A Normal Lost Phone

At a certain point it starts to feel really not OK that you’re interfering in this person’s life. You can send unfinished emails, and, well, worse, and I love that it includes this. Because at that point you really start to ask questions about what you’re doing here, and at that point the game becomes something more, something bigger than just a narrative you’re experiencing – it crosses over into feeling a teensy bit real. I love those moments. It’s to A Normal Lost Phone’s credit that it achieves this.

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.

A Normal Lost Phone is a short experience that is different from the other games currently available on Nintendo Switch that you should definitely check out. The story is very compelling, even if the overall game feels a tad wrong since it's us invading the privacy of Sam, but it's certainly worth your time and money.

Emotional, alluring, and compelling from start to finish, A Normal Lost Phone is a phenomenal visual novel that takes full advantage of Nintendo Switch in a creative way, while telling a story with a genuinely powerful message. The investigative elements are gripping and require a sincere attention to detail, and the soundtrack is appropriately atmospheric for mobile phone sleuthing. The short length might be off-putting for some, but it does lend itself to a well-paced experience and the title is cheap enough to justify the time spent playing. A Normal Lost Phone is a wonderful story with heart, and an excellent example of interactivity within the medium.

I don’t mean to downplay the message that A Normal Lost Phone carries, and I can’t understate how important it is that this game exists and the awareness that it will raise. But, it also shows that there is a continued need to experiment with how we explore the power of storytelling in video games, with room for improvement in whatever the developer has planned next.

There are not many games in this world that I can say actually made me grow as a person, but A Normal Lost Phone is definitely one of those titles.

It is an interesting experience that made me reflect on 2 serious topics and learn more about one of them.

______________________ “snooping and investigation will lead you through the story but the ending will be hit or miss

A Normal Lost Phone does a lot of things right: unlocking story bits is interesting, the phone premise pays off, and the atmosphere sells Sam's character. Seeing such delicate subject matter in a game is nice, but the end game felt a bit preachy without offering anything too helpful. I would definitely play another phone-snooping game with more surprises in the story as I wasn't blown away by any revelations here.

When my time with A Normal Lost Phone was finished, I had to digest it all. I was left with no more questions; the game does a good job of wrapping things up. But it's the kind of game that lingers with you, and it's one I imagine will remain with me for some time.