Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is one of 2025’s most unique games for one key reason: it is being released in two parts separated by only about two months. This is not uncommon for episodic games, true enough, but it has been some time since it was common practice. Bloom, also known as Tape 1, debuts on February 18, 2025, while Rage, aka Tape 2, will follow on April 15.
In a conversation with Game Rant, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage creative director Michel Koch discussed the team’s reasons behind the game’s two-part release, as well as how the game includes choices in a manner both similar and different to the studio’s previous Life is Strange series.
Why Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Is Releasing In Two Parts
Koch described himself as a fan of episodic storytelling, explaining that he feels that producing “meaningful, bite-sized pieces of content” is the best way of respecting a player’s time. Koch believes we are in an “era of constant distraction,” especially as more and more games, TV shows, films, and other pieces of media are releasing every year.” This belief led to the decision to release Lost Records in two parts, but to not separate the parts’ release so long that players would forget the story. Explaining the motivation behind the choice, Koch said:
“Personally, I appreciate media that values my time and doesn’t try to lock me into endless hours of content, preventing me from exploring other art. We need more shorter, quality experiences that diversify our horizons and allow us to enjoy more art, to hear more voices, with different points of view.”
The two tapes of Lost Records are divided based on story beats and key plot moments; the team also considered where players would naturally stop and take breaks when playing the game. The result is that the first tape, Bloom, covers the month of July during the 1995 segments and focuses on the four girls’ budding friendship, while Rage moves into August and the event that drove them apart. Koch and the team look forward to players continuing to theorize and speculate while waiting for the release of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 2.
A Choice-Based Narrative Connects The Player To The Story
Don’t Nod has plenty of experience with choice-based games, as player choice featured heavily in many installments of the Life is Strange series. Lost Records once again focuses on choice, allowing players to truly feel like they are involved in Swann and her friends’ stories. “We aren’t telling a strictly linear story,” Koch said, “We wanted players to step into Swann’s shoes and act as storytellers—exerting agency over two timelines at once. The story you experience is the one you co-author with the game.”
Ultimately, much of Lost Records’ story will be impacted by the choices the player makes. What is the true nature of the mysterious event that happened in the summer of 1995? Is the foursome able to rebuild their friendship, or will they remain distant forever? “It’s all tailored to how you navigate relationships,” explained Koch, “Who you go close to, which romances you pursue, and how you fit within the group.”
Because the game has non-linear and choice-based elements and because it is releasing in two parts, Koch and the team eagerly await the fan speculation that will likely occur surrounding Lost Records’ central mystery and the fate of the four friends. Koch encourages fans to theorize, particularly during the period between Bloom and Rage’s release, and looks forward to seeing what thoughts and ideas the players will come up with.
Mystery
Adventure
Narrative
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February 18, 2025