At PAX East 2024, I had the opportunity to spend some time at the Nine Dots Studio booth. Among the games I tried there was Lost in Prayer, a traditional roguelike where you embody a lost soul on a quest for eternal peace. And who wouldn’t want that, right? I’ll be honest, roguelikes aren’t typically my cup of tea—I usually prefer mint. It’s not that I outright dislike them; there’s just something about their lateral progression that doesn’t always hold my attention as long as other genres. However, there are a few exceptions, and Lost in Prayer has definitely earned its place among them.
As the lost soul, you have two paths to choose from in your pursuit of peace: one through heaven and the other through hell. In the hub world, you can open chests to receive randomly generated items to aid you on your journey. After making your choice, you pass through the corresponding gate and embark on the familiar roguelike journey through procedurally generated rooms teeming with random waves of enemies.
Gameplay is grid-based with a top-down view, allowing you to move your character in eight directions. Any equipment and upgrades your character acquires reset upon death, but this is where Lost in Prayer truly shines. Back in the hub, you’ll find a statue of the enemy that ended your run, whether angel or demon. Interacting with it enables you to transform into that creature, utilizing its attacks and abilities. If you perished at the hands of an angel while exploring the halls of heaven, you gain an advantage against the demons obstructing your path to hell, and vice versa. Just like the lost soul, angels and demons can be empowered along the way with abilities and equipment that vanish upon their demise. Each death becomes an exciting opportunity to experiment with new abilities and strategies.
With its enemy mimic feature and two challenging biomes, Lost in Prayer effectively keeps each run fresh. While progression may remain lateral, these elements make it easy to overlook. This game has firmly landed on my radar, and I can confidently say that even if you’re not typically drawn to roguelikes, Lost in Prayer could be the one to change your mind.
Wishlist Lost in Prayer on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2849500/Lost_in_Prayer/
