Lost in Random Reviews
Lost in Random is like a storybook come to life, but that isn't enough to carry it above its struggles.
“Every roll of the dice matters, but not every roll counts,” claims Seemore, the die-restoring pipnician who Even befriends. But this isn’t true of Lost in Random’s gameplay, as the worst penalty for a bad roll is around 10 seconds of the player’s time. Indeed, if you don’t earn enough pips to summon a card, all you have to do is wait to draw a fresh card and re-roll Dicey until you’ve achieved the desired effect. Lost in Random’s narrative about a world where self-determination is suppressed is compelling, but the randomness that characterizes the game’s combat risks pushing those of us who actually have free will to play something else instead.
Lost in Random has many interesting aspects going for it. The stop-start tactical combat system, the Halloween-inspired look, the appropriately moody soundtrack and quality voice-acting/cast make this short journey a worthwhile experience. However, the way combat is structured means its fundamentals can occasionally get lost in execution, and the story itself isn’t really worth writing home about. A solid 7 overall.
With an art style that mimics that of all the Tim Burton classics; Lost in Random is taking a bold step. From the characters, the music and the world that Zoink Games have created I was immediately reminded of films such as The Nightmare Before Christmas and The Corpse Bride. They say imitation is the highest form of flattery and for the most part it’s done incredibly well here.
This is a game that came close to greatness for me, but in the end the combat held it back. I still quite enjoyed my time with it thanks to the story, and I am very interested to see what developer Zoink is working on next. As it is not a full-priced title I think it’s worth taking a chance on if what you’ve seen here sounds interesting to you.
Lost in Random just looks like a dice action game, but it's actually a great satire about luck and probability. But its slow combat tempo and movement makes it little boring.
Review in Korean | Read full review
If you’re willing to overlook the bloated combat, you’ll find a lot to love in this macabre adventure about the bond between sisters.
Lost In Random imagines a dark fairy tale that feels immediately timeless, even if some other aspects of the game won't age as well.
Lost in Random offers a vivid world and unique bunch of characters, but some of the cities sadly feels pretty samey with not enough personality and variety.
Review in Russian | Read full review
I think that if you translated Lost in Random’s dark narrative and engagingly strange visual style into a stop-motion animated style film, it would be a powerful exploration of a harrowing and at times poignant journey through an upside down world ruled by disorder. There’s a lot of that conceit in the game, too, but it’s made less impactful by tepid mechanics and tedious, unrewarding combat. The story and setting are absolutely worth experiencing, but there’s probably a chance you’ll be as disappointed by the gameplay as you are enchanted by the tale.
Lost in Random is an okay 15-hour game, front-loaded with seven fantastic hours. It’s worth playing even if you don’t make it to the end, simply because there’s never been another game like it. Disney goths will delight in its charming blend of cute and macabre, and there are some legitimate thrills to be had with the combat system for strategy-brained players like myself. If it had continued to innovate with new battle mechanics and more cards to collect throughout the entire game, it would be an easy contender for game of the year for me. Unfortunately, it rests on its laurels too early, and the game as a whole suffers for it. I would be eager to return to Random were there ever a sequel, but I don’t think I’ll be revisiting Lost in Random again anytime soon.
Lost in Random is a title of adventure and brave action, which constantly seeks its own form of expression as far as the action is concerned, and that along the way accumulates many successes and some other but. It presents a dark and interesting universe, which constantly flirts with humor and children's terror, achieving a tone that will delight fantasy lovers. He compensates for his lack of finesse in combat with the riskiness of his proposal and with some dialogues that will bring you more than a smile.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Ultimately, I think what Lost in Random reminds me of most is American McGee’s early Alice games, but less brutal and more whimsical. It’s got a similar form of macabre about its world and narrative, but it also has a similar limitation and technical tarnish that those games had. Even and Dicey’s Journey to save Odd and stop the Queen is well written and presented by the game’s action, music, and narrative, but it feels like there’s also varying degrees of jank just sitting in your periphery. Get past that, and I still feel this is a fairy-tale adventure that deserves a cover-to-cover read.
Lost in Random is a beautiful Burton-esque fantasy that comes close to evoking the same levels of craft and character as its obvious inspirations. It doesn't quite sustain the wonder from start to finish, but it remains an easy recommendation.
Lost in Random tells a sweet tale with surprisingly deep combat to brighten an otherwise dreary world.
I'm deeply fascinated by the setting and the characters I can meet here but the world and the technical side of the game cannot hold up.
Review in German | Read full review
Lost in Random is a magical experience in several areas. The story, presentation, and world are a joy to experience from start to finish, with a few minor exceptions. On the other hand, the combat is initially refreshing but is hindered by the length of encounters and a lack of depth in its mechanics, so later encounters feel like a frustrating chore. It's a fun action-adventure in short bursts, and Lost in Random deserves much more attention than it has received.
Lost in Random performs expertly on its gameplay and graphics, but falls very short when it comes to its little effort in the dialogue aspect. It's also a shame to see how little polish the ending received.
Each time you make some good progress, the game throws in a combat scenario that just takes all the wind out of your sails. It made me actively want to play the game in slower chunks, just not to get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of these combat segments. Lost in Random definitely can hold its own against other titles and feels like a premium experience, but on it's way there the balance between randomness and thought out design may have gotten a bit lost.
Like a toss of the dice, Lost in Random can be truly inspired at times, and a little underwhelming at others.