As children, we were all superhumans. We were warriors, adventurers and sorcerers at any given moment and embodied the roles with gusto. Until we grew up. Metaphors aside, there is one superpower that all children possess and wield with unmatched skill: the power to play. To fully escape into the realms of imagination without reservations or barriers and just live and breathe another world for a while. Tel Aviv-based studio Happy Juice Games aims to reawaken that dormant power in all of us with the fantastical adventure game Lost in Play.
Players step into the excitable shoes of Toto and Gal, a brother and sister duo. With their shared imagination, simple garden frolics become the adventure of a lifetime. From escaping the clutches of a ferocious beast to leading a goblin rebellion, the siblings must solve puzzles and interact with a cast of weird and wonderful characters to find their way home. Constructing a flying machine, claiming a powerful artefact and attending a royal toad's tea party: all this and more awaits in a blend of reality and fantasy that comes from pure imagination. Or does it?
Within a few minutes of “play”, it's impossible not to fall in love with Lost in Play's visuals. Many titles claim to capture the feel of playing a Saturday morning cartoon, but here it is more than worthy of such a claim. The animation is exquisitely wacky and expressive, not to mention silky smooth. Perfect for screenshots! By their own admission, Happy Juice Games took a big helping of inspiration from the likes of Gravity Falls and Hilda. Gal particularly exudes copious amounts of Mabel Pines energy which is an utter delight! This goes hand in hand with the almost purely visual storytelling. Images and gestures replace language and provide an experience that all can enjoy and engage with. It's a superb blend of wholesome and absurd that elicits sprightly smiles to outright belly laughs.
The story is laid out roughly over a three-act structure split into smaller episodes, separated by quirky artwork. With a couple of exceptions, each average around 20 to 30 minutes to complete. Another nod to those short but sweet classic cartoons and the fleeting nature of children's games. The second act of the siblings trying to make their way home boasts some stunning journey montages with interesting landscapes and mythical creatures. In fact, it's a shame some of these were only part of a montage. There is definitely scope to explore one of these a little more and still have the game be a good length.
An adventure game staple, Lost in Play has many item-based puzzles which fit perfectly with both the aesthetic and the childlike absurdity. Nothing feels trite or purely mechanical with finding or associating items. Puzzles flow naturally in each scenario and there are visual cues to pick up on to trigger those little grey cells. Gameplay mechanics support this by ditching a traditional point-and-click interface for free movement and proximity-activated hotspots. This allows for a full view of your surroundings and picking up on those details that could be a puzzle's linchpin. While mostly playing as either Gal or Toto, the most memorable sections involve them working together in order to succeed. There's also a wholesome and universally recognisable sibling dynamic showcased in these sections which is a lovely touch.
Running on Switch does very little to hinder all this. Animation remains crisp and mechanics work well with very fluid control. The only slight niggle is the angle of some isometric grid puzzles can make moving downward a little fiddly. Many times I ended up moving to the left and had to start over. And this brings us to the second form of puzzle: minigames.
For the most part, minigames are logic-based with a set solution – like a safe route through a maze or directing a beam of light. All visually match the fantastical, childlike feel while still offering a suitable degree of challenge. A couple of them have progressive stages of difficulty which likewise works well. Though, one pathfinding minigame is one stage too many and can begin to feel repetitive. There are also three particular minigames that follow a slightly different formula. All three are versus games against A.I. opponents and thus more unpredictable, requiring more strategic thinking.
This isn't by any means unwelcome; fans of the Professor Layton series will feel right at home. But while two have more methodical approaches, the third involves much higher levels of chance. Being the only game like this, it can feel a little disjointed and easily become a time sink. Visiting one more cutscene locale or more opportunities for teamwork puzzles would feel more balanced.
We may have grown up, but Lost in Play is a delightful recall to our younger superhuman days. It blends the simple majesty of childhood imagination with recognisable (yet adapted) adventure game elements into a satisfying concoction. Like finding a set of tea cups and combining them with something in your pocket for a royal toad's tea party. Beautifully bizarre and wholesome. Whether you've a fondness for whimsy or wanting to share an adventure with your little players, Lost in Play will not disappoint.
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