{"id":136121,"date":"2024-08-06T15:00:48","date_gmt":"2024-08-06T15:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/developer.apple.com\/news\/?id=n4w6zydm"},"modified":"2024-08-06T15:00:48","modified_gmt":"2024-08-06T15:00:48","slug":"behind-the-design-creating-the-make-believe-magic-of-lost-in-play","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2024\/08\/06\/behind-the-design-creating-the-make-believe-magic-of-lost-in-play\/","title":{"rendered":"Behind the Design: Creating the make-believe magic of Lost in Play"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"inline-article-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/behind-the-design-creating-the-make-believe-magic-of-lost-in-play.jpg\" data-img-dark=\"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/behind-the-design-creating-the-make-believe-magic-of-lost-in-play.jpg\" data-hires=\"false\" alt=\"Four animated characters from Lost in Play \u2014 a young girl named Gal, a duck wearing pilot's goggles, a large frog holding a mug of tea, and a gnome with a bushy beard \u2014 float above a picnic blanket in a green field.\"><\/div>\n<p><em>Lost in Play<\/em> is a game created by and for people who love to play make-believe.<\/p>\n<p>The 2024 Apple Design Award (ADA) winner for Innovation is a point-and-click adventure that follows two young siblings, Toto and Gal, through a beautifully animated world of forbidden forests, dark caverns, friendly frogs, and mischievous gnomes. To advance through the game\u2019s story, players complete fun mini-games and puzzles, all of which feel like a Saturday morning cartoon: Before the journey is out, the pair will fetch a sword from a stone, visit a goblin village, soar over the sea on an enormous bird, and navigate the real-world challenges of sibling rivalry. They will also order several pizzas.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p class=\"sosumi margin-top-small\">ADA FACT SHEET<\/p>\n<div class=\"inline-article-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/behind-the-design-creating-the-make-believe-magic-of-lost-in-play-2.jpg\" data-img-dark=\"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/behind-the-design-creating-the-make-believe-magic-of-lost-in-play-2.jpg\" data-hires=\"false\" alt=\"In an animated screenshot from Lost in Play, a young brother and sister stand at the edge of a pond talking to a small green gnome who sits on the back of a giant swan. \"><\/div>\n<h3>Lost in Play<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Winner:<\/strong> Innovation<\/li>\n<li><strong>Team:<\/strong> Happy Juice Games, Israel<\/li>\n<li><strong>Available on:<\/strong> iPhone, iPad<\/li>\n<li><strong>Team size:<\/strong> 7<\/li>\n<li><strong>Previous accolades:<\/strong> iPad Game of the Year (2023)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/lost-in-play\/id6449434958\" class=\"icon icon-after icon-chevronright\">Download Lost in Play<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.happyjuice.games\" class=\"icon icon-after icon-chevronright\">Learn more about Lost in Play<\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Lost in Play<\/em> is the brainchild of Happy Juice Games, a small Israel-based team whose three cofounders drew inspiration from their own childhoods \u2014 and their own families. \u201cWe\u2019ve all watched our kids get totally immersed playing make-believe games,\u201d says Happy Juice\u2019s Yuval Markovich. \u201cWe wanted to recreate that feeling. And we came up with the idea of kids getting lost, partly in their imaginations, and partly in real life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The team was well-equipped for the job. Happy Juice cofounders Markovich, Oren Rubin, and Alon Simon, all have backgrounds in TV and film animation, and knew what they wanted a playful, funny adventure even before drawing their first sketch. \u201cAs adults, we can forget how to enjoy simple things like that,\u201d says Simon, \u201cso we set out to make a game about imagination, full of crazy creatures and colorful places.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"inline-article-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/devimages-cdn.apple.com\/wwdc-services\/articles\/images\/C5348FF9-D75A-4499-AFD7-A8E56F8F758A\/2048.jpeg\" data-img-dark=\"https:\/\/devimages-cdn.apple.com\/wwdc-services\/articles\/images\/C5348FF9-D75A-4499-AFD7-A8E56F8F758A\/2048.jpeg\" data-hires=\"false\" alt=\"A split-screen view. On the left is a screenshot of Lost in Play, showing an undersea scene in which a main character, Toto, is sitting in the belly of a whale with an old man. Beneath them swims his sister, Dot. On the right is an pencil sketch of the scene.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"typography-caption\">\n<p>Toto meets a new friend in the belly of a whale in <em>Lost in Play<\/em>. At right is an early sketch of the scene.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>For his part, Markovich didn\u2019t just have a history in gaming; he taught himself English by playing text-based adventure games in the \u201880s. \u201cYou played those games by typing \u2018go north\u2019 or \u2018look around,\u2019 so every time I had to do something, I\u2019d open the dictionary to figure out how to say it,\u201d he laughs. \u201cAt some point I realized, \u2018Oh wait, I know this language.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"article-quote\">\n<p>The story became a matter of, \u2018OK, a goblin village sounds fun \u2014 how do we get there?\u2019<\/p>\n<p><cite><\/p>\n<p>Yuval Markovich, Happy Juice Games cofounder<\/p>\n<p><\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>But those games could be frustrating, as anyone who ever tried to \u201cleave house\u201d or \u201cget ye flask\u201d can attest. <em>Lost in Play<\/em> was conceived from day one to be light and navigable. \u201cWe wanted to keep it comic, funny, and easy,\u201d says Rubin. \u201cThat\u2019s what we had in mind from the very beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"inline-article-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/behind-the-design-creating-the-make-believe-magic-of-lost-in-play-6.jpg\" data-img-dark=\"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/behind-the-design-creating-the-make-believe-magic-of-lost-in-play-6.jpg\" data-hires=\"false\" alt=\"A split-screen view. At least is a screenshot of Lost In Play, in which four small black birds with glowing blue eyes hold game pieces in their beaks and stand in front of a large bird, while Toto climbs up a limb to reach them.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"typography-caption\">\n<p>Toto must go out on a limb to solve the ravens&#8217; puzzle in this screenshot and early sketch.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>Lost in Play<\/em> may be a linear experience \u2014 it feels closer to playing a movie than a sandbox game \u2014 but it\u2019s hardly simple. As befitting a playable dream, its story feels a little unmoored, like it\u2019s being made up on the fly. That\u2019s because the team started with art, characters, and environments, and then went back to add a hero\u2019s journey to the elements.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe knew we\u2019d have a dream in the beginning that introduced a few characters. We knew we\u2019d end up back at the house. And we knew we wanted one scene under the sea, and another in a maker space, and so on,\u201d says Markovich. \u201cThe story became a matter of, \u2018OK, a goblin village sounds fun \u2014 how do we get there?\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n<div class=\"inline-article-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/behind-the-design-creating-the-make-believe-magic-of-lost-in-play-9.jpg\" data-img-dark=\"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/behind-the-design-creating-the-make-believe-magic-of-lost-in-play-9.jpg\" data-hires=\"false\" alt=\"Early concept sketches of Toto and Gal, showing four different variations of each character alongside the final versions on the right. \"><\/p>\n<div class=\"typography-caption\">\n<p>Early concept sketches show the character design evolution of Toto and Gal.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Naturally, the team drew on their shared backgrounds in animation to shape the game all throughout its three-year development process \u2014 and not just in terms of art. Like a lot of cartoons, <em>Lost in Play<\/em> has no dialogue, both to increase accessibility and to enhance the story\u2019s illusion. Characters speak in a silly gibberish. And there are little cartoon-inspired tricks throughout; for instance, the camera shakes when something is scary. \u201cWhen you study animation, you also study script writing, cinematography, acting, and everything else,\u201d Markovich says. \u201cI think that\u2019s why I like making games so much: They have everything.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"article-quote\">\n<p>The best thing we hear is that it\u2019s a game parents enjoy playing with their kids.<\/p>\n<p><cite><\/p>\n<p>Oren Rubin, Happy Juice games cofounder<\/p>\n<p><\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>And in a clever acknowledgment of the realities of childhood, brief story beats return Toto and Gal to the real world to navigate practical issues like sibling rivalries. That\u2019s on purpose: Simon says early versions of the game were maybe a little too cute. \u201cEarly on, we had the kids sleeping neatly in their beds,\u201d says Simon. \u201cBut we decided that wasn\u2019t realistic. We added a bit more of them picking on each other, and a conflict in the middle of the game.\u201d Still, Markovich says that even the real-world interludes keep one foot in the imaginary world. \u201cThey may go through a park where an old lady is feeding pigeons, but then they walk left and there\u2019s a goblin in a swamp,\u201d he laughs. <\/p>\n<div class=\"inline-article-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/behind-the-design-creating-the-make-believe-magic-of-lost-in-play-11.jpg\" data-img-dark=\"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/behind-the-design-creating-the-make-believe-magic-of-lost-in-play-11.jpg\" data-hires=\"false\" alt=\"A screenshot from Lost in Play that shows Toto in a dark forest with three frogs, one of whom is trying to retrieve a sword from a stone. \"><\/p>\n<div class=\"typography-caption\">\n<p>Strange frogs distributing swords are the basis for one of <em>Lost in Play<\/em>&#8216;s many inventive puzzles.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>On the puzzle side, <em>Lost in Play<\/em>\u2019s mini-games are designed to strike the right level of challenging. The team is especially proud of the game\u2019s system of hints, which often present challenges in themselves. \u201cWe didn\u2019t want people getting trapped like I did in those old adventure games,\u201d laughs Markovich. \u201cI loved those, but you could get stuck for months. And we didn\u2019t want people going online to find answers either.\u201d The answer: A hint system that doesn\u2019t just hand over the answer but gives players a feeling of accomplishment, an incentive to go back for more.<\/p>\n<p>It all adds up to a unique experience for players of all ages \u2014 and that\u2019s by design too. \u201cThe best feedback we get is that it\u2019s suitable for all audiences,\u201d says Rubin, \u201cand the best thing we hear is that it\u2019s a game parents enjoy playing with their kids.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/developer.apple.com\/design\/awards\/\" class=\"icon icon-after icon-chevronright\">Meet the 2024 Apple Design Award winners<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"sosumi margin-top-small\"><em>Behind the Design is a series that explores design practices and philosophies from finalists and winners of the Apple Design Awards. In each story, we go behind the screens with the developers and designers of these award-winning apps and games to discover how they brought their remarkable creations to life.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lost in Play is a game created by and for people who love to play make-believe. The 2024 Apple Design Award (ADA) winner for Innovation is a point-and-click adventure that follows two young siblings, Toto and Gal, through a beautifully animated world of forbidden forests, dark caverns, friendly frogs, and mischievous gnomes. To advance through [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":136125,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-136121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-apple-developer-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136121","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=136121"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136121\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/136125"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=136121"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=136121"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=136121"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}