ABOUT

Concept

Lost In Cult’s EDITIONS range was conceived with a dual purpose in mind. We sought to achieve something similar to what the Criterion Collection has with film: these games would be an act of celebration and also preservation, commemorating significant titles and treating them as serious works of art.

Each EDITIONS release would be built on our core pillars of prestige, preservation, curation, accessibility, consistency, and transparency, and designed to be part of a uniform, consistent, trusted premium-quality collection.

We set out to work closely with DoesItPlay?, an international community dedicated to the preservation of video games and their respective systems. Each release would be rigorously playtested to ensure a bug-free and fully functional release, with all available content on disk and cartridge ready to play, rather than requiring an internet connection to access.

Our aim was to diligently curate this range: each game considered for inclusion has pushed the medium of gaming forward in some way, and in turn we ensure they are treated with the respect and care they deserve.

Each EDITIONS package would feature a uniquely designed slipcase with original art and dust cover, alongside an essay and Q+A booklet written and edited by expert critics, as well as original stickers, postcards and art prints, and a developer signature of authenticity.

Execution

We were confident in our concept and determined to ensure the execution either matched or exceeded it. For the booklets, our editorial team worked closely with leading writers to develop perceptive essays alongside insightful Q+As with the key creatives behind these interactive artworks. Each one comes with an introduction that seeks to place each game in its historical concept, while simultaneously spotlighting why it warrants a place in the EDITIONS range. The paper within the booklets was specially chosen to have some show-through, inviting the reader to turn the page

To provide bonus value, we felt it worthwhile to include further editorial elements on both the poster and the art cards we include – the latter feature direct quotes from the developer, while the former is backed with an interview with the artist charged with creating an original illustration based on the game in question.

We experienced very few production issues. We did a lot of testing on each component, and did a good job. The desire was to make something that would be robust and repeatable, with carefully-tested techniques, and we managed to achieve that. The embossed text on the outer box further cements the premium feel.

We also spent time developing a custom mailer box, one that should fit through most household letterboxes while still protecting the contents within. Our art director Stephen Graham created an original illustration for the outer box that gives the whole package an extra touch of personality.

Results

Internally, we were extremely happy with the results, the time taken during production clearly evident in the final package. Our audience seems especially delighted: not many Lost In Cult products have been quite so extensively showcased online, with a great many satisfied customers taking several photos of their games to share with others. Unsurprisingly, the results have attracted a number of potential clients: the luxury treatment provided by the EDITIONS range has had game developers express a desire to see their own artful works given a similar degree of care and attention.