There’s a reason Lost in Space has survived for decades in pop-culture orbit. It isn’t just the catchphrases or the candy-colored set design. It’s the particular blend of optimism and weirdness: a family-friendly sci-fi serial where every episode promises a new planet, a new mystery, and at least one moment where a situation becomes absurdly dangerous because someone—usually Dr. Smith—made it worse.
Lost in Space: The First Adventure is positioned as a “spiritual fourth season,” picking up exactly where the original 1960s series left off. That’s a bold claim, and it could have easily collapsed into a shallow nostalgia trap. Instead, Scary Robot delivers a surprisingly faithful, puzzle-forward adventure that understands what made the later seasons of the show tick: character chemistry, campy peril, and a sense of episodic momentum that keeps you moving even when you’re stuck staring at a panel of blinking lights.
It’s not perfect. It’s definitely not a blockbuster. But it’s sincere, often charming, and—perhaps most importantly—built with an affection for the source material that feels more like a fan letter than a brand exercise.
A Cold Open Worthy of the Series
The setup wastes no time. You play as Will Robinson, returning from a late-night rock-hunting excursion (the most “Lost in Space” hobby imaginable) only to find the Jupiter 2 ransacked and his family gone—Maureen, John, Judy, Penny, and Major Don West all missing.
It’s a great hook because it functions on two levels:
- For newcomers, it’s a clean mystery with instant stakes.
- For fans, it feels like the exact kind of cliffhanger that would have ended a season.
From there, the game leans into investigation and problem-solving. You’re not mowing down aliens. You’re trying to piece together what happened, where everyone went, and what new threat has stepped into the vacuum.
Because this is the opening chapter of a planned five-part series, the story is structured like an episode: a mystery begins, complications spiral, classic villains intrude, and the ending leaves a thread dangling just enough to make you want the next installment.
Switching Between the Iconic Trio
The biggest mechanical win is the trio system. Rather than locking you into Will as a lone protagonist, The First Adventure lets you swap between three playable characters:
- Will Robinson (the brave, earnest problem-solver)
- Dr. Zachary Smith (cowardly, self-serving, endlessly slippery)
- B9 Robot (loyal guardian, walking alarm bell, moral backbone)
This isn’t just cosmetic. The character switching is tied directly to puzzles and progression. In practice, it plays like a classic adventure game with a “party utility” twist: Will tends to handle the clear-headed logic, Robot handles strength and safety-related tasks, and Smith—true to form—handles the questionable stuff, often because he’s willing to do what others won’t if it benefits him.
It’s also where the game best captures the spirit of the show. The personality contrast matters. Smith’s constant self-preservation isn’t softened; he remains aggravating in the exact way fans remember. Robot remains protective without becoming overpowered. Will remains the optimistic heart of the trio.
And because you’re actively controlling them, their dynamic doesn’t just play out in dialogue—it becomes the gameplay.
Nostalgia as a Texture, Not a Crutch
The marketing headline is obvious: original dialogue clips, classic sound effects, and the iconic theme music from the TV series.
Used poorly, this kind of archival material can feel like a jukebox—cheap “remember this?” prompts thrown into the mix. Here, it’s integrated more thoughtfully. Familiar voice snippets and audio stings act like flavor, grounding the game in that specific era and tone. The music isn’t blared constantly; it’s deployed to punctuate moments the way a TV episode might.
The 3D art style is also a smart choice. Rather than trying to modernize the look, it leans into “illustrated realism,” echoing the painted sci-fi poster vibe of the 1960s. Colors pop. Shapes feel theatrical. Environments are stylized in a way that makes sense for Lost in Space—a show that never pretended its alien worlds were grounded realism.
This isn’t the darker Netflix reboot energy. It’s proudly the campy original.
Puzzle-Forward, Episode-Paced Design
At heart, The First Adventure is an exploration-and-puzzle game. You’ll spend most of your time:
- Searching environments for clues and key items
- Solving logic puzzles and mechanical riddles
- Unlocking new areas by combining information
The puzzle design is generally solid, with enough variety to avoid becoming repetitive. Some puzzles are classic adventure-game fare—switch panels, codes, item use—while others are more situational, built around understanding the environment and its hazards.
The real standout is the multi-tiered hint system. This is one of those features that sounds like it might “ruin” a puzzle game until you realize how carefully it’s implemented. The first hint is usually a gentle nudge. The second is more specific. The final is essentially the solution.
It’s optional, and it’s perfect for what this game wants to be: something that plays like an episode. You’re meant to keep moving. You’re meant to see the next scene. The hint system prevents the pacing from grinding to a halt, especially for casual players or those primarily here for the nostalgia and story.
Classic Villains With Saturday-Matinee Energy
Fans will appreciate the inclusion of show-staple antagonists like:
- Saticons
- Invaders from the Fifth Dimension
- The Giant Cyclops
These aren’t just name-dropped; they appear in scenarios that feel like classic “monster of the week” storytelling beats. The threats aren’t treated as grim existential horrors—they’re pulpy dangers that slot into the show’s adventurous tone.
Encounters tend to be puzzle/avoidance-focused rather than combat-heavy, which fits the family-friendly vibe and keeps the game aligned with its adventure structure.
The Rough Edges You’ll Notice
This is an indie production with a mid-budget footprint, and it shows in a few areas:
- Animation stiffness in certain cutscene-style moments can break immersion.
- UI and interaction prompts occasionally feel a bit “PC-first,” especially on Switch.
- Environmental variety within this first chapter is good, but not huge—some areas reuse visual language more than you’d like.
Also, because this is episode one of five, the narrative arc is intentionally incomplete. You get payoff, but you don’t get closure. If you’re allergic to “Part 1” storytelling, that structure may irritate.
Still, what’s here feels purposefully built rather than chopped up.
Final Verdict
Lost in Space: The First Adventure succeeds by knowing exactly what it is: a playable, campy, puzzle-driven continuation of the 1960s series, designed like a missing “season premiere” fans never got.
Its best strengths are its respectful use of archival material, its character switching that turns the iconic trio into functional gameplay roles, and a hint system that keeps pacing brisk without forcing solutions.
It’s not a modern AAA reinvention, and it doesn’t try to be. It’s a lovingly constructed throwback adventure with enough mechanical substance to stand on its own—especially for players who miss the brighter, stranger, more theatrical side of classic sci-fi.
If this is the tone Scary Robot maintains across all five parts, Lost in Space might finally have its long-overdue video game legacy.
