Lost in Cult has announced that it is launching its own physical video game label, ‘EDITIONS.’ Every release in this label will be a game that the team at Lost in Cult has chosen to push the medium of video games forward as an art form.
The launch of their label will include releases of Immortality (PS5/Switch), The Exavation of Hob’s Barrow (Switch), and Thank Goodness You’re Here! (PS5/Switch). All of these are going to be released with slipcase artwork, a variant game cover, a 40-page essay booklet edited by Chris Schilling (formerly Edge Magazine), a poster, and more, including a an authenticity card, featuring a printed signature of the game’s director, a sticker, and four high-quality art cards with images chosen by the developer.
Here’s a look at the first three releases that will be coming from Lost In Cult and EDITIONS:
IMMORTALITY
“As the world around feels more and more impermanent, physical media seems even more essential. 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.” – Natalie Watson, Half Mermaid
THE EXCAVATION OF HOB’S BARROW
“We are beyond thrilled and honoured to be part of Lost In Cult’s physical launch line-up, alongside two games we genuinely love. 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.” – Shaun Aitcheson, Cloak and Dagger Games
THANK GOODNESS YOU’RE HERE
Standard editions will also be available in retail stores through a publishing partner, PM Studio.
Lost in Cult has stated its mission statement as “physical games designed with the care they deserve. We’re doing it differently. We’re doing it better.” Doesitplay? will test all of the games in its ‘EDITIONS’ to ensure their preservation will last, with the games up-to-date and playable offline.
“Our games will all work straight off the shelf, ensuring they’ll be playable today and into the future when servers may eventually switch off. While no company can stop developers from ever updating a game again, we guarantee games are currently complete, up-to-date versions with all the latest patches and content, tested thoroughly. We also check with developers that our releases are effectively as final as possible. We won’t release games on which we know we would be unable to stick to this commitment, no matter how good a fit for EDITIONS it would be.”
The packaging of EDITIONS is designed to fit on your shelf and not look out of place. It measures about the width of one-and-a-half PS5 boxes. The PlayStation and Switch versions are uniform except for the numbering system used on the spine and inner slipcase.
Initially, EDITIONS will be released monthly, changing between one PS5 and one Switch game each month. They’ll cost £59.99 or around $125 AUD each.
Ryan Brown (formerly of Super Rare Games and Numskull) will oversee Lost in Cult’s publishing venture.
“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.”
If you’re looking to put your trust into the team at Lost in Cult, there will be ‘early bid bundle options, enabling you to get a discounted price on several upcoming releases. The team is working on what they assumed to be a rough 3-month turnaround period, but will wait for an update or patch from a developer, if one is planned, so the final product is finalised.
Head on over to the Lost In Cult store page, where you’ll be able to find out more about these releases and pre-order them.
