Lost In The Open

About

Lost In The Open is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Black Voyage Games and was released on September 26, 2025. It received very positive reviews from players.

A demanding roguelike tactical RPG, where every fight and decision revolves around YOU. You are King Nrvesk, despot of Ruedome. Your reign was bloody, oppressive, and unjust, but was brought to an end by your neighbouring ruler, Boros II of Stratha. Under the pretence of a diplomatic meeting, an attempt on your life was made as you sat across a man you once considered an ally. Narrowly, you esc…

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Single-Player

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91%

Audience ScoreBased on 47 reviews

gameplay6 positive mentions

atmosphere3 negative mentions

The game features rich and intricate combat mechanics that provide a satisfying tactical experience.
The story and atmosphere are well above average, offering a fresh take on the dark medieval setting.
There is significant replayability due to diverse character classes, abilities, and the impact of player choices on the narrative.

The game suffers from balancing issues, with many players finding it overly difficult even on lower settings.
There are several quality of life improvements needed, such as better inventory management and clearer indicators for unit positioning.
The game feels incomplete, with only the first act available and various bugs affecting gameplay, leading to frustration.

gameplay
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
36%
21%
The gameplay is highlighted by its intricate and satisfying combat mechanics, which require strategic thinking and offer a rewarding challenge, especially on higher difficulty levels. While the combat is well-received, players express a desire for more diverse non-combat events and exploration mechanics. Overall, the gameplay loop is engaging, though some balancing and additional content could enhance the experience further.
- “The truly exceptional part of this game is the combat mechanics - they are rich and intricate, with a satisfying relationship between level-up choices and what happens on the battlefield.”
- “The combat mechanics are well thought out and really made me pause and think instead of just mindlessly clicking — which I appreciate.”
- “The gameplay loop is fun, the balance is getting there (at least, it did improve between the demo and early access), and overall the gameplay itself is good - when it works.”
- “I quite often play on the hardest difficulty after learning the mechanics for 3 or 4 hours, but there's no way I'm doing that here as it seems near impossible.”
- “Outside of combat, most non-battle events are currently text-based, and while they’re interesting, it’d be great to see more diverse non-combat missions or exploration mechanics in future updates.”
- “Quite difficult even on the easiest difficulty, but once you grasp the mechanics, it becomes much easier.”
story
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The game's story is praised for its engaging premise of a king navigating enemy territory after a failed assassination, with impactful choices that affect the narrative. While the atmosphere and smaller story elements are well-received, the current text-based events suffer from typos and inconsistencies, indicating that the story is still a work in progress. Overall, players are optimistic about the potential for a richer narrative experience as the game develops.
- “Story and atmosphere are well above average - I've played about a dozen tactics games with a 'dark' medieval setting, and this one still felt quite fresh.”
- “Next is the story; the basic concept of a king who survived a botched assassination attempt in a foreign land and must make it home through enemy territory is great for this type of game.”
- “In most of these encounters, you have a choice that can drastically change the outcome of these scenarios and have positive and negative effects on your own story.”
- “As part of that incomplete state, the story text has a lot of typos; there are even a couple of situations where the number of certain supplies that you are giving up as a story option doesn't match the number stated in the text.”
- “In this case, the story is not really here yet, but from the event dialogue, you get a sense that not only will it be there eventually, but it won't be an afterthought.”
- “I would like to bring our past units into the next phase of the story, be it in the next game or DLC, or just a regular update if the devs decide to extend past the current ending.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with users noting its fresh take on the dark medieval setting and the beautiful music that enhances the overall tone. The combination of art and sound creates a unique and innovative experience, contributing to a compelling mix of challenge and style.
- “Overall, Lost in the Open delivers a great mix of challenge, atmosphere, and style.”
- “I particularly appreciate the atmosphere that the music and art give to the game, making it unique and innovative.”
- “The music is beautiful and fits perfectly with the game’s tone — it really helps build the atmosphere.”
- “Story and atmosphere are well above average - I've played about a dozen tactics games with a 'dark' medieval setting, and this one still felt quite fresh.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
50%
Players generally find the replayability of the game to be promising, with many expressing hope for future enhancements. The variety of events contributes to a satisfying experience, making it a worthwhile investment for those looking for engaging content. Overall, the game shows good potential for replayability, especially for its price point.
- “I would say the replayability is pretty good on this one.”
- “I have only touched the game for one day but think the replayability is pretty good; events are not few, and it was well worth the 14 dollars I spent on it!”
- “Amazing game, truly! For now, it's short and sweet; I hope we get some replayability in the future.”
- “Amazing game, truly. For now, it's short and sweet; I hope we get some replayability in the future.”
- “That is probably enough said about the challenge; next, I want to discuss replayability.”
graphics
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The graphics are praised for their fantastic artwork and appealing aesthetics, contributing to an enjoyable overall vibe. While the visuals are generally pleasant, some users feel that the audio design could benefit from additional tracks.
- “The artwork is fantastic.”
- “The graphics are rather pleasant, and I enjoy the audio design, even if it's desperately in need of more tracks.”
- “Good vibe and aesthetics.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and perfect alignment with the game's tone, significantly enhancing the atmosphere and immersion. Reviewers highlight how the combination of music and art contributes to a unique and innovative experience as the story unfolds.
- “The music is beautiful and fits perfectly with the game’s tone — it really helps build the atmosphere.”
- “The music and art add authenticity and make the game feel immersive as the story unfolds.”
- “I particularly appreciate the atmosphere that the music and art give to the game, making it unique and innovative.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, with players experiencing drastic frame rate drops, particularly in busy areas like shops, where performance can plummet from 800 frames per second to as low as one during transactions.
- “The game has some surprising performance issues that saw me going from 800 frames per second to, in shops, gradually decaying down to one frame as I engaged in more transactions.”
- “Optimization is severely lacking, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
- “I experienced significant lag and slowdowns, especially in crowded areas, which made the game frustrating to play.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate a lack of confidence in the game's stability, with users expressing concerns that it may remain a "buggy mess" under the current development team.
- “I'm just not confident in this game ending up as anything but a buggy mess, at least in the hands of the current developers.”