Lost in Play

Last updated
Lost in Play
Lost in Play cover art.jpeg
Developer(s) Happy Juice Games
Publisher(s) Joystick Ventures
Snapbreak Games (iOS, Android)
Designer(s) Yuval Markovich
Oren Rubin
Alon Simon
Programmer(s) Yuval Markovich
Nisim Gerbi (iOS, Android)
Doron Weiss
Artist(s) Oren Rubin
Alon Simon
Matan Yam
Writer(s) Tal Goldberg
Chen Ashkenazi
Guy Harlap
Composer(s) Alon Kaplan
Naor Hazan
Engine Unity
Platform(s) Windows
macOS
iOS
Nintendo Switch
PlayStation
Release
  • August 10, 2022 (Steam, Switch)
  • July 12, 2023 (iOS, Android)
  • August 10, 2024 (PlayStation)
Genre(s) Point-and-click adventure game
Mode(s) Single-player

Lost in Play is a 2022 point-and-click adventure game by Happy Juice Games and published by Joystick Ventures. It was released for Microsoft Windows, macOS and Nintendo Switch on August 10, 2022, and for iOS and Android on July 12, 2023. As a family-friendly game intended to look like a children's cartoon, the game follows the adventure of two imaginative siblings. Upon release, the game was praised for its charm, creativity, and accessibility.

Contents

Gameplay

The player controls both siblings, alternating between them as the story progresses. [1] The characters progress through levels by interacting with various objects, solving puzzles, and completing tasks. [1]

Characters communicate in a gibberish language, using visual gestures and aural vocalizations to explain to the player how to progress. [2] [3] [1]

Synopsis

Lost in Play centers around grade school-aged brother and sister, Toto and Gal, who are living out an imaginative playtime session. A bored Gal tries to get Toto to play with her, which takes them on a far journey across their imaginations. Switching between reality and fantasy, the siblings ultimately find themselves on an adventure back home.

Development

The game was developed by new Tel Aviv-based developer Happy Juice Games and published by Joystick Ventures, a partnership between venture capital company Nazca and Xsolla. [4] First released on Microsoft Windows, macOS and Nintendo Switch on August 10, 2022, and iOS and Android by Snapbreak Games on July 12, 2023. [5]

Gal attending a tea party in a dream during which the player solves a puzzle to progress during the opening scene of the game. Lost in Play Opening Scene Screenshot new.png
Gal attending a tea party in a dream during which the player solves a puzzle to progress during the opening scene of the game.

Reception

The game received "generally positive reviews" according to aggregator Metacritic. Pocket Gamer said it "captures the beauty and wonder of imagination". [8] Roland Ingram of Nintendo Life rated the game 9 out of 10 and claims that the game "barely puts a foot wrong, delivering cerebral gaming and effervescent entertainment". [2] Katherine Castle of Rock Paper Shotgun called the game "a gorgeous point and click puzzler," stating that "Lost In Play is like curling up with a good book, and four hours later you'll suddenly wonder where the time's gone". [3]

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Lost in Play for "Family Game of the Year" during the 26th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards. [9]

Lost in Play has been awarded iPad Game of the Year by Apple in 2023 App Store Awards [10] as well as Apple Design Award 2024 for Innovation. [11]

List of Awards and Nominations

Apple App Store Awards [10] 2023Best iPad GameWinner
Apple Design Award [11] 2024InnovationWinner
D.I.C.E [9] 2023 Family Game of the Year Finalist
Golden Joystick [12] 2022Best Visual DesignFinalist
BIG [13] 2023Best ArtFinalist
BIG [13] 2023Best international gameFinalist
IndieCade [14] 2022Developer Choice AwardWinner
DevGAMM [15] 2022Best Indie GameWinner
DevGAMM [15] 2022Excellence in visual designWinner
Reboot Develop Blue2022Visual ExcellenceWinner
GDWC2023Xsolla Game of the YearWinner
Anifilm fest2023Best game for childrenWinner
Digital Dragons2022Best Indie Game3rd Award
WN Dev Contest2022Best Indie GameSemi-Finalist Award
Pocket Gamer Awards [16] 2023Mobile Game of the YearFinalist
Pocket Gamer Awards [17] 2023Mobile Puzzle Game of the YearFinalist
Pocket Gamer Awards [18] 2023Best Mobile StorytellingFinalist
Asif Animation2023Best GameFinalist

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feral Interactive</span> British video game publisher

Feral Interactive Limited is a British video games developer and publisher for macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch and Microsoft Windows platforms. It was founded in 1996 to bring games to Mac and specialises in porting games to different platforms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unity (game engine)</span> Cross-platform video game and simulation engine

Unity is a cross-platform game engine developed by Unity Technologies, first announced and released in June 2005 at Apple Worldwide Developers Conference as a Mac OS X game engine. The engine has since been gradually extended to support a variety of desktop, mobile, console, augmented reality, and virtual reality platforms. It is particularly popular for iOS and Android mobile game development, is considered easy to use for beginner developers, and is popular for indie game development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarbakan</span> Canadian video game studio

Sarbakan is a Canadian video game studio based in Quebec City, Quebec. Ten years after its foundation in 1998 by Guy Boucher, Sarbakan had delivered over 600 games, mostly web-based, and started shifting its focus from flash game development to console digital download gaming.

<i>Pocket Gamer</i> Website and magazine focused on mobile, portable, and handheld video games

Pocket Gamer is a video game website and former print magazine that focuses on mobile, portable and handheld games. It was launched in 2005 by Steel Media Limited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scopely</span> American entertainment company

Scopely, Inc. is an American interactive entertainment company and mobile-first video game developer and publisher. The company is headquartered in Culver City, California, with offices across the US, EMEA and Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simogo</span> Swedish video game developer

Simogo is a Swedish independent video game developer based in Malmö. The company was founded in 2010 and is best known for creating games for mobile devices, including Year Walk and Device 6. Its name comes from the name of its founders Simon (SIM), and Gordon (GO); the 'O' from the Swedish word "och" meaning "and".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broken Rules</span> Austrian video game developer and publisher

Broken Rules Interactive Media GmbH is an Austrian independent video game developer, publisher, and creative collective based in Vienna. It was founded in 2009 by Peter Vorlaufer, Jan Hackl, and Felix Bohatsch, and is known for critically acclaimed and award-winning games such as And Yet It Moves, Secrets of Raetikon and Old Man's Journey, as well as a number of game ports to Nintendo's Wii U.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CM Games</span> Independent video game developer and publisher

CM Games is an Estonian independent video game developer and publisher based in Tallinn, Estonia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plarium</span> Video game software company

Plarium Global Ltd. is a video game developer, publisher and subsidiary of the Australian gambling machine manufacturer Aristocrat Leisure. It is known for creating mobile, desktop and browser games in various genres including MMO, RPG, action, strategy, and casual.

Mushroom Wars 2 is a real-time strategy video game, developed and published by Zillion Whales. It is the sequel to Mushroom Wars, and was released on iOS, tvOS, Android and Microsoft Windows via Steam on October 13, 2016 and on Nintendo Switch on July 5, 2018. The game is also available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

<i>Far: Lone Sails</i> 2018 video game

Far: Lone Sails is an exploration adventure videogame developed by the Swiss development company Okomotive. The game was released for Windows and macOS in May 2018, for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in April 2019, for Nintendo Switch in August 2019, and for Android and iOS in October 2020. A sequel, Far: Changing Tides, was released in March 2022.

<i>Forgotton Anne</i> 2018 video game

Forgotton Anne is an adventure-platform game developed by ThroughLine Games and published by Square Enix Collective. The game uses a hand-drawn anime aesthetic style and an orchestral score performed by the Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra and was released on May 15, 2018 on Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. The game was released for macOS on June 21, 2018, Nintendo Switch on November 9, 2018, iOS on June 26, 2019, and Android on December 18, 2019.

<i>Sky</i> (video game) 2019 social adventure game

Sky: Children of the Light is a social adventure game by Thatgamecompany. It was first released for iOS on July 18, 2019. An Android version was later released on April 7, 2020, and a Nintendo Switch version was released on June 29, 2021, followed by a PlayStation 4 release on December 6, 2022, and a Microsoft Windows release via Steam Early Access on April 10, 2024. A separate version of the game was released for Mainland China on Android and iOS devices that is co-developed and published by NetEase.

<i>Cut the Rope</i> (video game) 2010 video game

Cut the Rope is a physics-based puzzle video game developed by ZeptoLab and published by Chillingo for iOS, Android, Windows Phone, web browsers, Nintendo DSi, and Nintendo 3DS. A sequel, Cut the Rope: Experiments, was released in 2011.

<i>Weaving Tides</i> 2021 video game

Weaving Tides is a puzzle adventure video game developed by the Austrian developer Follow the Feathers. It was released on Windows, MacOS and Nintendo Switch on May 27, 2021.

<i>Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon</i> 2021 video game

Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon is a roguelike puzzle game co-developed by Vine and Yacht Club Games, and published by Yacht Club Games. A spin-off of the platform game Shovel Knight, the player takes control of the namesake adventurer as he becomes trapped within a magical artifact, the Pocket Dungeon, and is forced to fight his way out while battling other knights who befell the same fate.

<i>Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery</i> 2021 video game

Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery is an adventure game created by Taiwanese developer Silver Lining Studio, and co-published by Akupara Games and Akatsuki Taiwan Inc. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android in August 2021, then for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 in June 2022.

<i>Pocket Card Jockey</i> 2013 video game

Pocket Card Jockey is a card-based video game developed and published by Game Freak for Nintendo 3DS, iOS, and Android.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Defold</span> Free game engine

Defold is a cross-platform, free, and source-available game engine developed by King, and later the Defold Foundation. It is used to create mostly two-dimensional (2D) games, but is fully capable of three-dimensional (3D) as well.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Lost In Play (Switch, PC)". GamerDad: Gaming with Children. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
  2. 1 2 3 "Review: Lost In Play - A Fantastic Adventure Game That Cleverly Sidesteps Genre Pitfalls". Nintendo Life. 2022-08-28. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
  3. 1 2 Castle, Katharine (2022-08-10). "Lost In Play review: a gorgeous point and click puzzler". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
  4. ↑ Partis, Danielle (2022-02-15). "Joystick Ventures launches, aims to fuel indie developers". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
  5. ↑ Madnani, Mikhail (2023-06-15). "Puzzle Adventue Game 'Lost in Play' Is Coming to iOS and Android Next Month as a Free To Start Release". TouchArcade . Retrieved 2023-11-14.
  6. ↑ "Lost in Play for Switch Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved 2023-11-13.
  7. ↑ "Lost in Play for PC Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved 2023-11-13.
  8. ↑ Dellosa, Catherine (2023-07-18). "Lost in Play review - "Nothing beats the power of childlike imagination"". Pocket Gamer . Retrieved 2023-11-14.
  9. 1 2 "2023 Awards Category Details Family Game of the Year". interactive.org. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences . Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  10. 1 2 "App Store Awards 2023 - Apple Developer". developer.apple.com. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  11. 1 2 "2024 winners and finalists - Apple Design Awards - Apple Developer". developer.apple.com. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  12. ↑ Sam Loveridge (2022-11-22). "Here are all the Golden Joystick Awards 2022 winners". gamesradar. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  13. 1 2 ""Finalists for the 2023 Annual Brazil International Games Festival Announced" - Games Press". www.gamespress.com. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  14. ↑ "Festival 2022 Award Winners – IndieCade" . Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  15. 1 2 "DevGAMM Awards". DevGAMM Game Fest 2022 | November 23–25. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  16. ↑ "Pocket Gamer Awards 2023 - Winners and finalists". www.pocketgamer.com. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  17. ↑ "Pocket Gamer Awards 2023 - Winners and finalists". www.pocketgamer.com. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  18. ↑ "Pocket Gamer Awards 2023 - Winners and finalists". www.pocketgamer.com. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.