Lost in Random

Lost in Random, one of the surprise under-the-radar gems of 2021, marries genres with astonishing ease. Real-time action is broken up by moments of turn-based combat, which features elements of deck-building games. As you play, you’ll find cards—a sword, a bow, a spell—which you can use to customize a deck. Then when fighting, you can freeze combat and play a card, temporarily granting you the given card’s implement of destruction, resulting in unpredictable twists in each battle. It’s a delightful concoction of both moment-to-moment tactics and long-term strategy. Lost in Random is done up in an enchanting animation style inspired directly by the gothic, moody oeuvre of film director Tim Burton, in service of a similarly Burton-esque fairy tale narrative.

A Good Match For: Anyone who watched Coraline and thought, “That should be a game.”

Not A Good Match For: Impatient players, as Lost in Random has a bit of a slow start.

Rough Average Playtime: 16 hours