Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is an upcoming adventure game developed by Don't Nod Montréal and published by Don't Nod. The game features four former friends; Nora, Autumn, Kat, and Swann, who reunite after 27 years. It was announced at the 2023 Game Awards and is scheduled to be released in early 2025 in two parts, with the second part being released a month after the first. The game will release for the PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S.
The game takes place in the fictional Michigan town of Velvet Cove and features four former friends; Nora, Autumn, Kat, and Swann, who reunite after 27 years.[1][2] Players will have to play through the game to learn the reason for the reunion as it is "part of recreating the story with choice and consequences" according to creative director Michel Koch.[3] Unlike many other narrative based games with an ensemble of main characters, Bloom & Rage will only have one playable character. Koch said the decision was made because having perspectives change between characters can cause a disconnect for players "from what's happening on the screen."[2]
The magical summer of 1995 is one of self-discovery and forging unbreakable bonds for high school friends Swann, Nora, Autumn, and Kat. 27 years of no contact later, fate reunites them to confront the long-buried secret that made them promise to never speak again.[4][5]
In 2020, Don't Nod created its Montréal studio and commenced production on its inaugural project, with a total of six projects in development, with multiple staff members from Life Is Strange and Life Is Strange 2. A teaser image was released in a 1990s setting of a person's bedroom.[6][7]
The studio had considered creating a studio in Montréal since 2014, but did not do so until the completion of Life Is Strange 2. Due to Square Enix's ownership of the publishing rights to the Life Is Strange franchise, they were not able to work on any new games, prompting them to work on new titles. As a result, a Montréal office was established in 2020 and immediately commenced development and production of Bloom & Rage.[8] The game was announced at the 2023 Game Awards.[9] It was decided that the game would feature adults instead of teenagers. Due the production team being French, they hired two American writers, Desiree Cifre and Nina Freeman, for their knowledge of American culture and to ensure the characters were authentic in 2022 and 1995.[8]
Koch revealed that the game is being worked on "as the foundation for a possibly larger universe",[10] while producer Luc Baghadoust said that there will be more games in the Lost Records label, with Bloom & Rage being the first in the series.[11]
The game will be released in two parts, with the second being released a month after the first. Koch said the team hopes it will "give us space to let the events of the story sink in, and possibly even bring us together to theorize about what will happen next", comparing the situation to how fans did a lot of theorizing between the weekly episodes of Game of Thrones.[1][3]
