The Ministry of Lost Things Takes PostCurious in an Episodic Direction

I have a confession to make: I misplace things all the time. That copy of Ship of Theseus I bought that I was saving for a rainy day? Gone. The transparent lock I used for lockpicking practice? Haven’t seen it in years. My Flynn Lives pin, from the Tron Legacy ARG? Fell off my lanyard at last year’s New York Comic Con, never to be seen again. Many of those lost items are easily replaceable: I still don’t know what happened to my original copy of Ship of Theseus, but I currently have a new copy on my shelf. But some items have enough sentimental value that they can’t be replaced…and that’s where the Ministry of Lost Things comes in.

PostCurious’ newest narrative puzzle game, The Ministry of Lost Things, introduces its players to a world where many of the world’s forgotten or misplaced items make their way to the Elusiverse. Most of these items that disappear from our world are easily forgotten, leading to regions of the Elusiverse overflowing with everything from unwanted receipts to abandoned umbrellas. But sometimes, an item charged with sentimental value goes missing. And it’s up to the Ministry’s Department of Returns to bring those items home.

The Ministry of Lost Things: Lint Condition is positioned as the first in a series of games exploring the Elusiverse, and tasks players with locating one particular item with deep sentimental value attached to it, and returning it to our world. The adventure unfolds across a series of four puzzle packets. Solving a series of puzzles will help narrow down where in the Elusiverse the object can be found, why it meant so much to its previous owner, and where to return it.

Ministry of Lost Things is a game that revels in its worldbuilding, and the game’s components manage to transport players into its rich and often pun-laden world. And while each of the game’s four phases leans heavily on logic puzzles to progress, there’s enough variety in execution that no two puzzles feel (or even look) the same. Most “Transmissions” also include at least one explicitly tactile puzzle that served as personal highlights of the experience, for me.

PostCurious always goes above and beyond with the design of their games, but Ministry of Lost Things might have done the best job at creating a new world through its design, with each component imbuing a feeling of childlike wonder to the game. The game’s structure is also particularly satisfying, with each new “Transmission” bringing players closer to the missing object, both physically and emotionally. However, don’t let that childlike art fool you: the puzzles are still fairly complex, so while this game is family friendly and can be enjoyed by younger children following along, the adults might have to do more of the heavy lifting while translating coded languages or untangling the complexities of someone’s schedule.

The game as a whole should take between 2-3 hours to complete, although individual “Transmissions” can be treated as standalone sessions that take around 30-45 minutes each, meaning Ministry of Lost Things can be tackled as a single standalone session, or broken up into separate play sessions. And at $26 for the game through its Kickstarter campaign, this is PostCurious’ most affordable game to date, packing quite a bit into a relatively compact box (similar in size and price to the tarot-centric game, The Light in the Mist).

The most compelling part of The Ministry of Lost Things is its promise of things to come: Lint Condition is framed as the first case in a series of adventures in the Elusiverse, and upon finishing that first installment, I found myself desperate to explore more of its corners…even if that won’t help me find my missing Flynn Lives pin.

Ministry of Lost Things has already reached its funding goal on Kickstarter, and the campaign will run through November 13th with free puzzles released every Friday to give you a taste for the world and its puzzle design. Backers who order a copy before 11am EST on October 18th will also receive a free bonus puzzle as an add-on to their order. You can find past coverage of PostCurious games here, in case you’re considering adding some of their previous games to your order.

Note: ARGNet received a review copy of Ministry of Lost Things.