DaRmaZat Stormteller Games returns to the chaotic world of Random with The Eternal Die, a standalone roguelite set in the haunting, whimsical universe first introduced in Lost in Random. While the original was a dark fairytale action-adventure, this follow-up leans hard into fast-paced combat, strategic deck-building, and risk-reward mechanics that put your luck – and skill – to the test.
Thrown Into Chaos
You play as Queen Aleksandra, once a villainous ruler in Lost in Random, now trapped inside the Black Die—a desolate and cursed realm ruled by chance. Alongside her living die companion, Fortune, she sets out on a looping journey of redemption, revenge, and survival.
From the get-go, you’re thrown into a twisted arena where every choice counts and every roll can tip the balance. You’ll quickly meet Mare, a spectral knight who acts as a sort of bitter commentator, directly referencing the events of the first game, before eventually revealing himself as the game’s main antagonist. After a tense exchange, Aleksandra is dragged into a mysterious portal, and from that moment, the roguelike cycle begins.
A Combat Loop that Keeps You Rolling
The Eternal Die‘s combat is fast, fluid, and deeply satisfying. Think Hades, but instead of spell cooldowns, you’re dashing and slashing nonstop, using up to four unique weapons, while managing a throw-based area attack using Fortune. You’ll need to manually retrieve your die each time you throw it, adding a neat rhythm to battles. The arenas themselves are surreal, contain destructible objects, and filled with hazards—spikes, flame traps, and environmental dangers that force you to stay on your toes.
The game’s twist lies in its card-based magic system. You collect ancient magical cards throughout each biome, but you can only carry one at a time. Activating a card requires charging energy by landing regular hits, and timing your activation just right grants a damage bonus. It’s a clever balance of skill and risk, especially since cards range from time-stopping powers to summoning a gauntlet that weakens enemies before you strike.
Tactical Depth, Randomized Drama
After each fight, you’ll receive relics and pearls—items that fuel the game’s unique upgrade board. Match three pearls of the same color (or wildcard variants) in a line to activate what’s called a Harness Boost, enhancing stats like damage or luck. These boosts only apply within the current run, giving you the freedom to experiment with builds while still offering depth through color-matching strategy.
And it doesn’t stop there. Every pearl can be used to invest in specific traits, while relics provide passive bonuses. Placing a new item on top of an old one removes the older relic’s power, but the boosts remain active—meaning you’re constantly making trade-offs. After every few rooms, you might get a choice: extra health or a pouch of coins. Both can massively impact how long you survive, depending on your build and situation. Eventually, each area reveals an exit tile that leads directly into a boss room. These encounters serve as key progression points in your run, unlocking access to new biomes and bringing you one step closer to confronting Mare.
Throughout your runs, you’ll encounter side characters offering quests or dice-based challenges. You’ll also face mini-bosses who trigger moral choice rewards—will you take a bit of healing, or go for a hefty coin payout? It’s not always obvious what the right move is, and that uncertainty adds flavor to every decision. There’s real depth here, not just in the way you fight, but in how you prepare, optimize, and gamble. Even death can also be used as a strategy to unlock new paths or test builds.
A Roguelite with Character, and Options!
Die in The Eternal Die, and you lose it all. But you respawn in the Sanctuary, your safe hub, where you’ll meet Aama—a giant, frog-like witch who helps you manage blessings. These blessings can be swapped, but require soap-bubble currency (distinct from coins or cinders, which are poorly explained). You can only keep one blessing active per slot, and most of them can be bought from in-run merchants, provided you’ve collected enough currency.
The game also includes a surprisingly generous Easy Mode that starts with 20% damage reduction and adds even more each time you die, up to a cap of 65%. It’s a great feature for accessibility, especially in a genre known for punishing repetition.
Visually, the game retains the Burtonesque charm of the original, though the cutscenes are less impressive than before. However, the real highlight is the sound design: a magical blend of symphonic accordion, eerie flutes, string scratches, and environmental whispers. Even the NPCs deliver their lines with quirky voices that add to the gothic fairy tale atmosphere.
Final Thoughts
So to conclude, while the storytelling isn’t as cinematic as its predecessor, Lost in Random: The Eternal Die makes up for it with creative systems and an endlessly replayable structure. The game blends tight action, thoughtful tactics, and roguelike randomness into a delightfully dark package. If you like your combat punchy, your systems layered, and your fantasy on the strange side, this is one roll worth taking.
Additional Information
Release Date: June 17, 2025
Reviewed On: PC. Download code provided by the developer and publisher via Tasta.
Developer: Stormteller Games
Publisher: Thunderful Publishing
Official Website: https://thunderfulgames.com/games/lost-in-random-the-eternal-die
Relevant Links: Lost in Random: The Eternal Die on STEAM
