I’ve made it no secret within my Rogueliker musings that I’m a huge fan of goth culture and all things bleak and moody. I’m even sat in the dark listening to The Cure’s excellent Disintegration whilst I’m penning this review (listen and you’ll thank me later).
That’s why Lost in Random and its shadowy, Tim Burton-esque fairytale world really struck a chord with me a few years back. Just like the equally excellent Little Nightmares, I thought it was an indie with strong production values that was able to nail its tone and atmosphere, and embrace its full potential thanks to the backing of a major publisher.
Three years later, and following some corporate reshuffling of its developer Zoink (now Thunderful), the series has returned with a new roguelite spin-off. I’ve spent the last week with this one, and whilst it doesn’t reach the heights of the original, I still had a great time.
What is Lost in Random: The Eternal Die?
As I mentioned up top, The Eternal Die is a fast-paced action roguelite spin-off that acts as a standalone companion to the original. Instead of picking up your adventures with Dicey and Even, you actually play as the first game’s antagonist, Queen Aleksandra. Here, Aleksandra has been double-crossed and is sucked into the endlessly looping world of The Black Die. To help her break free from this Groundhog Day from hell, you’ll need to traverse the game’s four unique biomes and slay one final foe known as Mare the Knight.
If you’ve played Hades, you’ll feel right at home with The Eternal Die. The structure is nearly identical, as you face increasingly tough enemies in tight, close-quarters arenas (although here you move from room to room on a board game-style map). The combat has a similar flow and feel to it too, with your dash being an essential manoeuvre to land quick hits and escape the path of the projectiles and environmental traps.
Let the Good Times Roll
That’s not to say it’s completely derivative, though. Aleksandra can give her trusted die companion Fortune a spin during battle and the number rolled determines the damage dealt. This adds a satisfying layer of randomness to encounters, and there is a risk-for-reward nature too as you are left vulnerable when preparing your throw. Many of the game’s mini-games from vendors and upgrades also playfully embrace this mechanic.
The Eternal Die also carves its own path when it comes to upgrades. After clearing a room, you’ll often earn the chance to select between one of three abilities belonging to five categories: Weapons, Dice, Cards, Luck, and Conjurations. You then physically slot your skills on a grid in your inventory. If you match three from the same group (diagonally, horizontally, or vertically) you receive a stat buff related to that skill.
The pool of skills gives you the freedom to shape your combat style however you like, and I had a blast experimenting with different synergies. In one run, I felt like an absolute god as my charge attack inflicted burn, defeating burned enemies restored my health, and each kill boosted my crit chance by 5% against other burning foes. In another, I went all-in on weapon upgrades and maxed my weapons stat to +275%, which allowed me to obliterate basic foes with a single sword swing.
When it comes to weapons, I was initially disappointed that there are only four to choose between (sword, bow, spear, and mace). However, once I scratched beneath the surface, I discovered you can completely shape how they play through enhancements. The bow was my main, for example, and one upgrade path allowed me to transform my charged attack into an explosion that spawned shrapnel on impact. Another replaced my charge attack with a seeking Ghast that inflicted weak on enemies.
Once Upon a Loop
The Eternal Die also sets itself apart with its approach to pacing and storytelling, though the results I found to be mixed. Starting with the positives: meeting new characters and unlocking new memories did help to take the sting out of earlier runs, and helped give the game a sense of momentum. This scripted approach did start to wear thin for me, eventually, as both the bosses and the main path you follow remain exactly the same each time.
This feeling of repetition is only made more apparent by the game’s fleeting length. It took me just eight hours to slay the game’s final boss. With only four main areas to explore and four bosses in total, I imagine others will also want more mileage out of this story. However, there are multiple endings (no spoilers, I promise!), so the replay value may be there for those willing to put in the hours. If you want a gateway roguelite experience, but don’t have the stamina for the full depths of Hades, this is a great place to start.
The Verdict
Whilst it is on the shorter side, I had a great time with The Eternal Die. Although this roguelite spin-off clearly takes its cues from Hades, its dice-rolling mechanic and upgrade system provide some neat little twists on the genre. The repetitive and scripted structure might act as a bit of a double-edge sword, but there is lots of fun to be had along the way, experimenting with different upgrade synergies and weapon combinations.
While it may not surpass the original, The Eternal Die is still a solid and enjoyable addition to the franchise, especially for fans who appreciate its dark, moody atmosphere and unique gameplay. Who knows where the Lost in Random series will go next? Perhaps a deckbuilding dating sim or even a gothic kart racer: only time will tell!
Lost in Random: The Eternal Die is out on June 17 on PC (Win), PS, Switch and Xbox. I played the game via access kindly provided by the devs and their PR chums!
