Lost and Found Co is a hidden object adventure in a cozy and immersive world. Join a cast of lively characters on their epic journey across countless magical locations. Find lost items, solve puzzles, and help a tiny dragon regain her power!
Developed by: Bit Egg Inc.
Played on: Steam
Length: 6 hours (15 hours for completionists)
A review key was provided by PlayIndies.
Hidden object games are an old love for me. I remember spending hours of my childhood getting lost in the hyper realistic, cluttered worlds that define the genre, picking out everything from gemstones to hair brushes in a pile of items that should have no reason to be lumped together. Even today, those games are the first to appear whenever you search up the term ‘hidden object’ — then comes a new contender from our neighbours in the north.
Developed by Thailand-based indie studio Bit Egg Inc, Lost and Found Co is a game that has love pouring out of every pixel. What starts out as a simple hidden object game quickly outgrows its own shoes with a quirky narrative, massive level maps, multiple game modes, and a fully fledged decorating system that will captivate your attention for hours.
You play as Ducky, a duck-turned-human who is recruited by the Goddess Mei to turn their derelict shrine into a magical start-up dedicated to finding lost items. This 6-hour story campaign follows their journey from hidden neighbourhood gem to beloved community staple, but not without encountering a few anime-like hijinks along the way. Its narrative is both heartwarming and hilarious, accompanied by comic book panels and character animations that bring each scene to life.
But the true hallmark of Lost and Found Co is the sheer scale of the game. A hidden object game amounting to 15 hours of playtime is a feat in itself, but it is difficult to truly envision its scale until you’re playing it. Each stage is massively detailed and fully animated, with unique animations and sound effects whenever you click on objects. Most stages also span multiple levels and hidden rooms, with environments that evolve as you progress the story within the stage.
All of that ties together with simple to understand gameplay that is accessible to all ages. Each hidden object on your list comes prebaked with a hint, and you can unlock a more direct hint by trading in inky creatures named Juju’s which act as a hint currency of sorts. The game also indicates when an object is hidden behind an animation, encouraging you to click around the map to open boxes, interact with suspicious items, and even cause a healthy dose of trouble.
In my playthrough, I had some of the most fun exploring the Request stages that were separate from the Main Story. These stages usually feature tiny self-contained stories and plenty of recurring characters that are fun to bump into time and time again in the background. These range from Easy to KO difficulty, and aren’t necessary to complete the Main Story, but add hours of extra content to your playthrough.
For players looking for a challenge, there are optional goals for each stage that will easily double your playtime. While these aren’t necessary to complete the stage, it adds a little world building and a lot of character to each stage. One of the side goals that never failed to make me chuckle was finding celebrity parodies hidden in the stage, from the famous “John Lemon” to the neighbourhood hero “Ironing Man”.
However, if you’re looking to complete all of the optional goals, be prepared to hunker down for some eye-straining levels and plenty of random clicking. There’s always one or two hidden objects in the stage that are determined to stay hidden, and some object placements that are truly devious. Add on the fact that you can’t use Juju’s to unlock extra hints, and you’re definitely in for a challenge.
Lost and Found Co is definitely the kind of game that should be consumed in smaller bites. Staring at tiny details for a long period of time can get tiring after awhile, but you can always take a break by decorating Ducky’s room back at the office. New decorations are unlocked whenever you complete a Main Story or Request stage, and you can have multiple design saves which allow you to freely experiment with different themed rooms.
Verdict: Found A Place In My Heart
Lost and Found Co is a simple hidden object game that quickly outgrows its own shoes with an anime-like narrative, massive fully animated maps, multiple game modes, and a comprehensive decorating system that will captivate your attention for hours. A true boundary-pushing take on the genre that both casual and challenge-driven players will love.
