Instead of a globe-trotting action-adventure, was designed as a first-person environmental puzzler, heavily inspired by Myst and Ico . The plot was simple yet haunting: Lara discovers an ancient, sentient mechanism called "The Gate Keeper"—a demi-god trapped inside a clockwork fortress. To free it (or destroy it), Lara must solve 100 interconnected "timeline puzzles" by reliving the memories of past adventurers who failed before her.

Their demo, released in June 2024, features the first three "chambers" of the Gate Keeper fortress. It has been downloaded over 300,000 times and currently holds a 94% positive rating on independent mod repositories.

Is it a forgotten mobile game? A deleted chapter from Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation ? Or a fan-made mod that slipped through the cracks of gaming history?

Have you played the fan remake of "Lara Croft in the Gate Keeper"? Share your theories about the three endings in the comments below.

For over two decades, fans of the Tomb Raider franchise have debated lost levels, cancelled spin-offs, and obscure Easter eggs. Among the most whispered-about legends in the community is a cryptic project known only as "Lara Croft in the Gate Keeper."

The lead fan developer, known only as "PuzzleCroft," stated: "We’re not trying to make a typical Tomb Raider. We’re honoring the weird, quiet, sad puzzle game that Lara almost had. It’s not about killing gods. It’s about understanding the ones who built them." As of 2025, rumors are swirling that Embracer Group (the current rights holder of Tomb Raider ) has quietly acquired the original design documents for Lara Croft in the Gate Keeper . Some speculate it may be released as a standalone "Lost Stories" DLC for the upcoming Tomb Raider unified timeline game.

Whether it remains a ghost in the machine or finally sees the light of day, Lara Croft in the Gate Keeper represents a fascinating "what if"—a version of our favorite archaeologist who traded her grappling hook for a stopwatch and discovered that the most terrifying tombs are the ones inside our own timeline.

However, Eidos Interactive (then the franchise’s publisher) grew nervous. Market testing revealed that hardcore Tomb Raider fans wanted action, not abstract puzzles. One infamous internal memo read: "Players will feel cheated if Lara doesn't shoot anything for 12 hours."