The Lost Crown

There's a Lovecraft short story entitled "He" that I read recently. As Lovecraft tends to do, he crafts the first-person protagonist after himself: disillusioned with a modern soulless city, seeking the fascination of the past, and confronted with historical horrors. If you (like me) share many of those feelings, then The Lost Crown is for you. If you don't, then you will most likely be bored out of your ever-loving mind.

Much has been said about the slow animations, the amateurish voice acting, the typos in written material, the obtuse puzzles, and the generally clunky dialogue - at least I don't have to go into detail about those anymore. I followed a guide for the most part, right-clicking through 90% of the dialogue and double-clicking on everything in the hopes that (when it felt like it) the game would skip to the next screen. Despite this, I was still listening to constant repetition of the same lines and still watching Nigel meander around for his requisite three slow steps per new screen. The game could have been made in first-person POV with a slideshow design and been so, so much better to play.

But I kept playing, for 15 hours total. When you ignore the opening and closing - which both came across like a bad Syfy channel movie to me - this game and its gorgeous real-world locations evoke so much fascination in me. Strange historical places haunted with dark mysteries and untouched by human hands for years if not generations are my absolute favorite video game locations, and The Lost Crown has those in spades. Honestly, many of the locations really did capture that strange, nothing-sacred aesthetic of the M.R. James stories upon which the game is based; but if you compare "A Warning To The Curious" to The Lost Crown, there's a weird sort of overcomplicated feeling to the latter that really exemplifies where it kind of went wrong in spots. (Also, the story's protagonist is absolutely racked with terror, while Nigel is...well, Nigel. You just have to pretend that you're not on the journey with him and his running commentary soundboard.)

It was hard for me to decide if I wanted to recommend this game or not. I don't think I'll play it again simply because of how tedious it could be, which is why I came to the ultimate conclusion that no, I can't recommend it. It gives a lot of food for thought - at least before it does whatever that was at the end - and there really isn't anything more evocative than poking around some weird old churches and dilapidated buildings that aren't covered with a coat of graffiti like they'd be in real life. But like I said above, if you're not into that kind of atmosphere, you will most likely bounce right off. You have to be willing to dig (not just under a row of fir trees, either). Don't let my review and others like it put you off, but do your research - watch some gameplay, perhaps, and see if you can pick it up on sale as I did. Don't expect to adore it like many do just because it's scary or atmospheric.

A surreal game with its own flaws and glitches.

I would recommend it due to the vast and expansive environment, atmospheric nature, characterization, the spooks and chills, the underlying mystery and the well-planned storylines and hints dropped in the game that point towards a larger background story.

I would absolutely recommend this to those who are into mystery, horror and/or point and click games.

Fabulous game. I loved the story, the interface, the scenery, the voice acting, the music, the puzzles. Nice and long. I used Ulyss3s walkthrough to help with some tough puzzles.

Even though this I originally played this game many years ago, i remember how entertaining it was, especially with the ghost hunting theme. Jonathan Boakes is a talented game developer and has created a very mysterious and atmospheric setting for this game on the southern coast of England. The game is not particularly difficult, but is quite immersive and lots of fun. I'm looking forward to returning to this setting for another ghost hunting adventure.

DEFINITELY and without a doubt one of the Top 10 BEST Games I've ever played! It's got it ALL: Tons of locations, dozens of characters, point n click fun, adventure, detective elements, true mystery, a bit of the occult, ghost hunting tools that actually work, a cozy pub, a beach, a super cuddly fishing coast town!

It really doesn't get any better than this! Everything makes sense, even including the use of the many inventory objects. MASTERPIECE!!!

If we had to knit-pick some of the navigation is a bit Myst like in spots, as in not knowing which way to navigate as the arrows weren't clear or you'd come ini from a different angle. And a couple of the parts were a wee bit confusing, like the maze like woods. There were only a couple of spots like that.

But that's forgivable since the rest of the game is a true joy to play. I wish there were a HOTSPOT indicator and perhaps a map with warp zones. Otherwise still definitely the Top 10 games of all time!!!!! Nearly PERFECT!!!!!

I went for it because it was on sale and has excellent reviews. Unfortunately, it was painful to play and a half-baked plot.

Almost 30 hours later...yes this was a great game that I would play again and AGAIN (once I forget how to do 1/2 of the puzzles).

I started watching a play through from CJUGames and my interest was sparked. I stopped watching his play through so I could experience it myself (then went back once I finished the game). It is a very story intense game, lots and lots of reading, so if that isn't for you then you may want to move on. If you love stories of myth, pagan rituals, magical monsters and various ghostly experiences - this is for you. It has stories of kings and knights, mythical beasts and ghosts...then the occasional cat nappers and demonic family lineages.

I wouldn't call it scary, but it has very creepy moments that can unnerve you - without being a jumpscare. Nigel is annoying, you can't finish this game and not agree with that but you love to hate him and all of the seriously quirky characters that populate Saxton. Aside from the fabulous stories...the town is the biggest character.

I do hope the sequel (whenever we are graced with it) will answer some questions about this time trapped town...but in the meantime we have lots of demos and smaller games (in the same universe) to fill in the time.

best point and click adventure game i played so far . relieving the memories . nigel is kinda slow paced in walking . otherwise the environment evrythingh is top noch spooky . love to collect tapes and using ghost gadgets . but i will request for an upgrade still . i know its an old game but still if nigel could run it will make it easier .

Great eerie atmosphere, the ambient noises were my favorite, please wear headphones.

The game is a bit rough around the edges, and painfully slow at times, but I still think it's a pretty good (and unique) game. It's often on sale for very cheap so it's worth trying if you like p&c adventures, especially ghostly mysteries.

I was enjoying the game until there were mutilated cats... with no trigger warning what so ever. I would NOT have spent time and put money into this game if I knew!

charming, strange game. love the campy voice acting, love the style. a real love project!

A flawed diamond in the rough.
I thoroughly enjoyed my 20 hours in Saxton but definitely without overlooking some quirks. The story itself is really cool, the pace it goes is just right and it unfolds well. The story content and the dialogue though feel a little bit rough, maybe it's because of the voice acting or the fact that some voicelines are reused frequently I'm not sure but it does feel like there's something missing to make the characters feel more than just cardboard cutouts that give you exposition. The graphics surprisingly aged well I think, especially the photo manipulated backgrounds, the 3d models not so much, but the whole monochrome aesthetic really adds to the atmosphere in my opinion, almost making me feel more unease going around. Now the puzzles, they are mostly either a straightforward dialogue or a go here use something puzzle, or a puzzle where you need to remember specific information in order to move forward. Sometimes the information isn't really clear so I had to check hints or a walkthrough just to proceed. Do note two music puzzles towards the end of the game, yes one of them has small hints but I just think any puzzle relying on a player's skill to listening tones isn't really fair. The puzzles I enjoyed more were the ones where I had to use the multiple pieces of information and piecing together the solution like the monolith puzzle in Carrion Woods. I also really enjoyed how much the game utilized Saxton a lot over the course of the game, even the Harbour Cottage where things that happened were relatively straightforward but they put so much into the story, puzzles, and lore that it really did make it feel like the Harbour Cottage was it's own character as well.

Overall. If you are into a slow paced not that scary point and click adventure, with a really nice atmosphere, vibe, and sense of unease while exploring a huge village with quirky characters, and do not mind going through some obtuse puzzles, cheesy dialogue, and some questionable gameplay elements, then this is definitely a recommend.

spoilers: this game bad.

Nigel (Boakes' self-insert, played by him) is borderline regarded and cannot infer anything without seeing it directly placed in front of him. This means the player is constantly aware of puzzle solutions that Nigel is not, until the player stumbles across the exact bizarre, illogical sequence of steps that Boakes wanted you to follow. My personal favorite is the pinecone. This rears its head again and again throughout the game and had me wishing for bad things to happen to the protagonist. My absolute FAVORITE instance of Nigel being incredibly, unreasonably stupid is when the game deliberately does not permit you to go put a valuable in a locked safe with a secret puzzle password (that you know) and requires you to put it in a wooden chest in your bedroom with a small, simple lock. When you get the crown back, you put it in the safe like you should have the first time.

Nigel is also the most awkwardly animated, slothful character I have seen in a very long time. Every animation has the fluid grace of a wounded yak and moves at the pace of a dead one. Probably half of my playtime was spent watching Nigel languidly waddle across the screen to the next empty screen for him to waddle across. No, you cannot skip any of these animations.

The voice acting in this game is painful. Not like charming B-movie bad or early Dracula "is there no light for Dorko" translation bad, but just stilted line readings by actors who either didn't understand their direction/context or didn't bother checking it. It feels like isolated single takes done by people who did not interact with each other at all during the recording process and were not given an actual script or character background. Very middle school theater, or Oblivion mod with voice acting. Nigel alternates between smarmy, bored, and unreasonably aggressive with very little reasoning or emotional intelligence in response to what is happening on screen.

The setting and art direction are fantastic but man, the characters annihilate it. Everyone is (except the kids) awful to interact with and wondrously unhelpful.

The plot starts off very dreary (as all Boakes games do), picks up steam and atmosphere rapidly around the 10hr mark, then just shits all over itself and plops down in the mess to play with it during the rushed final portions. It can best be summarized as an "and then ________ happens" type of plot. I streamed this with friends and we lost our minds when we realized the game was actually ending. Either the money ran out or writers' block hit, but either way the ending sequence is dumber than Nigel.

It became super clear about ten minutes of actual playtime (so like 45 minutes real world) that Boakes sees this as a kind of magnum opus which makes me really disheartened. Dark Fall 1 was fantastic, Dark Fall 2 had a fantastic first half, and Dark Fall Ghost Vigil had some solid moments. Lost Crown petered out. If Blackenrock ever comes out I cannot wait to see 100+ hours of Nigel Danvers' unathletic, awkward model shambling around photographs of a sleepy British town while reading off lines from a rough draft while Boakes figures out how to write in real-time.

Heavy spoilers ahead for questions I was left with:
Why do the ghosts care about cats being killed? Why are the ghosts making food? Why doesn't the pig become a ghost after the ghosts kill him? Why don't the cats come back as ghosts? Is Hardacre actually a ghost like he's implied to be at the start, and if so, did a ghost murdering another ghost cancel out the ghost-level and make him human again? Why did nobody just say "hey man don't grab that crown, it doesn't even do anything cool it just makes the water smell bad"? Why was everyone so profoundly unhelpful and cryptic if they don't want the crown taken? Why was Russet only bound to the church by the crypt spell and not the crown? If the Karstens were actually ghosts, why did Nigel never go back to the farmhouse to look? The farmhouse makes me particularly mad because that was such an overt "hey look something is happening!" plot thread and it was just abandoned. The whole "Gruel is the catnapper" last minute reveal had zero foreshadowing and felt like a random choice too.

Scary and funny at the same time. Love it

This is a great game, The atmosphere is spooky as heck and I don't mind saying playing this at midnight in a dark quite place with no other noise around really got me into the story and boy did i jump out of my skin a few times lo. A great game but i would recommend having a walk through guide by your side incase you get stuck

Yes but with Caveats... if you're familiar with M.R. James ghost stories (particularly "A warning to the curious" then you'll see where this game got a lot of it's inspiration from.

To start with the Cons, I've got a lot of little nitpicks with my one major complaint being a lot of the "puzzles" require 'activations" somewhere else (and often unclear) in order to proceed through the game, and backtracking gets incredibly tedious. I probably made it halfway through the game before I started using a guide. Some of the things just feel arbitrary more than logical. Nitpicks involve "fetch quests", unwieldy inventory, some bad dialogue, and obviously mirrored scenery that just stands out. Also sometimes getting around a specific location with the constant camera angles feels unclear, and you'll spend time moving the mouse around to find the different points you can move to.

Pros: It's better than Mystery of the Druids, and has a compelling enough story to get almost a full 24-hours of play time out of me. I initially wasn't quite sold on the predominantly monochrome setting, but it works especially with the bits of "color pop" interspersed through the scenery.

It's an overall creepy ghost setting that I wish would've gone a little "more". Perhaps worked in more 'threat' and character depth, and more fine-tuning (like cutting down the fens or adding a quick travel for parts). I'm hoping their Blackenrock is a more polished title!

Really fun adventure game and story (I played it back in 2008, glad to see it on Steam).