One of the mobile games that pleasantly surprised me back in the day was Lost Echo.
Sure, it’s a game that’s been around for over a decade, but you can still grab it from the App Store or Google Play. It’s also available through Google Play Pass (yes, that’s still a thing) via the link above.
Lost Echo paints a dystopian yet eerily believable future, where smart homes and advanced AI systems (think Her, minus the emotional overload) dominate everyday life. Unsurprisingly, real power—and control over knowledge and information—rests in the hands of giant corporations. These companies can make people disappear on a whim and return them whenever and wherever it suits their agenda… if they feel like it.
Enter Greg, the game’s protagonist, who finds himself in the middle of a mysterious accident involving his girlfriend, Chloe. When he wakes up in the hospital, he discovers that no one—literally no one—remembers her existence. Naturally, Greg takes it upon himself to dig deeper, trying to uncover the truth about the accident. Unsurprisingly, what he finds is just the tip of the iceberg—a Pandora’s box of secrets waiting to be unleashed.
Beyond the well-written plot and perfectly paced dialogue (there’s no voice acting, but surprisingly, that didn’t bother me one bit), the game’s environments are visually stunning. While the art style might feel like minimalist cubism bordering on cliché, it’s incredibly effective, perhaps because of its simplicity.
The game engine also deserves a shoutout. It lets you view locations from multiple angles, introduces camera shake and fall effects for added tension, and excels at delivering an atmospheric experience that pulls you in completely.
When it comes to puzzles, most challenges are confined to a few screens, and tapping the screen with two fingers highlights all interactive objects. That said, with the ability to view rooms from different angles, coupled with a good mix of logic puzzles and mini-assembly games, the gameplay stays engaging and challenging.
For those who struggle, there’s an easier mode for less experienced players, as well as a complete walkthrough on the studio’s website. In my own playthrough, I rarely encountered unclear puzzles that felt like a waste of time, which is a huge plus for Lost Echo.
To wrap it up: For around $4.50 (depending on your location), you get a solid 3-4 hours of gameplay at minimum. There’s also a free DLC called Lost Echo: Resonance, which, as far as I can tell, is still a side project with no set release date.
If you’re a fan of atmospheric adventures with a compelling story and clever design, Lost Echo is absolutely worth your time.
