A game's art style and world-building can have huge effects on the player's immersion in and reception to a title. Ideally, the developer needs to blend the world with the mechanics to get the best result. Zoink Games has managed to do this with its latest title Lost in Random by taking its main gameplay function and fitting it in with the world it has created.
Lost in Random follows Even as she travels across six towns to save her sister, Odd. The journey is full of peril as Even is hunted by the evil Queen and her mechanical minions. However, Even is not alone in her journey, as she is joined by her companion Dicey, a sentient dice with strange powers. This journey takes place in the kingdom of Random -- a world that truly lives up to its name.
The kingdom of Random is fantastically designed and exciting to explore. A large part of the game is spent wandering through the many towns, completing side-quests and gathering new abilities to aid Even in combat. At first glance, everything in Random appears as though it were mashed together. The buildings are a strange mix of normal-looking houses and random items built in odd patterns that boggle the mind. Random's inhabitants are just as strange, with some looking human and others being monstrous creatures. In a way, the world is reminiscent of a dream, as everything seems both familiar and just a bit off.
This strange style complements the gameplay perfectly, with most of the combat being based around using Dicey to gather points to play certain cards. Upon entering a battle, the player must use Even's slingshot to shoot small crystals that appear on their opponent's body. Collecting these crystals fills up a meter that allows Even to throw Dicey. Upon rolling the dice, the player will receive tokens that dictate how many cards they can use at that time.
Lost in Random's combat system appears to be as random as the world that Even inhabits, as if no two fights will be the same. While this isn't entirely the case due to the limited number of cards the player can have in their deck at once, it creates the illusion of randomness. This is similar to the game's world; Random appears nonsensical, but it actually follows strict rules. A citizen of Onecroft, often derogatively referred to as a "Oner," is seen as having little value in the same way that rolling a one is viewed as a negative for the player. However, just as Even can achieve more than other expect, the cards in any given hand can make even a one a useful roll for the player.
Lost In Random draws its inspiration from several sources, most obviously the animated films of Tim Burton. However, the developers have added their own twists to the dark fantasy genre, finding ways to perfectly mesh world-building and gameplay. While the dice system is simple, it allows the player to feel at the mercy of chance in the same way that Even is. Zoink Games has found a great balance, taking the chance to show players something fantastic.