Lost in Play Review

Lost in Play is a point-and-click adventure where we experience the world through the imagination of two siblings playing pretend. The clever wordplay of the title is the perfect example of what the game is like — witty, fun, and childlike. 

From the beginning sequence's credits to the whimsical music throughout the journey, Lost in Play feels like you're watching a kid's movie or show. The animations and situations spark up childhood memories via familiar jokes, such as characters hiding inside a barrel and sneaking around comically. However, despite how childlike the game feels, it is definitely a challenging puzzle game at its core; although I'm not a big fan of the genre due to its usually slow and repetitive tasks, I was absolutely smitten by Lost in Play's puzzle element! They were unique, challenging, and just as charming and witty as the rest of the game.

What makes Lost in Play stand out from the countless other point-and-click games is that I had never seen some of its puzzles before. Not only were they unique, but even the more familiar ones still had something that made them memorable or complex in their own way, causing me to never feel bored or stagnated. Thankfully, the developer kept in mind that the game is quite difficult, so there's a hint system — I highly recommend that if you pick up Lost in Play, you try your best not to use it, as finishing these challenging puzzles on your own is incredibly rewarding. 

The only problem I had with the game was the dialogue because it’s gibberish. Although I understand the reasoning behind the lack of actual lines and words to enhance the puzzle experience, I find it quite bothersome when games do this type of voice acting. Oftentimes, it just becomes annoying or repetitive; an option to mute the voices would've solved this issue for me.

Due to everything being in the children’s imagination and the game having no actual dialogue, the story is basically nonsensical, and I loved it. It felt authentic that everything was kind of random and crazy, reminiscent of the type of stuff I'd make up as a kid when playing pretend. The creatures, people, and situations you encounter in the game really fit with the idea of being in a kid's mind, such as being able to breathe underwater just because you have a snorkel in your mouth or people surviving in a fish's tummy. 

As for the graphics and audio design — the music was captivating, whimsical, and movie-like at times; I quite enjoyed the game's original soundtrack. And although the graphics are nothing to write home about, I think they were cute enough to fit the idea and aesthetic, particularly because it looks like a modern children's show. 

All in all, don't let how passive and simple-looking Lost in Play is fool you because it's a wonderful and challenging adventure. Anyone that enjoys the point-and-click genre, complex and unique puzzles, and is fond of the recent trend of games through the eyes of children should absolutely pick this title up!