Ember Keeper

A slow-burn survival game about tending a lonely furnace through the longest night of the year.

The council has appointed you Ember Keeper of New Hexlou. Somewhere out past the town, a road of lanterns cuts through the dark — the only thing standing between travellers and a night that doesn't forgive. Keep the furnace fed, keep the pressure in check, and keep the lights burning until dawn.

Feed the furnace. Gather fuel and load it in — but an overfed flame runs hot, and an overheated furnace can flare up and take real damage. Watch the pressure gauge and keep water on hand in case things get out of hand.

Keep the lanterns lit. Every lantern you power is a traveller kept safe. Let too many go dark for too long, and word of it won't be far behind — the town's mood will suffer, and trouble tends to follow trouble.

Survive the night. Sit in the chair to check the dashboard — furnace health, pressure, and how the town's holding up. Make it to dawn with the town's spirits intact, and you've done your job. Let the furnace fail, or let the town's mood collapse, and the night wins instead.

The balance is not perfect, and the game might be a bit hard. Try to load the fuel in the furnace a bit at a time but always keep the pressure up, avoiding overheating that could damage the furnace's health.

Note

The game was published with a test parameter inadvertently; it causes the game loop to be very short. When you start the game, the last page of the newspaper will give you an almanac for the night, saying that it lasts only 1 hour while it should be 8. I can't change it now while the rating it's still on-going, though I've asked the jam organiser. If I get the green light, I will publish the updated version during the rating; otherwise it will be up after the rating ends.

Controls

• [WASD / Arrow Keys] — Move
• [E] — Interact (pick up fuel/water, load the furnace, sit in the chair)
• [Q] — Water the furnace
• [Esc] — Pause

Credits

• Handcrafted by TomDubliner
• CCO art by
  • Kenney
  • TheStarvingArtificer
  • KalebSilva
  • Other
• CC0 Music
  • Starostin
• CCO Sound Effects
  • Freesound Community
  • Gearpile
  • Kenney

Disclaimer: NO Generative AI was used for this game; NO AI assistance was used for the development process of this game.

Made for [Gwueble Jam 2026]