In the world of gaming where everything is going more and more digital, it’s always refreshing to see more focus on the physical forms of gaming media. Today Lost In Cult, known for its art books, has officially entered the physical publishing business starting with 3 titles.

This new publishing arm will focus on high quality prints with the game fully printed on each disc. The company has teamed with DoesItPlay?, a social media brand known for testing games and ensuring they work straight from the disc. No downloads will be required and the games can be played offline.

Each game will have 2 editions, a mass retail release and a “premium editions” which they say are low print (1,000-5,000 units), high quality collector editions. To start the company has partnered with 3 games to start.

• Thank Goodness You’re Here! (Nintendo Switch/PlayStation 5) – a BAFTA-nominated comedy adventure
• IMMORTALITY (PlayStation 5) – a critically acclaimed interactive film, winner of BAFTA’s Best Narrative
• The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow (Nintendo Switch) – a folk horror standout, nominated by PC Gamer for Game of the Year

The game’s distribution will be handled by PM Studio and the retail versions will be available online and at brick-and-mortar stores. The premium editions will be available exclusively at https://www.lostincult.co.uk/. The pricing is £59.99 for the retail editions and around £170 for the more expensive editions.

What Comes In A Premium Edition?

The highly limited premium editions will be packed with goodies you’d expect in a collectors edition.

• Exclusive outer slipcase with original commissioned artwork.
• Variant cover for the retail case inside.
• Developer signature card and a set of art cards.
• Fold-out poster and collector’s checklist.
• Custom sticker.
• A prestige booklet edited by acclaimed Edge Magazine alum Chris Schilling, including developer interviews and analytical essays.
• All-new artwork across packaging and even the mailer box – with three designs rotated seasonally.

As part of the announcement Ryan Brown, the Head of Publishing at Lost In Cult had this to say:

“We’re being bold. I can unashamedly say we set out to create a new standard for physical games, and this is a multi-faceted mission. Our EDITIONS are designed to preserve not just the game, but the story and artistry behind its creation. At the same time, our retail releases ensure no one is locked out of owning great games physically, giving everyone a chance to play their favourites for the decades to come, internet connection willing or not.”

Xbox Skipped?

Despite saying no one will be locked out of owning great games physically you may have noticed none of the games will be getting an Xbox version. With the recent news that we broke about Xbox no longer having minimum print requirements we are hopeful Xbox will be included going forward.

We did reach out to Lost in Cult for comment on a lack of Xbox versions and Ryan had this to say:

“Not planned (Xbox) for launch, I’m afraid. It’s not a “never” by any means, but focusing on these platforms currently. Looking into it for the future, but no guarantees – of course keen to hear demand!”

They also went on to say that they are aware of Xbox’s comments to us a couple weeks ago but it was obviously too late in the process to do anything with.

Developers Weigh In

Speaking of comments however, all 3 of the initial game partners raved about working with Lost In Cult on their new endeavour.

“Collaborating with Lost in Cult has been nothing short of a delight — their attention to detail and their drive to keep adding more and more to everything they put out is evident in the quality of what they release,” says IMMORTALITY  developer Sam Barlow. “Each new treasure they create feels like a genuine companion piece, not just a ‘nice to have.’ The most common request we’ve had since releasing IMMORTALITY has been for a physical edition, but we always knew that if we did do it, we’d need to do it right — and so, working with Lost in Cult on this amazing new series was a no brainer!” 

“As the world around feels more and more impermanent, physical media seems even more essential,” adds IMMORTALITY producer Natalie Watson. “With that in mind, ensuring that IMMORTALITY could be assured of its own immortality was of utmost importance to the team, and we are so grateful to have worked with Lost in Cult to make that happen.”

The opportunity to bring a physical release to the Nintendo Switch was one Cloak and Dagger games has always wanted:

“We are beyond thrilled and honoured to be part of Lost in Cult’s physical launch line-up – alongside two games we genuinely love,” offers The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow designer Shaun Aitcheson of Cloak and Dagger Games.

“It had long been our dream to release a physical Switch version of The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow, but every avenue we had investigated ended up coming to nothing. I decided to issue one final tweet, in the hope that someone out there might help us make it happen – and that someone was Lost in Cult. It has been an immense pleasure working closely with their team to craft something very special indeed – the end result is a beautiful physical release truly beyond our wildest dreams. The art that has been created for this release genuinely blows my mind.”

“In an era where games are becoming increasingly ‘digital only’, Lost in Cult is doing wonders for the future preservation of indie games – and we are so proud to be a part of this.”

While the lack of Xbox versions is certainly disappointing we are excited to see another player in the physical games space. We wish all involved a successful launch.