Confetti’s Cozy Corner: Lost & Found Co. – a whimsical hidden object gem
Lost & Found Co is a whimsical gem in the hidden object game genre that combines wholesome, relaxing but challenging game mechanics.
You play as Ducky, a duck turned human who now works as an unpaid intern at Goddess Mei’s startup Lost and Found business! The Goddess’s powers have been dwindling throughout the years due to the decreasing popularity of her shrine. So in order to increase the shrine’s popularity and be an asset in the community, she begins a business to help the quirky townsfolk find lost items that are dear to them.
Each area of the game is vibrant and full of life. The townsfolk and other spirits you run into have fun personalities that will put a smile on your face. The game mechanics are straight forward: find the hidden item by clicking on it and if you cannot find it hints are provided to give the general location of where to find it.
The environment of each map invites you to interact with everything you see and it is highly encouraged to do so to see what reaction you may get. Some maps are more challenging than others and if you cannot find everything, it is okay to leave, go solve another map and return with a new focus!
While I often found all of the mandatory items to clear a map, the optional objects did provide a lot of challenge, where sometimes I had to leave and move on. If you see anything that’s glitching or in black and white, make sure you click it and capture it! It will be an asset for more challenging maps.
The balance between easy and challenging maps is done well, and overall still provides a comforting experience.
While Ducky and Goddess are on a mission, a core theme throughout the story is serving one’s community and how being a ‘villager’ really helps grow the village. Taking from the common phrases ‘it takes a village’ and ‘rising tides raise all ships’, the emphasis on community in this game shines through in a whimsical, comforting and sometimes comedic way. Every personality, Duck and Goddess encounter are unique and everyone is worthy of help!
There is a large corporation who has their eyes on the park where Goddess’s shrine resides, so naturally Duck and Goddess will have to do their part to being a pillar in the community to stop this takeover from happening, but with the power of community, you can overcome anything.
The story is fun and at times can strike in the feels if you come from a place that has a strong community and uplifts everyone.
This is a game that, in addition to PC and MacOS, would also do well on iOS and Android. Maybe one day we will see Lost & Found Co. on handheld platforms!
The overall game play time to get through the story is four to five hours with a good number of puzzles to solve in between. Lost & Found Co. is a beautifully well crafted, colorful and immersive hidden object adventure that I encourage all who love cozy puzzle games to play.
Lost & Found Co is $17.99 on Steam and is compatible on MacOS.
Rating: 10/10
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