Lost in Random was first announced back in 2020 from EA. The turnaround time for it then doesn’t seem that long. However, it should be noted development probably started as far back as 2018. Zoink, the developer of this game, also made Fe which came out in 2018.
Fe, and Lost in Random, are part of the EA Originals program. Zoink has been in business since 2010, with each title seemingly getting bigger and bigger. So, how did this card-based action game project turn out? Reviews are generally positive for it so far. There is a lot to love about the design choices but there are some technical things that may hold it back from true greatness for some.
10 Best: The Art Style
Lost in Random feels like it’s a mix between a Double Fine game, like Psychonauts, and something from the mind of Tim Burton. The world is whimsically realized with stunning art all around. The buildings, landscapes, monsters, characters and everything in-between look like they are handcrafted out of wood or clay. It’s one of the most unique looking games this year and perhaps of all time.
9 Worst: No Way To Disable Subtitles
Something that can distract players from the art are the subtitles. Subtitles are great for the hearing impaired or for people that just generally like them to be there. What’s not good is forcing all players to look at them. If these were only in cutscenes that would be one thing. However, subtitles also appear when exploring the world. They even pop up from NPCs players pass. It just clogs up the screen.
8 Best: Card Powers
The rollout of powers from cards creates a satisfying loop of discovery. The weapons have a great range to them from bows to swords to giant flails. Some of the cooler powers come in through Hazard cards like cannons shooting poison arrows or giant hands appearing to shove enemies offscreen.
It takes a while to get used to the card-based battle system and the randomness may not have been the best idea, but it’s still cool to see these card powers play out.
7 Worst: Movement And Controls
Even may look like she is made of wood but she moves around like she was made out of lead. Controlling her is a bit clunky from just moving her around to dodging in battle to aiming with the slingshot. It’s not as tight as one would want from a character action game. Lost in Random looks like a platformer and acts like a platformer but there is no jump button which also creates a confusing control issue.
6 Best: Character Design
The world was already praised but the characters deserve their own mention. What’s great about the character design is that every character, from major characters to normal NPCs, are crafted with detail. Lost in Random does reuse some designs throughout the adventure but it is understandable why. They just look so vibrant and original. A character that deserves a big shout out is the card vendor, Mannie Dex. It’s hard to nail a shopkeeper in a game but this one comes pretty close to the Merchant from Resident Evil 4.
5 Worst: Dicey’s Gibberish And Even’s Silence
In cutscenes everyone talks. However, in side dialogue, players choose what Even says but her character doesn’t get voiced. This creates a weird gap between these dialogue scenes and the actual cutscenes.
It’s also a little odd that Dicey, the sentient dice that follows Even around, speaks in gibberish. The gibberish is subtitled but players can’t read it. Both of these issues seem like odd choices to make during the development cycle.
4 Best: Charmingly Clever
Lost in Random looks great from the environments to the characters. It’s also charmingly clever. A lot of the jokes are pun related, centered around dice, numbers, or something along those lines. The comedy in this game won’t hit everyone but it should at least crack a smirk or two. One of the more memorable early boss encounters sees Even face off in a deadly dual of rhymes.
3 Worst: No Manual Save
Lost in Random allows players to have up to three save slots but no manual save can be used. Everything in the game is autosaved which is nice on one hand. The checkpoints are generous in this way. However, when players wish to quit it can be a confusing experience. When did the game save last? Even if it did just save where will I boot back up? Not knowing these questions is troubling. Adding in a save point would be nice.
2 Best: No Hud
Most games nowadays include photo modes. Lost in Random does not which is disappointing. However, the game makes up for this by having no HUD. There is a HUD in battle but that’s fine. When exploring the world there is absolutely nothing hindering the view other than subtitles which, again, is its own issue. Being able to take in this whimsical world without having to worry about any meters popping up is a joy.
1 Worst: The Map
The map might be the most confusing mechanic in the game. Not having a mini-map is one thing. It would be nice to have but at least the map in the player options is fairly detailed. The problem is that the map does not show the player’s location. It highlights the section of the map they are in but, again, not the exact location. This makes navigating more of a hassle then it needs to be. Haven’t developers figured out maps decades ago?