indiegame.fan
The Doorkeeper header art

The Doorkeeper

Control the gates of a medieval castle, question visitors, spot lies and make moral choices that will shape the resources, inhabitants and survival of the entire community.

Steam Page
Developer
Publisher
Release
Coming Soon
Steam Reviews
No reviews yet

Does this feel indie?

Vote based on whether this game feels indie to you. You can change your vote at any time. Results earn an IGF score after 10 accepted votes.
No votes yet
Vote on More Games
Game contextLatest: IGF Team
ContextThe evidence factors used to assess whether this game belongs on IndieGame.Fan.Status
Notes
Latest Contributor: IGF TeamEdit notes
Search Google: Who developed The Doorkeeper?Developer scaleThe operating scale of the game's developer.
Search Google: Who published The Doorkeeper?Publisher scaleThe operating scale of the game's publisher.
Search Google: Is The Doorkeeper self-published or published by Eragone Games?Publisher statusHow the game's publishing relationship is classified.
Search Google: How is The Doorkeeper and Eragone Games funded?FundingThe known source of funding behind the game.
Search Google: Who controls the creative direction and IP for The Doorkeeper and Eragone?Creative controlWho appears to retain creative control of the game.
Search Google: What is the release status of The Doorkeeper?Release statusWhether and how the game has been released.

Media

7 items

About the Game

In a dark medieval world inspired by real French historical places, you play as a survivor marked by an attack that destroyed his past. Years later, you are recruited into the guard of the Château de l’Arthaudière.

Your role seems simple : control who enters and leaves.

But behind every face, there may be a lie.

Behind every traveler, there may be a threat.

And behind every decision, the survival of the castle may be at stake.

Control the gates. Protect the castle.

Merchants, peasants, nobles, vagabonds, refugees, messengers and strangers from distant lands : everyone who stands before you has a reason to enter.

It is up to you to decide whether they are telling the truth.

Observe their clothes, wounds, goods, papers, contradictions and silences. Question visitors, search their belongings, verify their statements… or let them pass quickly to save time.

But every oversight can come at a cost.

Every choice can feed or doom the castle

The Doorkeeper is not only a game about control. Your decisions influence the balance of the entire castle.

Let an honest merchant in, and the reserves may grow.

Turn away an innocent person, and the morale of the inhabitants may collapse.

Welcome the wrong person, and the night may bring theft, death or worse.

Food, gold, wood, security, morale, trust : your choices shape the daily lives of those who depend on you.

A narrative RPG where danger does not always show its teeth

Some humans hide a terrible curse.

They look like everyone else. They speak like everyone else. They can lie, beg, charm or threaten.

Their true nature is revealed little by little, through your mistakes, your suspicions and the tragedies that strike the castle.

Here, danger is subtle : a door left open, a forgotten signature, a lie you failed to notice.

Moral dilemmas, dice rolls and dangerous expeditions

You are not only controlling a gate. You are influencing the fate of an entire community.

Send men into the forest to gather wood.

Accept a risky mission to obtain food.

Trust a prisoner.

Sacrifice the comfort of some to save the greatest number.

Some actions rely on dice rolls, like in a tabletop role-playing game. Your choices, the characters’ skills and a touch of chance can turn the situation around.

Characters to follow… or lose

The castle is not just a backdrop. It is inhabited by characters with their own stories, secrets, weaknesses and desires.

Romance, love intrigues, rivalries, betrayals and everyday dramas : some stories will only unfold if you take the time to listen, help or make the right choices.

But nothing is guaranteed.

A bad decision can block a storyline.

An important character can die.

A relationship can break before it even begins.

A replayable story with many consequences

Each playthrough can reveal different events. Some stories will not always happen. Some decisions will close doors while others open new ones.

The castle can survive.

It can fall into famine.

It can sink into the cold.

It can be eaten away from within by fear, lies or the monsters you allowed inside.

Will your vigilance be enough ?

Main features

  • Play as a guard responsible for controlling entry into a medieval castle.

  • Question visitors, inspect their goods and spot contradictions.

  • Indirectly manage the castle’s resources : food, gold, wood, morale and security.

  • Make difficult moral decisions to ensure the survival of the community.

  • Discover a mysterious humanoid threat in a dark and grounded atmosphere.

  • Send the castle’s inhabitants on expeditions to complete quests or gather resources.

  • Resolve certain actions with dice rolls inspired by tabletop role-playing games.

  • Follow character stories, romances, intrigues and everyday dramas.

  • Experience a replayable adventure where your choices can lead to multiple endings.

The gate is in your hands

In The Doorkeeper, you will not save the castle with a legendary sword.

You may save it with a well-kept ledger, a question asked at the right time, a properly locked door… or a cruel decision made before nightfall.

So, who will you let in ?