A few years back, I casually mentioned in the comments section of an article I wrote on video game adaptations of Stephen King stories that a Don’t Nod adaptation of “It” would be a dream come true. This thought has resurfaced with the recent buzz about Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, a game developed and self-published by Don’t Nod, expected to make its debut in early 2025. You can’t help but notice its inspiration from King’s classic 1986 novel about the terrifying spider-clown from another dimension and the unlikely heroes who band together to confront it.
Now, I don’t want to come across as smug. I don’t actually think anyone at Don’t Nod has been scouring the internet for inspiration based on my comments. But it is pretty thrilling to have this little nugget of evidence that I might have a knack for predicting or inspiring story-rich adventure games—a genre that’s close to my heart. Plus, with a few years having passed since the It remake hit theaters in 2017-2019, it feels like the perfect time for spiritual successors influenced by that story to emerge.
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage follows a group of four friends across two timelines: their tight-knit teenage years in the ’90s and their early middle-age reunion after almost thirty years apart. Specifically, it’s been 27 years—a nod to “It” perhaps, or just a strangely specific coincidence.
The friends initially parted ways after their typical Xennial coming-of-age experiences were shaken up by the discovery of something mysterious in the woods near their hometown. The exact nature of this mystery remains elusive, with trailers and demos only hinting at it—a strange artifact found at the bottom of a crater, glowing with an eerie purple hue. Draw your own theories from this tantalizing information.
Right now, it’s tricky to spill too much about Lost Records. The marketing strategy has been all about teasing the audience with cryptic references rather than outright revelations. Despite my earlier hunches about the setup, all I can definitively say is that I’m expecting the unexpected when this game launches in two parts in February and March.
Lost Records snugly hits the intersection of my interests, yet it’s only one of several standout games I’m eyeing for early next year. While the early schedule for 2025 isn’t crammed with giant triple-A titles, it’s brimming with slightly smaller releases that are too significant to simply classify as indie.
Take Split Fiction, for instance. This new entry from the collaboration between Hazelight and EA Originals features two authors—one specializing in science-fiction, the other in fantasy—trapped inside a publisher’s AI-generated interpretations of their works. For those who enjoy playing with a partner, Hazelight’s latest offering is a reminder that couch co-op isn’t dead, combining genres in a way that’s bound to offer fresh experiences.
Other notable upcoming releases include Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 in February, a sought-after sequel that brings us back to the gritty reality of medieval chivalry. March promises Two Point Museum, a zany civic management game, while April will introduce The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy, a tactics game born from the minds behind Danganronpa and Zero Escape. This variety gives a glimpse into the diverse scope of offerings on the horizon.
Some years are dominated by marquee triple-A games, while others celebrate indie gems. If 2025 shapes up to provide a plethora of fascinating double-A titles that cater to different gaming niches, I doubt we’ll hear any complaints from the community.
