I’ll admit, I was genuinely surprised by Lost in Random: The Eternal Die. When I reviewed Lost in Random all the way back in 2021, despite my fondness for it, I had kind of assumed it would be a one-and-done—not only because it was a focused, linear game but due to EA’s performative support of indies and history of shuttering projects/studios. So imagine my surprise when this charming and unique little series got not only a follow-up, but a complete game overhaul.
The original Lost in Random was co-developed by Zoink and Thunderful, Lost in Random: The Eternal Die is being handled by Stormteller Games, with Thunderful now acting as publisher. CGM was fortunate enough to get to sit down with Stormteller Games to get a little insight into the creation of this new experience, alongside getting to go hands-on with the game itself.
The first thing that was reassuring to hear was that a new studio didn’t mean a totally new team handling the project. As producer at Thunderful, Antti Rantanen explained, “A large part of our team has been working steadily together for over a decade, and in fact many of this team are original creators of the first Lost in Random game.”
“Lost in Random: The Eternal Die is a fast-paced, top-down action roguelike—probably most comparable to Hades—but built on a foundation that’s uniquely its own.”
It was reassuring to know that the elements forming the heart and soul of the original were being maintained, despite the studio’s “polished, gameplay-first approach.” It immediately gave me confidence that Lost in Random: The Eternal Die would address a lot of the issues I’d mentioned in my review—primarily how combat was handled. Considering Lost in Random: The Eternal Die is a spin-off and not a true sequel, it allowed the design to undergo a lot of changes.
As senior designer at Thunderful, Martin Storm explained, “We chose this approach rather than creating a direct sequel because it allowed us to explore the Lost in Random universe in a new, fresh and exciting way.” He went on to say, “Making The Eternal Die as a roguelite gave us the freedom to experiment with the gameplay while still staying true to the world we love.”
And this is certainly true from both a thematic and mechanical standpoint. What better way to dive into a world altered by the roll of a die than to apply it to a genre built upon RNG? But a change in style required a change in protagonist, and this time players take on the role of Queen Alexandria—who was the primary antagonist in the first Lost in Random.
After being pulled into her Black Die, Alexandria is drained of her powers and reduced to a smaller frame, similar to how she appeared at the start of Lost in Random. However, she is joined by Fortune, her Living Die, and confronted by the Mare the Knight—an ancient evil that has seemingly been powering the Black Die. Now, she is trapped in his dark game, forced to battle an endless horde in a space where death isn’t final and things are ever changing. But if she can defeat him, she may be able to escape and change the fate of Random once again.
It’s an interesting—and certainly welcome—shift in perspective that adds many intriguing layers to Alexandria’s character, reflected in the game’s visual and narrative design. As art director Brandt Andrist explains, “The four worlds… they’re all reflections of Alexandria’s past. They’re twisted by the villain of the story, so they’re dark, they’re vibrant and cool, and they give our protagonist a taste of her own medicine.” Especially for those who played the first Lost in Random, it recontextualizes her by adding depth—but also potentially changes her story. Will this be a quest for revenge or redemption?
But what about the gameplay? Well, it’s a stark departure from its predecessor, but it maintains so much of the spirit of Lost in Random that it makes for a truly incredible experience. While the original was a third-person, card-based action game, Lost in Random: The Eternal Die is a fast-paced, top-down action roguelike—probably most comparable to Hades. However, it’s all the little ways The Eternal Die both reflects its predecessor and differentiates itself that make it incredibly unique.
“The Eternal Die retains the spirit of its predecessor while reimagining nearly every mechanic with impressive creativity and risk.”
Lost in Random: The Eternal Die incorporates the magic cards; however, this time, as Alexandria’s special ability. Players can find other cards throughout their runs, but they’re only ever able to keep one. Deciding whether it’s better to hold on to something safe or risk something a bit more chaotic adds a tense layer to the action. While its predecessor had players rolling their Living Dice as a way of determining how many card points they had per turn, here players use their dice essentially as a random grenade, creating a small area-of-effect attack that does different damage depending on the roll.
Alongside that is the new items system, which is incredibly interesting. After clearing a floor, players can be rewarded with a relic or a pearl. Each item needs to be equipped on a square grid, becoming locked in place once it’s set. Both relics and pearls have coloured symbols in the corners of their squares, with each colour representing a different stat. If players link together three matching types, they receive a stat boost. While relics grant players permanent upgrades for their run, pearls shatter once consumed, allowing players to reslot pearls or relics as the run continues.
So, where players place their relics and pearls adds even more depth to the kind of run they have and genuinely gives the feeling that no two runs are the same. Not only that, it adds a fun bit of chance to the combat, as certain relics can add effects to specific dice rolls. Choosing a relic that offers a safer bonus over one that can deal massive damage every time you roll a six adds a compelling element of risk versus reward.
“There was no denying the original Lost in Random seemed heavily inspired by the early works of Tim Burton, but I was curious what other influences fueled the design team’s creativity.”
But one of the other things that really interested me was Lost in Random: The Eternal Die’s visual style. There was no denying the original Lost in Random seemed heavily inspired by the early works of Tim Burton, but I was curious what other influences fueled the design team’s creativity. To this, Andrist said, “It’s impossible to deny the influence that Tim Burton has had on culture at large, right? But what we try to do is develop our own style.”
He continued, “So we work for a long time in 2D with concept artists, drawing and iterating and developing and meeting with the team in small groups to see what they like. And it just sort of evolves. It’s similar to how the genre selection and gameplay evolve, right?” This ideology really shines through in every moment you play Lost in Random: The Eternal Die—it’s brighter, flashier and certainly creative with its gameplay.
Lost in Random: The Eternal Die definitely shows a lot of promise for the future of the franchise. While the team is solely focused on this game, they seemed open to more entries in the future—whether they be roguelikes, narrative-driven titles or even direct followups to this or its predecessor. It was a surprise to see this series spring back to life, but a welcome one—and hopefully, more adventures can be had in the world of Random.
Lost in Random: The Eternal Die is currently set to release across all platforms in Q2 of 2025, and a demo is available on Steam.
