The year is 1964, six years after the events of This Bed We Made. You reclaim the role of Sophie, now a stewardess on the 3rd floor of a transatlantic ship known as the Orpheus. With new colleagues, a new manager, gossip magazines, and a slick new hairstyle, life is back to being simple. Or so it seemed. Personal effects have reportedly been stolen on the ship, and it is up to you to don your snooping cap once more and uncover the mystery thief in this short standalone DLC, Lost & Found: A This Bed We Made Story.
A Quick Disclaimer
You don’t need to have played the original game (This Bed We Made), but it helps. You play as the same character, Sophie Roy, with some parts of the storyline referencing the previous game you may be otherwise unaware of.
Lore anyone?
Lowbirth Games made the smart decision to link both stories. At the start of Lost & Found, you will be asked how you left the ending of This Bed We Made. This will have a roll-on effect on the gameplay. For example, if you chose to romance one of the acolytes from This Bed We Made (Beth & Andrew), the letter in your locker will be from said love interest, and you will be unable to romance your colleague in Lost & Found. It is a great way to continue Sophie’s development, and leaves your story open to hopefully more adventures in the future!
Design Time Capsule
The Orpheus’ interior design is pleasant. The staff room is basic, with seating, a dining area, a kitchen and a locker room. It has everything staff would need, but it’s much cosier than what you see at the Clarington Hotel from This Bed We Made. We are only permitted to see the 3rd floor of the ship beyond the staff area, similar to its predecessor, where we only get to see the 5th floor of the hotel, except for the foyer and staff areas. We move from bold, saturated hues to more earthy tones, with walls in a muted olive green and walnut wood panelling beneath. Ivy sits along the trellis screens that decorate some walls and door frames.
There aren’t many rooms to contend with, but they are definitely better designed than in This Bed We Made. Some are larger than others, but each typically contains a bedroom, a lounge and a bathroom. The belongings you get to rifle through show the distinct differences in each guest’s life.
The room decor is also important to note. Rather than hotel rooms that are very similar in design to one another, the rooms we see in Lost & Found: A This Bed We Made Story have more personality. Some rooms are bright and airy whilst others are moody with soft shadows.
You have your own staff area on the 3rd floor, where you make drinks, place collected glasses and cups, pick up telegrams and check if any guests have pressed their call buzzer. It’s an open space without doors, of similar muted design to the hallway. It’s much smaller than the staff area in the basement of the Clarington, which is preferable, as we also cannot run in this DLC.
Living the Dream
So what are your jobs in Lost & Found: A This Bed We Made Story? Clean towels off the floor, make the beds, clean any stains, collect cups and replace towels in the bathroom. It’s very similar to what you did at the Clarington Hotel, except you have a couple of new chores added: delivering telegrams and making drinks.
There is a beverage station in the staff room where you will find coffee and hot water dispensers, sugar and tea bags. You will make beverages to the guests’ liking and deliver them to their rooms, along with any telegrams that land on the small work desk near the drinks station. And of course, let’s not forget, snooping. Except this time, your manager and colleague know you are prying, since you are tasked with sniffing out the guilty guest swiping personal effects.
Cleaning is much more efficient in this DLC than in This Bed We Made. Wiping stains is more seamless, automatically moving to the next stain, particularly in bathtubs where you had to move to the next mark manually. Making the beds is also smoother, using a steady upward pull rather than tugging up and sideways and occasionally needing a couple of attempts.
The Characters
In contrast to the main game, you don’t have an acolyte in Lost & Found: A This Bed We Made Story. In fact, other than the start and the end of this story, you don’t have much of anything to do with your manager or colleagues (of which you only actually meet and talk with one). Instead, you connect more with the guests, providing drinks, having conversations and giving advice. This also adds an air of apprehension as you wait until a guest has left their room before you can snoop through their belongings.
Sophie explains at the beginning of this expansion that the Orpheus is more welcoming and friendly than the Clarington, but you don’t really get to experience this for yourself. The interactions with others are quite short, which doesn’t let these supposed blossoming relationships feel the same. You just have to take Sophie’s word for it.
Sophie’s movement is much more fluid than in This Bed We Made, where the character was stiff and slow. The animations are more natural, showing clear improvement in Lowbirth Games’ development. Unfortunately, some animations still fall short, such as when a character is crying, it is easy to see there is little emotion on their face. There are no tears, even if they’re wiping their eyes. However, the characters already show noticeable improvement, suggesting Lowbirth Games will likely keep improving in these areas.
Actions Speak Louder Than Words
Victoria Diamond returns to reclaim the voice of Sophie in Lost & Found: A This Bed We Made Story, which is great to see (or hear). If this series continues, it would be great to have Victoria stay in Sophie’s role as it suits her well.
Lowbirth Games have also clearly heard and listened to those who have played their previous game, This Bed We Made, as dialogue is now skippable! Meaning, if you are a fast reader, get impatient with game dialogue or are replaying, you can now skip through any points otherwise monotonous.
What Is Lost CAN Be Found
Lost & Found: A This Bed We Made Story is a great short expansion. Gameplay and visual effects have clearly improved since This Bed We Made. Continuity is palpable, with the same voice actor and character development for the main protagonist, making it a worthy addition. However, it may feel a little short to immerse you in the story fully as a newcomer.
Lowbirth Games have improved their overall development skills with this standalone DLC and have shown that they take player feedback seriously. The ending of this expansion has left Sophie’s story open to more adventures, and perhaps the return of an acolyte.
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S
Developers: Lowbirth Games
Publishers: Lowbirth Games
Played On: Steam
Code Provided By: PressEngine
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