Don't get lost

About

Don't get lost is a single player and multiplayer casual simulation game. It was developed by Michael Hutcheon and was released on February 1, 2023. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

A procedurally-generated, open-world, first-person colony sim. Build colonies in an infinite world, alone or with friends via Steam or self-hosted multiplayer.

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79%

Audience ScoreBased on 370 reviews

graphics10 positive mentions

grinding6 negative mentions

The game offers a unique blend of crafting and automation mechanics, providing a surprisingly deep experience for a free game.
Playing with friends enhances the fun, making it a great social experience despite its rough edges.
The game has a charming low-poly aesthetic and a relaxing soundtrack that complements the gameplay.

The UI is confusing and poorly designed, making navigation and crafting cumbersome.
Building mechanics can be frustrating and unintuitive, leading to a steep learning curve.
The game suffers from bugs and performance issues, which can detract from the overall experience.

graphics
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
66%
8%
The graphics of the game are generally described as low-poly and simplistic, with some players appreciating their charm while others criticize their lack of detail and optimization issues. Many reviews note that while the visuals may not be stunning, they complement the gameplay mechanics, and the game is playable on lower-end PCs. However, there are frequent mentions of bugs and performance issues, particularly when adjusting graphics settings, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “On max graphics, the game looks beautifully minimalistic.”
- “The game's art style is also worth mentioning.”
- “The unity style graphics may seem simple at first glance, but they have a certain charm that grows on you.”
- “There can be large frame lag spikes on higher graphics quality, while the world can feel empty with its limited number of animals.”
- “Cant get better graphics without the water reflection which lags out the game on lower-end PCs and it's unplayable; I would give 1 star if there was a star rating system.”
- “The graphics are extremely low quality, and the controls aren't really anything to write home about either, but the gameplay is super interesting.”
gameplay
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
61%
9%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by its unique building and automation mechanics, which, while initially challenging to grasp, offer surprising depth and creativity once mastered. Players appreciate the relaxed sandbox environment and the innovative resource gathering system, although some express frustration with the building controls and UI. Overall, the game is seen as enjoyable and engaging, despite its low-poly graphics and occasional bugs.
- “A silly game that has some surprising depth after about 2 hours of gameplay.”
- “Its unique resource gathering mechanics, automation features, and building style make for an experience that's both relaxing and challenging.”
- “Interesting automation and colony mechanics where you build towns for settlers to live in that will work workstations to craft your items, and you can build free-form Rube Goldberg contraptions that move items with gravity-powered gutters.”
- “I can see potential for this game, but it seems to focus too heavily on its colony simulation rather than making the player's gameplay better.”
- “Really annoying building system, keybinds, gameplay, and music.”
- “A revamp of the menu would make the game look better (but to be honest, I also hate making UI). I didn't like the building mechanic; it was really hard to grasp and the paths were confusing.”
music
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
58%
21%
The music in the game is described as minimalistic and catchy, creating a laid-back atmosphere that complements the gameplay. However, many users find the soundtrack repetitive and annoying over time, with some expressing a desire for more variety. Overall, while the music enhances the relaxing experience for some, it can quickly become a drawback for others.
- “Sweet minimalism music.”
- “One of the best games I have ever played. If you are looking for a relaxing time and industry building, this game is just for you. The soundtrack is just amazing.”
- “This game is better than the last 6 AAA games I've played recently, and the soundtrack really hits just right.”
- “Really annoying building system, keybinds, gameplay, and music.”
- “I'm not sure why the music changes when going to max performance mode, however lol.”
- “I hope better/different music gets added soon; the one song gets pretty annoying.”
humor
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by its quirky mechanics, such as players embodying semi-immortal gods and experiencing amusing graphical bugs, like NPC heads detaching and floating away. Many users find the game entertaining, especially when played with friends, despite acknowledging the presence of bugs that often add to the comedic experience. Overall, the game successfully blends humor with gameplay, making it a fun and lighthearted experience.
- “The funny part, I would say, is how we're just a semi-immortal god that does not require food or warmth to survive.”
- “I made a funny town and then got raided by shadow demons that are supposed to be zombies.”
- “There are even a couple of humorous graphical bugs, such as the NPCs' heads slowly becoming detached from their bodies and floating away, but other than looking funny, it has no effect on gameplay.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with players reporting severely unoptimized performance, including low frame rates and lag spikes, particularly when AI pathfinding is involved. The user interface is described as nearly unreadable, and the overall graphics are deemed subpar, leading to a frustrating experience that detracts from gameplay. Many users express hope for future optimizations to improve performance and usability.
- “I'm left wondering if the crafting system was a design choice or an optimization to reduce latency for the application of the crafting system.”
- “Could be pretty fun if you want to endure the 12 frames per second; hope this gets some optimization and I'll give it another go, but until then, I'll pass for now.”
- “Biggest downside at the moment is the performance; me and my friends played for about 2-3 hours and we found that if the AI can path a really long way, it can really spike the lag.”
- “The nearly unreadable UI, the haphazard and inconvenient controls, item selection, and placement method, the terrible graphics (I think even Angband has more appealing graphics), the ridiculously unoptimized performance, the unnavigable terrain, the really tedious gathering of 100 million logs to get started on anything, the enemies ganging up on you before you even had the time to craft a single tool, and the going back to a horrible start menu that would make Windows 95 cringe once you realize this map is terminally flawed...”
- “Could be pretty fun if you want to endure the 12 frames per second. Hope this gets some optimization and I'll give it another go, but until then, I'll pass for now.”
- “Biggest downside at the moment is the performance. My friends and I played for about 2-3 hours and found that if the AI can path a really long way, it can really spike the lag. Also, the ability to accidentally place paths inside of each other meant there were a lot of extra polygons being loaded.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, primarily due to the cumbersome crafting system and inefficient controls. The need to gather excessive resources, coupled with a poorly designed user interface and unoptimized performance, contributes to a sense of monotony and annoyance in gameplay. Overall, the grinding experience feels more like a chore than an engaging part of the game.
- “Regardless, the crafting system feels tedious having to cycle items in and out over and over again to craft different items.”
- “The nearly unreadable UI, the haphazard and inconvenient controls, item selection, and placement method, the terrible graphics (I think even Angband has more appealing graphics), the ridiculously unoptimized performance, the unnavigable terrain, the really tedious gathering of 100 million logs to get started on anything, the enemies ganging up on you before you even had the time to craft a single tool, the going back to a horrible start menu that would make Windows 95 cringe once you realize this map is terminally messed up...”
- “Farming is like work.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
60%
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with users reporting significant bugs in the multiplayer experience, including inventory issues and visibility problems with objects placed by other players. While some players have found improved performance after upgrading their hardware, others have criticized the user interface as confusing and prone to glitches. Overall, the game appears to have stability issues that detract from the experience.
- “After upgrading my aging relic of a PC, it runs great and is extremely fun.”
- “The game is bug-free.”
- “The stability of the game is impressive, providing a smooth and enjoyable experience.”
- “Multiplayer is very buggy and almost unplayable; inventory items can be lost, and objects placed by other players may or may not appear for you.”
- “On the first point, the UI is not only unfriendly, but it can also be buggy at times.”
- “The menus are confusing and unattractive, and there are some duplication glitches.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a laid-back vibe supported by a catchy yet repetitive soundtrack, which some players find lacks the engaging quality of other titles like Minecraft, leading to a perception of boredom.
- “The soundtrack is catchy yet repetitive, with a laid-back vibe that perfectly complements the game's relaxed atmosphere.”
- “It's just that it's quite boring and doesn't really have that atmosphere like Minecraft.”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The story is praised for its uniqueness and impactful moral, emphasizing resilience and the unpredictability of life. Players appreciate how it intertwines with the stunning graphics, enhancing the overall experience.
- “The graphics are stunning and the story is unique.”
- “The moral of the story is that you never know what life holds in store for you. If I had given up when all the odds were stacked against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”