “Consistently just freezes, audio dies, or the game just outright shuts down once you get past the hour mark - the hour mark, mind you, being necessary for half of the achievements just causes the game to fail to operate.”
character development
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
17%
33%
Character development in the game features a diverse range of character designs and unique movesets, which many players find engaging. However, opinions are mixed, with some players noting a lack of variety in design and functionality, suggesting that improvements could be made in this area. Overall, while the mechanics and individuality of characters are appreciated, the aesthetic aspects of character design receive some criticism.
- “I like the 2-stage level mechanic, and the character design is interesting and has good variety.”
- “Having now unlocked every character, I can confidently say that each of them has a unique and fun well put together moveset.”
- “Character designs are good.”
- “Even things like the basic character design have bizarre elements.”
- “Character design definitely needs some work.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the humor in the game to be a standout feature, with memorable moments like Bastion's hammer slam and entertaining character interactions, such as Dracula's amusing dialogue. The game's ability to create funny effects through item stacking adds to the enjoyment, although some players note that frustrations can arise from gameplay mechanics. Overall, the humor contributes significantly to the fun and engaging experience.
- “I can't stop laughing at Bastion's two-hand hammer slam.”
- “My favorite memory is literally dying laughing listening to Dracula flow with my friends as we are all blasting through levels.”
- “It's tight, fun, and more importantly, it mimics that ROR2 style that other games should, and that's stacking items for funny effects.”