The year’s most charming adventure brought us into a world powered by childlike imagination—and we never wanted to leave.
—App Store Editors
A tale of two siblings with vivid imaginations, Lost in Play showed us sights we’d never seen before in a point-and-tap adventure. Crisp, hand-drawn graphics that look straight out of a Saturday-morning cartoon sweep you into a land of daydreams, where solving whimsical puzzles helps the brother and sister find their way back to their real-world home.
Take a ride on a giant swan in a park. Help friendly frog people pull a sword from a stone. A colossal fish swallowed your brother? Rescue him by tickling its tummy until it spits him out. In Lost in Play’s made-up world, it feels like absolutely anything can happen.
Navigating unlikely scenarios like these will require outside-the-box thinking—and as with any classic point-and-tap adventure, you’ll sometimes need a nudge. We love how Lost in Play solves that: Its minimalist hint system promotes a childlike sense of discovery by offering only part of each solution, like showing us the first few moves to avoid a menacing bear but leaving the last few for us to figure out ourselves.
Spend enough time in Lost in Play and it might start to color your worldview. Maybe your local park transforms into a lush rainforest, an office complex into an enchanted kingdom. Lost in Play reminds us that fantasies are a vital part of everyday life—and sometimes you just want to get lost in them.
Read more about the 2023 winners
Quick tip
Stuck on the sliding-duck puzzle? So were we! Here’s a clue: Start by moving two ducks to the 25 line and another two to the 50 line.
Fun fact
Toto and Gal, the two siblings in the game, are based on the children of one of the game’s creators. He was inspired to craft Lost in Play after watching his kids play make-believe and get completely immersed in their world.
Meet the creator
Lost in Play is the first game fully developed by Tel Aviv–based indie studio Happy Juice. The team previously collaborated with 11Sheep on the point-and-click adventure The Office Quest.
Watch the video
2023 App Store Award Winners
AllTrails: Hike, Bike & Run
Sức Khỏe & Thể Dục
Honkai: Star Rail
RPG Vũ Trụ Kỳ Ảo
Prêt à Makeup
Đồ Họa & Thiết Kế
Lost in Play
Giải Đố
Photomator – Photo Editor
Ảnh & Video
Lies of P
Hành Động
Apple Arcade
Hello Kitty Island Adventure
Gia Đình
SmartGym: Gym & Home Workouts
Sức Khỏe & Thể Dục
MUBI: Stream Great Cinema
Giải Trí
Pok Pok | Montessori Preschool
Giáo Dục
Proloquo
Giáo Dục
Too Good To Go: End Food Waste
Ẩm Thực
Finding Hannah
Phiêu Lưu
Unpacking
Phổ Thông