Lost Museum -Echoes of the Chromageists- is an upcoming point-and-click adventure game by Happinet, and scheduled for release in 2027 for PC. Featuring paintings that have come to life, the game offers a unique mystery where players are tasked with "understanding" the faceless otherworldly beings born from famous paintings.
Ahead of the game's release, we here at Netto's Game Room were given the opportunity to speak with Ohara, the creator of the original concept, during Tokyo Game Show 2026 to learn more about the title.
Here is what they had to say!
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| (Photo provided by Happinet) |
Hello my name is Ben, and I’m one of the co-founders of Netto’s Game Room! Before we begin, could you tell our readers a little about yourself?
My name is Ohara from Happinet, and I’m responsible for the original concept and production of Lost Museum -Echoes of the Chromageists-.
Since joining Happinet, I’ve worked in the games division, primarily in purchasing and sales. This is my first time being involved in game development, having had the opportunity to take part through Happinet’s internal project proposal program.
Today we are discussing Lost Museum, an upcoming point-and-click adventure game set to release in 2027. It focuses on beings known as Kaigami, which are born from paintings themselves. Could you tell our readers a little more about what they are, and the role they serve in the story?
The Kaigami are faceless, otherworldly beings born from famous paintings that are known around the world. They were inspired by both the paintings themselves and the Japanese idea that things that have been cherished for a long time can come to possess a spirit of their own. Rather than simply personifying paintings, we’ve reconstructed them as characters by incorporating the artists who created them, the historical periods they came from, and the stories surrounding each work.
The game is set in an alternate future where art is no longer appreciated. Through his encounters with the Kaigami, the protagonist, Vince, traces the “memories of paintings” and uncovers their stories.
The Kaigami serve as a bridge between famous works of art and the people who experience them. Through their journey with the Kaigami, we hope players will have the opportunity to discover the appeal and beauty of paintings and art for themselves.
Could you tell our readers a little more about what the “Lost Museum” featured in the story is?
The “Lost Museum” is an art museum located in an alternate dimension known as “Lost Space,” which exists separately from the real world where Vince lives.
In Vince’s world, the culture of appreciating paintings has faded away, and museums have become little more than facilities for storing and preserving artwork. “Lost Space,” and the “Lost Museum” within it, are worlds formed from all the thoughts and memories surrounding paintings that have been left behind by the real world.
Over time, people who occasionally wandered into this strange space helped shape it into the museum it is today, and the Kaigami eventually came to live there.
There’s actually quite a bit more to the setting than we can explain here, so we’d love to have an opportunity to properly dive into it somewhere after the game’s release.
The Kaigami themselves are created from famous real world masterpieces. How did you decide which ones to include when developing the game, and was it a challenge bringing them to life?
From the very beginning of development, we knew we absolutely wanted to include Sunflowers. I personally love the painting, but it’s also incredibly well known in Japan, so we wanted it to serve as an entry point and guide for players discovering the game.
Once we decided to build the game around Sunflowers, we looked at other paintings based on factors such as the relationships between the artists—whether they lived during the same period or influenced one another—as well as the general familiarity of each work.
One concern we had when working with famous masterpieces was that the game could end up feeling like a boring history lesson, as if players were being forced to read a textbook or history book. That’s not what we wanted to make. Our focus isn’t on teaching the history of art, but on creating individual characters—the Kaigami—who were born from these paintings.
It was both fun and challenging to imagine not only the historical circumstances in which these paintings were created, but also what the Kaigami might have experienced and felt over the course of their long existence, and how those experiences might have shaped their personalities. We hope that by approaching them in this way, players will be able to feel that these are living, breathing characters with their own stories.
Are you hoping you can teach players about real world art with this game?
Yes, absolutely. These days, you can search for paintings online and view them in high-resolution, but I think the experience of seeing them in person at a museum can leave a completely different impression.
It’s not just about the brushstrokes and texture of the painting itself. There’s also the atmosphere of the museum, the way the artwork is displayed, and all the little details that can only really be experienced by being there in person. Even when looking at a painting on its own, there are plenty of things that can catch your attention, like the colors or the composition. But I think learning even a little about the background of a painting or an interesting story about the artist can give you a completely different perspective on the work.
Personally, I enjoy reading that kind of information in museum captions and exhibition guides. I’d be happy if this game could serve as one of those little pieces of information that sparks someone’s interest and gives them a reason to visit a museum and see the artwork for themselves.
When it comes to the gameplay, what can players expect, and how would you say the title stands out compared to other point and click adventures?
If a typical point-and-click adventure focuses on “solving mysteries,” this game instead focuses on “understanding the Kaigami.”
The Kaigami have distinctive appearances as faceless, otherworldly beings, but beneath those appearances, they each have their own emotions and values. Through interacting with them, we hope players will gradually develop an attachment to and empathy for each character, and from there, become interested in the paintings and history behind them as well.
I think one of the game’s unique strengths is that understanding the characters is directly connected to the story experience itself.
Were there any challenges you and your team faced when developing the title?
One of the biggest challenges in developing this game was figuring out how to translate the many layers of information contained within a painting into an actual game experience.
I deliberately use the word “information” here because I don’t believe there is necessarily a single correct interpretation of a painting. Even when looking at the same work, different people can take away completely different things from it, and a painting can even inspire entirely new works of art. Because of that, we didn’t want to present a single interpretation as definitive, such as saying, “This is what this painting means,” or “This is what this artist was like.”
For this game, we’ve researched the artists, the historical periods they lived in, and the stories and anecdotes surrounding their works. However, rather than simply reproducing that information, we’ve focused on reconstructing it in a way that works specifically for a game.
What would you say was your main source of inspiration?
Although it’s another company’s work, a major source of inspiration for me was Touken Ranbu. In fact, it was actually this series that first inspired me to start visiting museums.
Touken Ranbu is enjoyable on its own, but learning about the Japanese history and knowledge of Japanese swords behind the characters can make you appreciate them even more and deepen your understanding of the work as a whole. As you learn more about the history and background of a character you like, that knowledge can start to enrich different parts of your everyday life as well.
For example, you might be visiting a museum one day and suddenly make a connection to something you learned about Japanese history or the history of swords through Touken Ranbu. That can make the experience of visiting museums much more enjoyable.
I’d love for Lost Museum -Echoes of the Chromageists- to offer players a similar kind of experience, where what they learn through the game can spark new connections and make them more interested in art and museums in their everyday lives.
Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know about Lost Museum?
We’ve been really surprised and very happy to see how much interest Lost Museum -Echoes of the Chromageists- has received since its first reveal in September. We’ll continue working hard on development so that everyone can get to know these fascinating Kaigami as soon as possible.
We also plan to share development updates through the game’s Steam page, so please consider adding Lost Museum -Echoes of the Chromageists- to your wishlist and supporting the game!
10. And finally, just for fun, what is your personal favorite piece of art?
My personal favorite is Van Gogh’s Almond Blossoms. I already loved it because of its charming colors, but I came to appreciate it even more after learning that Van Gogh painted it to celebrate the birth of his brother Theo’s son.
It’s a very personal example, but this was actually the painting that made me want to learn more about the stories and circumstances behind works of art.
I’ve never seen the original in person, so I’d love to visit the Netherlands someday and see it for myself!
Players interested in Lost Museum -Echoes of the Chromageists- can visit the Steam Page to wishlist the game today, and for more exclusive interviews like this, feel free to visit our Interview Page!
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