itch.io

Review of The Museum of Lost Things

I really appreciated my experience playing The Museum of Lost Things. It captures a beautiful sense of melancholy, nostalgia, and reminiscence. It was well worth the time to dream up an artefact or two from my past and give them a place in the museum. 

Writing my exhibits encouraged me to revisit memories I had not thought about in years, and it even prompted me to seek closure on replacing a lost paperback that meant a lot to me. I did not expect there to be so much emotional depth to this game. Bravo!

A few thoughts for future editions:

I really love the visual style, and I wanted to preserve the same feeling digitally. I experimented with using Courier New, which gave a similar typewriter effect. An editable digital version (such as a Google Doc or Word template) could make it easier for players to create exhibits while keeping the charming logo and layout intact. 

I also would have appreciated some prompts to guide players toward choosing an artefact. The open-ended nature of the game is part of its simplicity and charm, but a small collection of optional prompts could help players who are unsure where to begin. 

Some prompts I found useful: 

Childhood: 

• What object from childhood did you carry everywhere? Would you have cried if it were lost?
• What did you use to move around your neighborhood? A bike, roller skates, a special key, a library card?

Young Adulthood: 

• What did teenage-you believe would last forever? What object embodies this belief?
• What object marks a transformation in your life? Graduation, moving, making or losing a friend….

Curator’s Questions:

• Why did the museum save this? 
• The museum curator places the object on the pedestal: The plaque reads…

I appreciate the space that is made in this game to honor the small objects that carried meaning in our lives, and even more the space for curators to share their objects with others.  My artefacts can also be viewed in a public post on my Patreon. Thank you for creating such a sweet, community-minded game.

Date: 2026 July

Exhibit No: 009

Exhibit Location: Cabinet of Misplaced Items

Catalogued by: d.b. waters

Description: A small bit of teal glass that fits in the palm of the hand. One surface bears a series of parallel semicircular ridges, like fragments of concentric rings. The tiny bumps feel perfect for a thumb to worry. When held to the light, the glass glows a bright pale blue-green. 

This artefact was discovered by a railroad track in the American Midwest and gifted to the author by a high school romantic interest. 

How was the artefact lost?: An apartment flooding incident resulted in the disposal of a precious jewelry box this artefact was stored in, along with many other treasured objects that could not be salvaged.

Additional information: At the time of its acquisition, the artefact’s origin was unknown. Subsequent research suggests it was most likely a fragment of slag glass, a byproduct of historical iron and steel melting. The blue-green coloration may have been caused by varying concentrations of iron trapped within the material during the cooling process. 

A secondary hypothesis is that the fragment originated from a glass insulator once used on telegraph or utility lines, which were historically common along railroad corridors. Unfortunately, without the original artefact available for examination, it is impossible to determine whether identifying markings or manufacturer etchings were present. 

The author does not recall any such markings and therefore considers the slag-glass hypothesis the more likely explanation.

Date: 2026 July

Exhibit No: 008

Exhibit Location: Cabinet of Misplaced Items

Catalogued by: d.b. waters

Description: My detective notebook: a small pocket-size notebook with a blue cover and a spiral binding along the top edge. Inside were scribbled observations, witness accounts, and other notes about strange supernatural events that were witnessed by our agency.

How was the artefact lost?: Lost through the passage of time, the transition between homes, and a failure to recognize the importance of the small things that helped make me who I am today.

Additional information: My best friend in elementary school, R------, and I spent recess racing around the playground in search of mysteries to solve. Boy, did we find them. 

From the top of the slide we could see over the fences of several houses bordering the west side of the schoolyard. One day, while we were perched up there conducting surveillance, we had a stroke of luck: one of the houses had left their back patio blinds open. We watched a middle-aged woman open an interior door and go inside, descending into the basement. 

We both gasped and looked at each other. 

“The inside was made of copper!” 

“Or bronze!” 

“Yeah, and she’s definitely a witch!” 

For the next week or two, we staked out the house during recess, wishing that she would open that door again. She never did, but that’s okay. We knew she was a witch – the good kind, we hoped. We didn’t know if the good kind or the bad kind had basements. 

Another case occurred near the far end of the field. Through the swaying pine branches, we spotted a figure standing on a second-story wooden deck. 

There was no doubt about it – we got a clear look: there was a ghost on the balcony. 

The old man appeared to be dressed in normal going-out clothes, but he was pale and white and juuuust a bit translucent. We never saw the ghost again, nor anyone else up on that balcony, but it was a defining moment in the history of our detective agency. 

No surviving records indicate whether either case was ever solved.

Date: 2026 July

Exhibit No: 007

Exhibit Location: Gallery of Faces

Catalogued by: d.b. waters

Description: A high school yearbook photo of my cousin A----. The backdrop is a dark purple cloud pattern. She wears black clothing, her long dark curls frame her face, and she is smiling directly at the camera. 

When she first visited me from out-of-state, I was probably a fifth grader. I grabbed her hand and pulled her up to my room to show her my favorite toys. I thought she was the most beautiful person, and I absolutely adored her. I still do! She wrote me a sweet note on the back of the photograph. A few years later, I laminated it to keep it safe. 

During high school, I carried a well-worn copy of Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass. I read it many times, highlighted favorite passages and slowly wore through the spine. The photograph lived in the pages of Leaves of Grass and traveled with me in my backpack for years.

How was the artefact lost?: Ten years ago, I lent my copy of Leaves of Grass to a new acquaintance in 2016. Before handing it over, I showed them the photographs tucked inside and explained how much the book meant to me. It didn’t seem right to lend just part of it. The book was never returned. 

Additional information: I am finally purchasing another copy of Leaves of Grass (paperback) to replace my very special lost copy. I know nothing will replace my old photo of my cousin, but we have reconnected recently and that is far more valuable than any artifact on the shelf.

Thank you!

Hi there Buellster, 

Do you mind if I cite your "unholy party" & your handle -- perhaps as Intern Buellster? what was your intern's name? -- in my upcoming devlog? I'm working on something new for the game 😈

Cheers,

ha! I love the concept that Dante runs some kind of tabloid rag. There's a black & white photo of you on the front page, looking shocked in the camera flash, and a big all caps headline: INTERN CAUGHT EMBEZZLING SOULS; ACCIDENTALLY STARTS MINOR APOCALYPSE

But don't worry, I'm sure your boss got a raise anyways. 

Thanks for giving it a go, cuttlefishcrossbow; it's awesome to hear from players!

About a year ago, I wrote a short story inspired by my playthrough of Outliers. I recently decided to give it a lil spit shine and posted it publicly on my patreon.

Really enjoyed the premise of Dungeon Workers Union — the concept is hilarious & immediately pulled me in.

I was expecting a solo journaling RPG, but realized near the end of reading the PDF that it’s designed for a group of 1 - 4 players with a DM.

 I think it might help to clarify that earlier in the description so players immediately understand the intended play structure.

I also had a small point of confusion around the AP recovery rules:

“Players that could afford to sleep and eat at the inn last night regain AP. If the player can't afford rent or has to sleep in a dungeon, they only regain 2 AP. The options below can only be purchased at the inn.”

How much AP is regained from sleeping at the inn — does it return the player to a default/maximum (starting level of 5 AP), or do you have to pay for a night at the inn instead of going home? 

I really liked the apprenticeship/trap assignment system — letting players map trap types to apprenticeship roles is fun. That said, a few cases felt ambiguous to me -- for example: 

• Would a magic mirror trap fall under a construction worker’s skill set?
• For magnet-based traps, would those default to a trap repair technician, or is there a more specific intended role?

Could be fun to have a little symbol for each apprenticeship and list them out next to the trap types they are skilled in.

Overall, I think the game has a very strong and funny core concept, and with a bit more clarity in a few systems, it could be even smoother to run at the table.

I wrote a short story from my play experience and posted it publicly on my patreon. Thanks for creating a fun game!

Hey there! Your game inspired me to create & publish my own solo journaling rpg this year. (You're credited in the inspo section.) If you ever want to go in together on sale bundles, let me know -- and thanks for making such a cool game! Cheers,

I enjoyed playing this so much -- thanks for sharing your game! The design was incredibly inspiring in its simplicity & elegance.

Thanks for trying my game! It sounds like your intern will be getting hired if they can keep the snack fund flush -- but were they ever able to get the smell of burnt soul out of the break room?  😱

Cheers,