
There’s something to be said about the power of telling a story through the environment, utilising details and objects to portray a simple narrative in a more tactile way than simple text or dialogue. What would it be like, then, if this kind of storytelling was attempted in a digital environment? Using pictures and smartphone apps to provide that same kind of context? A Normal Lost Phone aims to provide that kind of experience, but it unfortunately comes up short, wasting the potential that exists in such an interesting premise.
Gameplay is centered around the concept of you having just found a lost phone, and your job is to root around in it to deduce how to find the owner. There’s no instruction or direction to speak of, just an unlocked smartphone filled with the various tidbits of a person’s life. Through piecing together disparate fragments of information from a variety of sources, you gradually ‘unlock’ more of the phone as you learn passwords, which then gives way to more information. For example, the phone is initially disconnected from Wi-Fi, and the only available network requires a password. One of the texting conversations contains a reference to the password, which can then be inferred from a string of information you find elsewhere in the phone.

That ‘Aha!’ moment when you figure out another important piece of info that gives you access to another portion of the phone is quite satisfying, and there’s plenty of those moments scattered throughout, but the pacing of the overall puzzle is far too uneven. Most of the time, it’s a simple matter of trial and error mixed in with some basic deduction techniques to find the way forward, but we ran into a few walls that brought the experience to a screeching halt. In hindsight, the solutions to these problems made some sense, but they assumed the player would take large leaps in logic that were hardly reasonable. When there are sufficient hints to subtly point you towards where you should look next, the sleuthing can be fun and engaging, but when there aren’t, it quickly becomes monotonous and frustrating.
While searching for clues, you naturally browse through lots of random information about the phone’s owner, and this is where the meat of the story comes in. It’s remarkable how well the developers can craft meaningful characters out of chat conversations and screenshots, there are many instances where the little details and nuances of how a person communicates are nailed perfectly. Unfortunately, there are just as many instances where the writing falls flat. All too often, conversations feel rigid and set up, and it doesn’t take very long for it to become glaringly obvious that the developers are pushing an agenda. While this is certainly a unique and creative way of going about it, there are a few too many moments where the ham-fisted preachiness gets overbearing, and the story gives way to cliché and unrealistic portrayals of conversation.

From a presentation perspective, A Normal Lost Phone does a decent job of emulating the environment of a mobile operating system, though it lacks the polish and detail to make it convincing. There is a relatively sizable soundtrack of acoustic guitar pieces, cleverly controlled through the phone’s music app, though the music feels disconnected from the overall experience, and has a strange presence as you browse. It’s also painfully obvious that this game was not designed for a game console at all; playing in horizontal mode displays a smartphone screen flanked by two bars of static patterns that change depending on the app you have open. Fortunately, you can play the game with your Switch held vertically, and the touch controls are naturally a much better option than navigating with a stick.
Another key point that bears mentioning is the almost total lack of replay value present in A Normal Lost Phone. It’ll take you an hour (maybe two) to see everything this game has to offer, and there’s not much else you can do beyond that. Data can be wiped and you can start over, but then the experience loses its whole point. Granted, this isn’t as much of an issue given the low price point, but just bear in mind that this is the kind of game you’ll play once for a short while and then delete it for good.
Conclusion
A Normal Lost Phone is a tough game to recommend. The concept is intriguing and there’s a genuinely interesting narrative at the center of the experience, but it’s all so fraught by poor execution and mediocre presentation that we can hardly suggest you pick this one up. You could do a whole lot worse for three bucks, but you’re also getting exactly what you pay for and nothing more. If you have some credit leftover in your account from another eShop purchase and feel like distracting yourself with a mildly entertaining adventure game, this one may be worth a look, but you’d best take a pass.
Comments 30
Yeah, it didn't look good from what I saw of it.
Looks awful, why doesn't reviews ever say how much it costs?
Looks like an interesting concept, but see this working better on an actual phone to further the immersion. Also, not keen on people pushing their agendas in entertainment.
@Bunkerneath I agree, very often I've to go off searching for a € price.
The premise seems smart, even for someone like me who doesn't really dig games that are strictly narrative-based. Too bad the execution seems to fall short.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE @Bunkerneath Didn't they use to have the prices at the top where it says "System" "Publisher" etc ages ago? Or maybe I'm imagining it.. because they should go there.
@Shellcore Could of worked out more if they allowed it to play in portrait/vertical mode. Like holding a big phone.
Not that it would of made the narrative any better..
@XenoShaun Sometimes it's there. It's not that bad though, if you click on the "overview" tab at the top, more often than not, there's a price there.
Argh, so much wasted potential... >_<
I believe that game was developed in 3 days during a contest of some sort. Should have never been released on a console as it used to be available for free in the form of a website.
If you're interested in this (as I am), do check other reviews, it's been favourably received by almost every other one I can find - not to say this review is wrong (subjective opinions yadda yadda), but shop around. I'm probably still going to pick it up based on other reviews.
As side-note, I do find it interesting when people complain about games "pushing agendas." All games push agendas. It's a creative field. Particularly with narrative-heavy games like this, there'd be no point to it if it didn't have something it wanted to say. Funny how people only seem to complain about it when its not an agenda they personally subscribe to.
@XenoShaun Yes. A clear miss there.
I have to disagree with the reviewer on this one. I played it on Steam not too long ago and I found the premise intriguing and the narrative quite enjoyable for the couple of hours that it lasted. Short and sweet and definitely worth the asking price, in my opinion.
@XenoShaun @Shellcore This sentence from the review seems to suggest that you can play the game that way:
"Fortunately, you can play the game with your Switch held vertically, and the touch controls are naturally a much better option than navigating with a stick."
@Kochambra Oh thats good. Must of missed that. Shame how it still turned out though. At least judging by the review.
We don't need shovelware on SWITCH. . . Plz tell Nintendo.. .
I bought this for a buck last year on iOS and could not agree more with the reviewer here... great review!
Watched Jacksepticeye play this a while back. These types of games belong on PC. There's no textile feedback, and the text-heavy nature is better suited to that platform imo.
@Bunkerneath Because how much a game costs has nothing to do with its quality, which is what the review covers. Cost is an essential factor for a purchasing decision, of course, but being more affordable shouldn't be confused with being better.
It definitely is short and does not feature a lot of actual gameplay, so I can understand it's not for everyone.
Still, I thought the game was very well-written, and I largely disagree with the review. Granted, I played it on a phone, not on a Switch, but I doubt it changes much.
eh, maybe i'll give it a try.
I played this on my phone last year and it was only £1. It was an interesting experience, but £5.49 is too much for what little content there is.
"You could do a whole lot worse for three bucks"
Except it's six bucks? Or is it on sale?
Never crossed my mind as a good game.
“No Signal” That is great! 😂
@Bunkerneath
From the conclusion of the review "You could do a whole lot worse for three bucks, but you’re also getting exactly what you pay for and nothing more."
I was kinda interested in this title. Looked promising for me and my GF to play it together for a little thrill. Thought its like a storybased thrilling game.
This is actually an intriguing, clever little game. It's arty, indie and sweet. It's not so much of a game as an experience (browsing through someone else's private conversations is a strange feeling). Worth giving it a try for anyone intrigued by the premise, specially at this price. Totally disagree with this review! And so do most people - just look at Metacritic for this game on all platforms!
Big blank borders on the side, no attempt made to make it work on a Switch or TV screen, this is just mobile phone shovelware and about as lazy as it gets.
Do not listen to this review. I could not disagree more. Other reviews online are much more positive. Look at other reviews online if you are interested in the games concept. I thoroughly enjoyed this game. Its a 9/10. Only downside is that its short, but thats fine due to the low price point.
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