This charming game about returning lost objects is made by a solo Pinoy developer
For many young creatives, passion projects remain just that—projects. But for 24-year-old Filipino game developer Kurt Reodica, a hobby that began at 19 is steadily evolving into a full-fledged indie game with global ambitions.
His solo-developed indie game, Lost & Found, is now available to add to your Steam wishlists. There's no release date announced yet, but it's already becoming one title to watch.
In the adventure-mystery game, you play as Rico, who returns to the small rural town of Luisiana in 2007. The struggling artist takes the only job available in the changed town: working at the lost and found office. While the job seems simple: return lost objects to their owners, a bit of mystery creeps in. Some people claim items that aren't theirs, and it's up to Rico to figure out who's lying.
Adding to the compelling story is the game's familar-yet-fresh art style. Luisiana playfully blends the absurd 2D-3D art mix of a Cartoon Network show with background elements unique to the Philippines, like sari-sari stores and palm trees.
Reodica, also the sole developer behind Shaggybear Games, did not deny that his video game is inspired by different media, albeit with a purpose in mind.
"['Yung art style], nakuha ko talaga from [The Amazing World of Gumball]. Then, if story and premise, from other media po siya," he told PhilSTAR L!fe in an interview.
"The art style doesn't end with aesthetics. Hindi siya 2D because I want it to be 2D. I designed them to feel that every character has a story," he added.
While working for a Lost and Found center might be unheard of, Reodica said he drew the inspiration from the 2023 movie Perfect Days.
"This janitor in Japan seems like a normal person at first, but once you watch the movie, learn about his story, I've learned that, I realized in that story every person has a story to tell, and I want that to be in my game," he said, referring to the Wim Wenders flick.
A YouTube video about an old woman who lost her wallet decades ago also influenced the game's story. "Nabalik sa kanya yung wallet na yun after 45 years. After seeing that wallet, 'yung mga photos, receipts, even money, sobrang na-touch siya, nakwento niya bigla, bawat kwento ng picture, kwento ng mga resibo... I think it's very touching," he added. Reodica incorporated these details in the game: an old P1,000 bill, an almost real driver's license, and a receipt for food orders.
One-man team
The idea for Lost & Found, Reodica shared, was hatched in September 2025. He contemplated starting it because it was a big project, but he dove in headfirst because he believes the game has potential.
"I've never seen games that combine 2D, 3D pixel art, and other types of animation into one cohesive world," he said.
Creating the game is no easy feat for a one-man team like Reodica, who has to source everything and build everything from the ground up.
"Everything starts with an idea: [every] character, every NPC, every environment prop. Then, before I create anything, I find as [many] references as possible," he said, adding that he browses through Pinterest and Google for inspiration.
"I consider my skills as well because I'm more of a generalist than a specialist. I won't make, for example, a realistic person in the game because that's out of my skills right now. So, I try to make everything. If mapapansin mo, halos lahat ng characters, medyo cute, cutesy," he added.
While the game is not yet out, Reodica says he is currently working on a "vertical slice" or a demo version of the game that can be played on Steam by early 2027. His goal is for it to be playable on PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.
Reodica previously shared that the game gained 12,000 wishlists on Steam in its first two days.
Watch the official announcement trailer for Lost & Found below.
