Sailing across a flooded Earth as the last caretaker of humanity presents a fascinating adventure in The Last Caretaker, the debut title from Finnish studio Channel37. Players step into the role of a sentient robot, the only remaining hope for mankind, after a series of cataclysms have driven humanity to live in space stations. With Earth submerged, your tasks revolve around reviving this lost civilization.
In your journey, you awaken in a power-depleted facility filled with dormant machines, remnants from an era gone by. A mysterious voice reveals your mission: grow new humans from the last remaining embryos and launch them into space where humanity has retreated. Equipped with a ship, you explore the vast ocean in search of laboratories and resources essential for rebuilding civilization.
The game emphasizes exploration and scavenging in a serene environment. Players collect materials to craft necessary items, like recycling scrap into batteries to power machines or fuel needed for sustaining your ship. Your caretaker character also requires energy management, turning the survival loop into a balance of resource collection and crafting.
While traversing the expansive, quiet world, players can also uncover logs detailing humanity’s history, exploring the mystery of what happened to the world and why other robots are still inactive.
Combat is introduced as a first-person shooter element in the game, although it wasn’t featured during the preview session. Developers hinted at a strategical approach to fighting, comparing it to a "Rock, Paper, Scissors" mechanic, with different enemies vulnerable to specific weapon types. This could turn the act of combat into a tactical experience rather than a basic shooting spree.
The game, originally slated for a Summer 2025 release, has been postponed to fall 2025, allowing the developers more time to refine their creation. This transition seeks to nurture the game’s development, much like raising a child to ensure it thrives.
The Last Caretaker is set to be available for early access on PC through Steam and the Epic Games Store, with console releases planned for the future.
