Review by Jon Donnis
Lost in Play is one of those games you know you are going to love, even after only playing it for 10 minutes. And that is exactly how I felt after a short time after loading it up on my Nintendo Switch Lite.
Similar in style to classic point and click games, this uses a slightly different type of interface to interact with onscreen objects than just pointing and clicking, playing more like an interactive 2D cartoon, you play as a brother and sister Toto and Gal, as they explore their dreams, befriend magical creatures, and of course solve lots of puzzles along the way.
This game is based on the imagination of children, something that as adults we lose, but can still remember those crazy adventures we had as kids, when we didn't have computer games or endless screens to look at, instead we had to use our imagination.
"Between reality and fantasy, the siblings explore the enchanted forest of a horned beast, start a rebellion in a goblin village, and help a team of frogs free a sword from a stone."
On the Switch version of the game, as you approach objects an onscreen icon will alert you to if you can interact with it. You will need to pick things up, add to your inventory, and if needed they will automatically combine to help you further your progress. So, although it looks very much like a point and click game, the interface is simplified, which makes interaction easier, but the game itself still needs you to work out the solutions to puzzles. Luckily there is a handy visual hint you can activate if you get stuck.
As well as the general puzzles that help you progress through an area, there are also mini games, and stand-alone on-screen puzzles that need to be solved. These can range from simple sliding puzzles, to picture puzzles, as well as all manner of mini games and challenges. There is a lot of variety with the puzzles, and you will never feel as if you are doing the same thing over and over.
"Challenge a pirate seagull to a game of clicking crabs, serve magical tea to a royal toad, and collect pieces to build a flying machine."
I am a fan of point and click games, but one of my frustrations with such games is when you do get stuck, you are endlessly clicking everywhere on the screen trying to find something you have missed, going backwards and forwards from location to location, or if you need to combine items but you are not sure which, so you just play trial and error until you get it right. Lost in Play eliminates all of these frustrations, without taking anything away from the gameplay or the experience. And this is something that will please many gamers, especially the casual gamer. I wonder if the hardcore point and click gamers will dislike the simplified system?
The Good
This is a really good game, the 2D animated cartoon like graphics are beautiful, everything plays really smoothly, the puzzles have a good learning curve, and at no point did I want to throw my Switch at the wall. This is a really well-made game, with well thought out puzzles.
The Bad
Humour is child based, so for those looking for something with more of an edge, you might be disappointed.
Overall
A really lovely little game that will entertain people of all ages. I am so glad I was asked to review this game; it truly is a gem.
I score Lost in Play a near perfect 9.5/10
Out now on Nintendo Switch
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