Narrative-led adventure gameLost in Randomwas both a critical and commercial success for the team at Thunderful Games back in 2021. But rather than move headlong into a straightforward sequel, several key members from the original development team split to work on different projects, with some going on to helm this year’sMidnight Walkand others joining Stormteller Games to craftLost in Random’s genre-pivoting follow-up,Lost in Random: The Eternal Die. The whimsical, board game-inspired world of Random wasn’t necessarily a place that seemed tailor-made for a compelling action roguelike, but seeing almost everythingLost in Random: The Eternal Diehas to offer has proven that it absolutely is.
One look atLost in Random: The Eternal Dieis likely to draw comparisons between it andSupergiant’sHades,and while that comparison does hold water, it’s also a bit reductive. Instead,Lost in Random: The Eternal Dieuses one of the action roguelike genre’s exemplars as a starting point to build its legacy, one that uses a similarly strong combat sandbox and progression loop as its foundation. There’s also a heavy narrative pull to be found inLost in Random: The Eternal Die, but it’s unfortunately mostly lost on anyone who hasn’t played the originalLost in Randomand familiarized themselves with its characters and unique world. Still,Lost in Random’s interactive elements are so strong that, even without the dangling carrot of a compelling story, it begs to be played repeatedly simply to experience more of its moment-to-moment gameplay.
Lost in Random: The Eternal Die’s Combat Earns it a Place in Roguelike Fans' Libraries
In mypreview forLost in Random: The Eternal Die, combat was highlighted as one of the game’s shining stars, and that sentiment carries forward into the full version. Unlike the protagonist-following camera from its more adventure-leaning predecessor,Lost in Random: The Eternal Dieuses an angled top-down, third-person perspective for its action that will feel right at home to anyone who’s played similar action roguelikes likeHades,Curse of the Dead Gods, orRavenswatch. Accordingly, it works just as well here as it does in those titles to highlight the on-screen action. Players are now in control of the originalLost in Random’s antagonist, Queen Aleksandra, and she’s adept with a surprising amount of weaponry, capable of bringing a sword, bow, spear, or mace-like hammer into battle.
Choosing one of the four weapons available ahead of each run plays a major role in how each encounter shakes out, with certain armaments being better suited to some builds than others and each having a unique feel in combat. Enemies are sturdy without feeling spongy, have visible health bars that show how effective your attacks are (or aren’t), and are great at coordinating and responding to your offensives in surprising ways.Aleksandrais powerful, but she’s going up against similarly powerful foes that constantly keep her — and, by proxy, the player — on edge. Each encounter starts with smaller, more cannon-fodder enemies that are quickly dispatched, but then give way to larger, elite foes that are servants ofLost in Random: The Eternal Die’s antagonist, Mare the Knight.
Weapons are just one of the three prongs in Aleksandra’s arsenal, though, as she’s also got access to both a unique Card ability and her dice companion, Fortune. Fortune fills the role of being Aleksandra’s grenade, capable of being thrown at a moment’s notice to dealAoE damageand then retrieved, while Cards grant special abilities that are only usable after accumulating energy via normal attacks. Juggling all three of these options is key to success, and once you get the hang of it, you’ll be clearing rooms in seconds flat in incredibly satisfying displays of combat prowess that illustrate the potency of the game’s progression loop.
The Progression Curve of Lost in Random: The Eternal Die Makes Each Run Rewarding
The cornerstone of a good action roguelike is the satisfying intersection between its combat sandbox and progression loop, and it’s something thatLost in Random: The Eternal Dieunderstands to a t. Both in terms of its moment-to-moment progression and its more permanent,meta-progression,Lost in Random: The Eternal Diematches its fun combat sandbox with consistently rewarding progress that makes you feel more and more capable as you return into the depths of the Black Die.
Defeating enemies, clearing certain room-specific challenges, and rescuing allies who reside back in the Sanctuary hub world (or furthering their storylines) rewards two different types of in-game currency: Cinder and Pip Dust. Cinder can be exchanged at the Forge in Sanctuary for upgrades to each of Aleksandra’s four weapons, each of which has 4 separate ability chains that amount to “builds”, which in turn synergize with the Relics that you’ll pick up throughout each run. Similarly, Pip Dust is exchanged back at Sanctuary for Blessings, which are the more permanent upgrades to Aleksandra’s health, damage, attack speed, and more. Even though some of the upgrades at either in-game shop can be expensive,Lost in Random: The Eternal Dieis never stingy with its rewards, meaning you’ll acquire plenty of currency before you know it.
These meta-progression elements are backed up by an incredibly satisfying mix of moment-to-moment progression in each run. Across the four biomes that Aleksandra will visit within the Black Die, killing enemies rewards both coins and Relic Coffers, with the former being used at a special shop and the latter granting incredibly powerful buffs that comprise the bulk of a player’s “build”. Relics are the true highlight ofLost in Random: The Eternal Die’s progression curve, especially once you factor in being able to hold up to 13 of them and using their color coding to earn bonuses for Aleksandra’s stats. The weapon and Card that you take into each run will determine which Relics are more desirable than others, and even after almost 15 hours, new synergies and exciting combinations were revealing themselves.
Despite its Heavy Narrative Emphasis, Gameplay is Lost in Random: The Eternal Die’s Draw
Accompanying the stronggameplay inLost in Random: The Eternal Dieis a heavy focus on narrative that delves more into the interesting world of Random, its inhabitants, and their tumultuous history with Queen Aleksandra as a formerly despotic ruler on a quest for redemption. While it’s a good story that is further fleshed out by rescuing the inhabitants of Sanctuary and getting to know them, it ultimately amounts to window dressing rather than an incentive to propel players through the game’s tougher moments. To be honest, the gameplay is strong enough that it doesn’t need any help in that area.
To useHadesas a touchpoint again, that game’s story largely works as well as it does thanks to the strength of its characters; characters who are, by and large, known figures throughout all of Western civilization thanks to their almost countless depictions in classical literature and beyond. Players go intoHadesknowing that it’s a game usingGreek mythologyas a springboard, and it continually subverts expectations and surprises you at every turn to make its narrative elements just as compelling as its gameplay. For anyone who hasn’t played the originalLost in Random,The Eternal Diejust can’t hope to replicate that effect.
That’s not to say thatLost in Random: The Eternal Die’s story is bad, or even inconsequential, because it isn’t. But it also isn’t a real reason that players will find themselves wanting to return toThe Eternal Dieor push through a tough boss. The real draw ofLost in Random: The Eternal Dieis its gameplay, and to the game’s credit, it’s strong enough on its own to generate that “just one more run” feeling that the bestaction roguelikesdo.
