The world of Random returns in Lost in Random: The Eternal Die. This time around the IP takes the form of an action roguelite. But can this game stand it’s ground in a genre that is becoming more and more crowded each passing year? Let’s see if Thunderful Games rolled high once again…
Roll for initiative
Lost in Random: The Eternal Die takes us back to a world where fate is decided by the roll of a die. This action roguelite sequel to the 2021 game by Thunderful Games sees you take on the role of Queen Alexandra. This time, you play as Queen Alexandra, who is imprisoned in the Black Dice alongside her Diceling friend, Fortune. In order to regain their freedom, they must find a way to defeat the ruler of that realm. This is done in classic fashion by fighting your way through chambers filled with enemies and bosses at the end of each world.
Alexandra has three main attack modes. Firstly, she has her weapon. Initially, she only has a sword, but her arsenal quickly grows to include a spear, a bow, and a hammer, which can be purchased from the armoury. As well as physical weapons, you can also cast spells, which are given by cards. These card spells do elemental damage or stun enemies. Using them is tied to a stamina bar at the bottom of the screen that replenishes during combat. Last but not least, you can throw Fortune at the enemy. He deals damage on impact, but you need to pick him up again to throw him. Combine all these abilities with a dash and you have a combat system that is pretty standard but fast-paced and keeps you on your toes.
Winning a battle earns you the usual health upgrades and coins, as well as treasure chests containing items. Each item must be placed in a nine-by-nine grid with extended middle rows. Items come in two varieties: Coloured tiles or items that buff your stats or give you a new ability (which may be one or multiple colours). By matching three colours of a kind, you buff the base stat connected to it.
Once your run is finished, you can buy permanent upgrades for your weapon and the Queen. You can also buy permanent stat buffs and resurrection within a run.
The joy of getting lost
The Gothic-inspired world of Random is unlike any other. The visuals are reminiscent of a Tim Burton film. The Black Dice is fun to explore. Each zone has a dark fantasy look. Starting with the castle hall, a swamp and an icy factory, each with a checkerboard vibe. The bosses at the end of each zone are enjoyable and evocative, and sometimes pay homage to the previous game. Not every room is a standard combat zone, which was appreciated. There are also board game minigames and trap rooms. My only slight nitpick in this area is the lack of variety in the trap rooms. I was only able to distinguish two or three different ones for each zone, so they got stale quickly.
Queen Alexandra looks fairly standard compared to the other characters. There is an eerie yet friendly shopkeeper who looks like a grandmother fused with a wardrobe, and a giant frog witch with dice children who helps you upgrade your spells. Each NPC has its own special charm. Unfortunately, you can only talk to those with an exclamation mark above their heads. For instance: While exploring the Black Dice, I found another lost soul, and Alexandra invited him back to the safe space. When I returned, however, I wasn’t able to talk to him because he didn’t appear to have anything to say. It was only after he found an item that this person was triggered.
The balance of a dice roll.
I started playing Lost in Random: The Eternal Die on Normal Mode. Having quite a bit of experience with action roguelites, I thought this would be the best option. My first few runs were fun, and there was plenty to see. However, I quickly realised that the balancing in this mode wasn’t what I expected. In the game shop, prices are about 80–100 coins per item, but I mostly found a maximum of 30 coins per zone. After an hour of frustration, I switched to easy mode, which I found much more enjoyable. I earned enough money to buy an item every now and again, and I also found that my abilities worked much better together. After being stopped at the first boss, I found myself making it to the third area boss in no time.
Balance is difficult to achieve, and I understand that Lost in Random sometimes wants to live up to its name by leaving things to fate. However, the randomness doesn’t always work when you’re trying to complete a run. I realise both of these points may be somewhat subjective, but they did make me wonder: Is randomness necessary in this genre, and if so, how much is enough? Most of the systems in place are good, but the game needs a little more refinement to elevate it from good to great.
Conclusion
Lost in Random: The Eternal Die once again brings the world of Random to life in an interesting way. The world is original, and exploration is enjoyable, but the balance between randomness and difficulty can sometimes detract from the overall experience. Despite its imperfections, it is a valuable addition to the action roguelite genre.