OVERALL IMPRESSION:
Lost in Play is an imaginative hidden object and puzzle adventure that is seamlessly interwoven within a Saturday morning like cartoon narrative of siblings spending the day together. You get to experience both the reality of their environment as well as the power of their imagination during play allowing the ability to turn everyday activities into fantastical experiences. What’s even more special is that the narrative and game does all of this without the use of regular words transcending language barriers and appealing to an all ages and family friendly audience.
ART DESIGN & STORY:
The undeniable charm of this game is heavily influenced by the visual design. This is a talented team. The characters and artistic style feels straight out of a popular animated TV series or movie. Although the roots of their inspiration are clear, it still forges an identity and style of its own making it feel special. You follow the story of two siblings on a ‘regular’ day as they play and let their imagination run wild. The lines between reality and imagination become blurred and you get to experience this mixed reality throughout the game. It’s a funny, lighthearted, wild and wholesome journey.
GAMEPLAY:
The core of the gameplay revolves around the idea of play. You’ll search the environment for points of interest/objects in order to solve puzzles and advance the narrative. There are no instructions, maps or tutorials. Instead, everything is quite intuitive and encourages experimentation. If you do become stuck, there is also a simple clue system that presents hints in the form of pictures. Some of the puzzles are fairly simple while others are more challenging requiring deeper analysis or those eureka moments that happen when you see the problem in a different light. Altogether, it’s a rewarding gameplay loop that lets you feel like a kid again and just enjoy the experience of what it means to play.
CLOSING THOUGHTS:
This is a charming and imaginative experience. If there’s a game that can capture what it’s like being a kid where anything and everything is possible, this is it. There are a variety of puzzles and games ranging from easy to challenging. You’ll laugh, you’ll overthink a puzzle and get stuck and most of all you’ll lose track of time as you get lost in play.
THANKS:
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GAME DETAILS
PLATFORMS: iOS, PC, Mac, Nintendo Switch, Playstation
RELEASE: 2022
DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER: Happy Juice Games / Joystick Ventures
GENRE/TAGS: Puzzle, hidden object, point and click, adventure
TARGET AUDIENCE: Anyone looking for a fun and clever puzzle adventure that is seamlessly interwoven with a lighthearted narrative told through imagination and actions rather than words.
COVER IMAGE CREDIT: Happy Juice Games
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