GLAAD Gaming Highlight: Michel Koch and Nina Freeman Discuss Queer Storytelling, Teenage Cringe, and Studying to Let Go in ‘Lost Records: Bloom and Rage’

In celebration of DON’T NOD’s experience in crafting queer tales, Lost Records: Bloom and Rage acquired the award for Outstanding Video Game on the thirty seventh GLAAD Media Awards. Following a gaggle of outcast queer ladies as teenagers and as adults, Lost Records explores the troubles and joys of discovering oneself whereas additionally grappling with change, love, and loss when one inevitably grows up. Lost Records portrays feminine friendships and budding queerness with a stage of understanding hardly ever seen in video games, and it displays the workforce’s perception that every one tales, together with ones that heart queer ladies, can resonate with all audiences.

We spoke with narrative designer Nina Freeman and studio inventive director Michel Koch, two builders who labored on DON’T NOD Montréal’s latest title, about constructing on the studio’s identification as a trailblazer of queer tales within the narrative journey style. 

This interview transcript has been edited for size and readability. All pictures courtesy of DON’T NOD Montréal.

Annabelle Cook: I all the time begin with a query that tortures everybody to give you a solution on the spot. It doesn’t essentially must be your favourite recreation, however in the event you needed to decide the sport that’s nearest and dearest to your coronary heart, what would that be?

Nina Freeman: If I may give them as a pair, that’s what I might do. Final Fantasy 10 and 10-2. Like, the sport and the sequel. That could be my favourite as a unit.

Cook: I did an interview a while in the past the place somebody picked Final Fantasy 7, and after I ask individuals this query, it’s usually one of many Final Fantasy video games. So, I feel it’s all the time an excellent, strong selection.

Michel Koch: I’m confirming the development as a result of I might say mine is Final Fantasy 9. And there are a whole lot of different video games that have been formative, however every time individuals ask me this, I feel it’s both Final Fantasy 9 or Chrono Trigger, however I might say Final Fantasy 9. It has a little bit of all the things: the story, the center, the characters that I really like. I feel that’s a comfortable place I really like to return to.

Cook: Whenever I hear individuals speak about Final Fantasy, it’s all the time about story and characters. When individuals take into consideration DON’T NOD as a studio, in addition they take into consideration tales and characters. So I can see why you each picked video games from that sequence. Since I’ve two company right here at present, I’d love to begin off with some direct questions so readers can get to know you each.

Nina, you’ve had quite a few experiences engaged on video games like Tacoma and Open Roads, however you’ve additionally labored on quite a few smaller, extra private tasks, a whole lot of which heart your personal experiences or tales about girlhood on the whole. When it involves being pulled right into a collaborative studio imaginative and prescient, what’s that like versus if you find yourself exploring extra uncooked, private themes in your impartial tasks?

Freeman: Yeah, it’s humorous ’trigger I really feel like I carry a little bit of myself to any mission, whether or not it’s autobiographical or not. There’s actually components of myself in the entire Lost Records ladies simply from engaged on the writing a lot. I feel that is most likely true for lots of writers – most of us can’t assist however draw on our personal life experiences when writing, particularly when it’s characters that I determine with anyhow. Although it’s fascinating ’trigger I got here into Lost Records after they began designing the characters and outlined their personalities. It’s not stunning ’trigger it’s DON’T NOD, however I didn’t anticipate or know that I might relate to them a lot coming into the mission. And then it was a pleasure to write down these ladies as a result of I did relate to them a lot, even from what they have been in pre-production.

Koch: I’ve recognized the work that Nina was doing earlier than engaged on Lost Records. I imply, after we have been engaged on Life is Strange 1 and 2, I used to be enjoying a few of your video games and knew your work. Actually we met in 2015 after we have been with Jean-Luc within the Pacific Northwest simply after the discharge of Life is Strange, having a celebratory journey or one thing. And we have been in Portland and we visited Fullbright. Back then, we already appreciated what you have been doing at Fullbright, but in addition I actually appreciated what you have been doing in your private tasks, like for instance on Cibele. And I keep in mind that we met once more in 2019 after we had launched Life is Strange 2.

And later after we have been engaged on Lost Records, I believed, “Oh, I really need to contact Nina to see if there is something that can work out for writing narrative design on this game,” and, and it did. 

Freeman: Yeah, it labored out! I joined fairly early within the mission, nevertheless it was on the finish of pre-production, I feel. But to what Michel stated, we’ve been mutual followers for a extremely very long time. I can’t consider it was like 2015. That’s like over 10 years in the past.

Cook: Not to go down an excessive amount of reminiscence lane, however Michel, it goes with out saying that you just’ve been instrumental to lots of DON’T NOD’s most iconic video games, together with Life is Strange 1 and 2, and in doing so, I do know you’ve garnered fairly a following that’s wanting to see what you do subsequent. Given the excessive expectations and your historical past of making these emotionally resonant video games, I’m curious: is it a problem to both evolve the DON’T NOD DNA to your subsequent mission to shock longtime followers, or do you’ve gotten that push and pull between wanting to remain true to your imaginative and prescient and make followers comfortable? What is that stability like?

Koch: That’s a really powerful query as a result of this trade is so unsure proper now…I imply, not good now, however it is extremely bizarre proper now. Even what gamers and what the general public needs to play, need to eat, whether or not it’s on video games, on TV, on films… It’s altering yearly, so we can not predict that an excessive amount of. The manner we have been working is, particularly for me, nearly engaged on what we are able to do properly, which is telling heartfelt tales about characters we care about.

Of course we’re pondering of, “Will it work with the audience now?” Because the viewers shouldn’t be the identical as in 2015 for Life is Strange. Most of the viewers needs one thing quicker with extra rapid rewards. And that’s probably not what we’re doing. So at a degree I feel we have to mirror as creators, writers, and designers, “How do we improve? What can we do better in terms of character development, in terms of interactivity?” But I’m not pondering an excessive amount of of, “Oh, we should completely change what’s in our DNA to try and adapt to the trends of today.” We must promote video games, however I might say as a creator I attempt to not overly take into consideration that as a result of you then begin to doubt all the things and also you don’t create anymore since you’re pondering no person will like this recreation. Yeah, that’s a bit powerful.

Cook: I can think about that. Obviously DON’T NOD has experimented with quite a few genres, however its bread and butter appears to actually be the narrative journey style. I’m curious since Michel, you have been there from the start, how did DON’T NOD Montréal method doing a brand new IP on this tried and true style? Do you begin with a core theme, components you need to embody, a common aesthetic? 

Koch: We’d labored with lots of people earlier than on Life is Strange 1 and 2 in Paris, after which we moved with Luc, our government producer, and I’m nonetheless working with Jean-Luc, our author. We determined to open a brand new department in Montréal for DON’T NOD the place we’re specializing in storytelling. And such as you’re saying, what is de facto cool about DON’T NOD, is that they’re exploring completely different genres. One of the groups in Paris – I labored with them on Remember Me – continued to Vampyr, to Banishers, engaged on motion RPGs, and are nonetheless very a lot anchored in storytelling, however with a extra action-y and exploration focus.

And DON’T NOD Montréal actually needed to proceed to concentrate on extra intimate, narrative-driven video games. I do know that some individuals say that it’s like interactive films. I feel for me that it’s greater than that, however nonetheless it’s this type of AA visible novel. How can we inform narrative video games? That’s what we concentrate on. 

So after we had the prospect to begin our personal IP, I feel we labored precisely the identical as what we did after we created Life is Strange. We have been simply pondering of what sort of characters and story and feeling can we need to create for the gamers? And for Lost Records, we have been brainstorming in the course of the pandemic, and there was this sense of, “Oh, we’re isolated. Do we go back to having a form of community and going back to old friends?” And we love the concept of coming of age, rising up, and time, and we needed to inform a narrative not solely about youngsters, but in addition about adults who’re principally our personal age. How can we mirror on who we have been earlier than and the type of associates we misplaced on the way in which?

Starting with these concepts, that’s how we thought, “Oh, in terms of gameplay it could be interesting to really alternate between two timelines, and maybe the choices and the consequences from one timeline affect the other. It changes what’s happening and you’re rewriting the story at the same time.” We begin with these core emotions after which brick by brick, we carry characters. “Oh, this character would be the best character for this story and for this mood.” We carry extra of the workforce. We’re pondering, “Oh, maybe the camcorder is an interesting mechanic because it brings back memories and that’s how you keep memories with you.” There is the core thought after which there may be the inventive strategy of how an thought and a temper evolve to a ultimate recreation.

Cook: And Nina, I’m actually interested in your expertise with this since you got here in on the finish of pre-production, however I think about a whole lot of these concepts are storyboarded from starting to finish. When they’ve storyboarded the sport and now it’s important to make it, do issues ever find yourself altering mid-game to account for issues like crunch, realizing that possibly a special story beat would make extra sense or affect, or simply realizing, “Oh, actually I don’t think this character would act like this.” What have been the iterations this recreation went by way of from inception to launch?

Freeman: Yeah, it’s such an excellent query for me as a result of after I got here onto the mission, I might say the broad plot and characters have been properly developed at that time, however there was nonetheless a lot of the sport to construct. And I’ve discovered at DON’T NOD, and truthfully a whole lot of the tasks I’ve labored on which are story pushed, is that you just begin constructing it and testing it your self and in doing that, there’s a whole lot of modifying and a whole lot of studying and altering issues on the fly. Not an excessive amount of, since you don’t need to pressure the manufacturing plan drastically, however I feel actually good narrative recreation improvement makes area for modifying.

And I might say as a story designer and a author, certainly one of my greatest roles on the mission was modifying. All of the time. Like up till the very finish, even simply modifying the dialogue itself, whether or not it’s complete scenes or simply particular person dialogue. I used to be all the time modifying, trimming, attempting to make issues movement higher and attempting to make issues extra snappy, on each a broad stage and on a granular stage. So yeah, I do recognize that about DON’T NOD – they embrace that modifying course of from starting to finish.

Koch: I’m undecided that everyone on the workforce cherished that, however I fully agree with you. We strive as a lot as doable to have a powerful define of starting, ending, and the place we go. But a online game is interactive. I wouldn’t say that the story and the characters begin to discuss to us, nevertheless it’s nearly like that. There are issues that you just thought on paper that don’t work with interactivity. And issues that you just thought would by no means work, however you discover, “Oh, when it’s a choice from the player, yeah, that makes sense.” And we’re studying from our groups, our writers, our actors and voice actors. When we discovered, for instance, Olivia Lepore who performs Swann, we obtained a whole lot of inspiration from how she was portraying Swann in an effort to write her higher, as a result of we discovered that some strains have been resonating with how she is and would actually work completely properly within the recreation, and typically issues on paper sounded good however have been bizarre when she was attempting to say them as a result of they weren’t that pure for her.

And it’s vital to regulate to that if you’d like authenticity and never feeling such as you’re forcing a line or a narrative plot that doesn’t work. We did that additionally for Life is Strange and Life is Strange 2, and after having even seen individuals enjoying episode 2 or 3 of Life is Strange 2, we have been adjusting some issues for episode 5 as a result of we nonetheless had some leeway to try this. And it was vital for us to not see the sport as a monolith that you just by no means change, however as one thing that evolves.

I’ve just lately been watching a documentary about Disco Elysium. Lots of people will say that it was a multitude of a manufacturing and that the individuals have been uninterested in the modifications, however they are saying now that they have been proper to rewrite this character 12 instances as a result of in the long run, it’s good, and all of the earlier variations weren’t good. So sure, there may be this malleability that we’ve to search out. We want in fact to account for manufacturing and price range, however I feel it’s actually vital to simply accept that change is required in an effort to get to one thing good, as a result of in the event you simply assume that you’ve got all the things deliberate from the start, I feel you’re mistaken.

Freeman: Yeah. It is so arduous although as a result of it’s important to account for a way a change impacts each division. Games are most likely one of many hardest artwork types to edit in – particularly digital video games – as a result of it may have such a giant impact. But it may be so value it. You have to choose your battles.

Cook: And your central forged of characters holds the sport collectively: Swann, Nora, Kat, and Autumn. Because a whole lot of the story rests on their backs, on their choices, how they view the world, I ponder: when creating and writing these characters, are you basing them off archetypes after which fleshing them out extra? Looking at what sort of characters a gaggle dynamic wants? Or simply throwing issues at a wall and seeing what sticks?

Koch: So, Jean-Luc Cano, the French author I’ve been working with since Life is Strange and even a bit on Remember Me, is a online game author, however he comes from TV, comedian books, and films, and he is aware of very well the way to write with the archetypes, with the hero’s journey, and stereotypes that work. And I really like to begin with that, however what we love to do is then twist them. But figuring out that we’ve some strong archetypes, it’s all the time an excellent reference level for the viewers. But then we have to do extra.

And that’s the place I feel the work we did with Nina and Desiree Cifre, the opposite author who labored with us on this recreation, is nice, as a result of we’re then twisting these archetypes and placing in, like what you have been saying Nina, your personal experiences and one thing that feels extra actual. But nonetheless we’ve this gentle framework that we permit ourselves to get barely out of. But we nonetheless have this framework of archetypes that everyone will acknowledge: “Oh yes, I see Nora, I understand that at first glance she is the comic relief character. She is the one that has the loud mouth and she is making the jokes all the time.” But then in fact we’re placing rather more into her than that. And whenever you see her coming again as an grownup, we fully shift your expectation of what she grew to become.

Cook: On that notice, I simply need to commend the workforce that the characters felt both like ladies I’ve recognized or been. And though it’s arduous to love them typically – and gosh, Nora simply obtained on my nerves at some factors – it’s really easy to like them. And it’s all these tough edges of the characters themselves that drew lots of people in and made me assume personally, “Oh, this team understands what it’s like to be this awkward, outcast, and sometimes annoying teenage girl.”

Freeman: Yeah. I really feel like certainly one of my private issues that I prefer to work on as a recreation developer that most likely exhibits in Lost Records and in different issues I’ve labored on is determining the way to write a personality that has sufficient nuance to be each likable and in addition abrasive at instances. ‘Cause that’s how persons are.

Koch: Abrasive is a cool phrase.

Freeman: That’s how me and my associates are, ? For me as somebody who likes consuming media, I prefer to see characters like that. So after I’m engaged on one thing, I need to make one thing I like too. It was an enormous objective to search out these nuances in every lady. With Kat for instance, she typically says imply issues to Swann, however you type of prefer it as a result of it’s similar to, “Oh, it’s Kat,” so it’s cute or it’s humorous or bizarre. And there are moments like that that we labored actually arduous on to nail as a result of, such as you stated, you’ll be able to see your self or your folks in it as a result of nobody is simply completely good on a regular basis. 

Koch: Yeah, completely. You actually need to have characters which are flawed as a result of if a personality is completely good in each manner, it’s boring and it’s unrealistic. And I really feel like we’re loving our associates due to their flaws or possibly we’re loving them regardless of their flaws. If all the things is ideal, it’s simply really easy to love somebody.

Freeman: And in Lost Records since there’s the romance component and so they’re youngsters, there is a component of various individuals being interested in completely different persona traits that aren’t all the time simply the great ones. I feel that was an vital factor to mirror too and to let the participant be like, “Oh, I like Nora ’cause she presents as this overconfident, bubbly, wild girl, but she actually has some self-esteem issues and lashes out a little bit sometimes because of that, or maybe isn’t paying enough attention to her friends all the time.” That can really draw a participant right into a romantic arc as a result of they’re like, “Oh, maybe I had a crush on someone like that at some point,” for instance. So I feel it served that side of the sport as properly.

Cook: One of the issues I cherished about enjoying Swann is that mulling over your choices on what to say paid off as a result of she was actually awkward in a whole lot of methods. It was rewarding to understand that typically she simply wants that further second to give you one thing to say. It felt like the sport was encouraging the participant to take their time typically. We don’t all the time must blurt out the very first thing that involves thoughts, particularly in a whole lot of these actually weighty and irritating conditions.

Koch: Yeah, the awkwardness of Swann was one of the crucial vital issues for us. I feel for Swann, one of many first key phrases that we had for her very early within the conception part was “quirky” and “weird.” I imply, I used to be a bizarre teenager. Maybe you have been too. And I used to be not a teenage lady, however I keep in mind that more often than not I stated one thing till I used to be 17 or 18 or much more, I used to be all the time pondering, “Why did I just say that?” And we actually needed to get that feeling for Swann; she’s this type of bizarre character that’s the reverse of a social animal the place she simply has a really arduous time discovering her place with others and is simply attempting to give you one thing intelligent, when in the long run it’s not intelligent in any respect. That was one of many core emotions we actually needed to characterize with Swann in how she tries to work together with these different ladies. But additionally displaying that apart from her quirks, they have been prepared to simply accept her, which was one thing crucial additionally.

Freeman: And her awkward persona was actually a useful device for the narrative design as a result of it all the time made sense to have a dialogue selection for Swann the place she – such as you stated – hesitates. ‘Cause we have such a focus on timed choices in the game. Because her personality is on the quieter or quirkier side, it always felt natural to have her to wait and think about what she says. Whereas a character like Nora, our dialogue choice system might not have suited her personality as well ’trigger she is commonly the primary to talk. Whereas Swann is nearly by no means going to be the primary to talk. So it labored completely. 

Cook: Whether deliberately or unintentionally, Lost Records captured that awkward a part of queerness in younger ladies as properly, the place there’s usually a whole lot of intimacy in feminine friendships and it’s arduous to pin down precisely if one thing is meant to be romantic or platonic. Swann herself is doing her finest attempting to know everybody, together with herself, however I don’t assume even I absolutely realized, “Oh, this is romantic,” till the scene the place she’s getting her make-up finished by the lady she’s grown the closest to – as a result of I’ve develop into so used to video games leaning into that feminine intimacy with out ever imagining that there might be romance there.

Freeman: Yay! I really like that scene. That was one thing we labored actually arduous on. It was a spotlight from proper after I joined the mission. Some of the earliest stuff that Michel and I talked about was the intimacy and the way intimacy can lead into romance. 

Koch: And this make-up scene – that’s one the place you went over it a whole lot of instances. There is a second within the make-up scene that I actually love that Nina got here up with and fine-tuned – it’s how these dialogue decisions are showing in a quick-paced order, however displaying what Swann is pondering. It begins simply pleasant, and in the event you wait, there may be some selection possibility that seems which is likely to be a “kiss” interrogation level. And it’s simply displaying these sorts of flustering concepts which are in your thoughts. And I really feel just like the pacing and all the things works so properly whenever you play it. So I used to be actually, actually proud of how this scene turned out.

Cook: I really feel like there’s typically overemphasis within the online game trade on making good romances reasonably than making good relationships, the place a romance someway needs to be titillating or interesting to participant needs. What Lost Records does very well is make the romance appear to be a pure development of many character storylines, however the way in which it’s finished additionally feels very applicable to the characters as youngsters and exploring first or second loves.

Freeman: Yeah. It was actually vital when writing, I by no means needed to sexualize them in any manner. So there was a whole lot of time spent on the way to make it really feel like type of a pure development of a relationship ’trigger like teenagers… I imply, I suppose they’re most likely sexualizing one another to some extent, however that doesn’t imply we as writers must lean into that, proper? Like we are able to take our personal method and attempt to make it really feel pure, particularly as adults writing youngsters. So I considered that rather a lot whereas writing these scenes and needed them to really feel tender however I used to be all the time pondering, “How does Swann feel in this moment?” and never like, “How does the player feel?” How the participant feels is vital, nevertheless it was about letting the participant really feel excited as Swann in regards to the relationship. Does that type of make sense?

Koch: Yeah. I feel this was a giant matter we mentioned rather a lot. How can we showcase these hormonal youngsters after they’re pondering, “Who am I, what are the possibilities, what’s happening, am I getting closer to someone or not?” I imply, with out being myself a teenage lady or a queer teenage lady, I bear in mind all of the bizarre issues that come to your thoughts whenever you’re speaking with some associates and having questions on what’s taking place. So we actually needed to be sure that we present a few of that. That’s why we’ve some fanfiction from Swann that yow will discover within the field below her mattress, which she thinks is erotic though it’s actually not, nevertheless it’s nonetheless one thing that showcases a little bit of these heated ideas that she may have.

We needed to make it really feel real so it’s hopefully by no means for the male gaze or any gaze, however largely for a way we nonetheless characterize that they’re balls of hormones at some instances and the way we are able to make fascinating relationships, dialogues, and conditions as a result of it’s additionally entertaining for the gamers to only expertise the fact of these characters.

Freeman: And really – aspect notice – that secret field below the mattress together with her fanfiction in it completely got here from my life ’trigger I had a lock field below my mattress with my attractive Chobits manga that I didn’t need my mother to search out. So I pitched that from my very own hiding stuff as a teen. So yeah, like Michel stated, it’s all about that.

Cook: I knew a whole lot of teenage ladies who would cover their very own romance books and manga below their mattress hoping their mother and father would by no means discover it. And it was by no means as unhealthy as they thought it was. Obviously the workforce invested a whole lot of time into understanding how teenage ladies assume and really feel, however you even have this distinctive format for Lost Records the place it’s important to go between their 1995 and 2022 selves, and it may be jarring to see how their relationships have modified within the years they’ve been aside. What type of inside workforce roleplay do it’s important to do to get from, say as an example, 1995 Nora to 2022 Nora?

Koch: Very, very early within the mission, we actually needed to speak about older grownup characters. And as a result of we really feel like teenagehood is such a formative 12 months of what you’ll develop into, having this chance to do a actuality test, a dialogue, and a mirror of “Who am I today? Who I was before?” could be very fascinating. We’ve been engaged on video games with youngsters for the previous 10 years, and we all know that youngsters will be cringey, youngsters will be bizarre, and we all the time have suggestions from critics like, “Oh Life is Strange, Life is Cringe. Life is Strange 2 dialogue can be cringe.”

Freeman: I imply, it is cringe – like my very own life is cringe! 

Koch: And we have been pondering that it might be a great way to have these adults mirror on who they have been, even acknowledge themselves that, “I was cringe.” That half for me was possibly a catharsis of all these critiques from the cringe dialogue of Life is Strange to try to anchor it a bit extra to indicate that the cringe is required, it’s actual, and it’s what it’s.

But to write down their grownup selves, there have been just a few notes we had to start with of the mission that we by no means glamorize success. It was vital in a notice that, it’s not as a result of Nora was doing music as an adolescent that she must be a musician at present. I’m not saying that no person finally ends up being a profitable musician whenever you begin as a musician as an adolescent. But I didn’t need to say, “If you want to have a real good life, you should end up being a successful musician.” No, it was extra vital to concentrate on the characters, their relationship, who they’re, reasonably than how they achieve life or something that society appears to worth possibly an excessive amount of. That was not what we needed to do. So we had these few pointers after which after it was I feel a whole lot of brainstorming and enthusiastic about what their life may have been, drawing some inspiration from ourselves, from individuals we all know, from simply actuality, and what paths of life may have been for these characters.

Freeman: And simply so as to add to that, I used to be writing rather a lot, but in addition Desiree was – and she or he’s a bit bit older than me. And so she was nearer to the precise age of the characters, and was a teen within the 90s whereas I used to be like a tween within the 90s, so I didn’t have all that very same temporal expertise. So we each labored on the kids and adults, however I feel it was useful to have each of us in simply barely offset generations to carry that authenticity to their voices.

No lie, when @michelkoch.bsky.social and @lucbaghadoust.bsky.social interviewed me and instructed me the age of the participant character, I instructed them that even when I didn’t get to work on the sport, I couldn’t wait to play it. It’s a uncommon privilege for characters to intently align with my lived experiences.

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— Desiree Cifre (@desireecifre.bsky.social) July 23, 2025 at 10:25 AM

Cook: I simply need to let y’all know that it was merciless to know that on the finish of the night time you may be left there alone within the pub. Even after reminiscing about all the things and regardless of romancing Nora, she didn’t keep in my playthrough. Thankfully, Autumn ended up staying, however mixed with this sluggish realization that Kat was not going to be displaying up in trendy time, it does really feel like a sluggish intestine punch that a whole lot of these intimate teenage bonds don’t all the time stand the take a look at of time. But I really feel like if there’s something that DON’T NOD is de facto good at, it’s hitting you with the sluggish intestine punch.

Koch: Yeah, I feel that’s my favourite ending, the one the place Swann finally ends up alone. I really like all of them, however there have been a whole lot of notes after we have been engaged on Swann that I actually needed her to be portrayed as a optimistic introvert. For me, every evolution by way of time shouldn’t present that all of a sudden as an grownup she has tons of associates. Introversion shouldn’t be seen as a flaw. It’s not, “You need to open up, you need to have friends, you need to get out.” That’s the type of factor that we have been listening to again then within the 90s. But in the long run, you’ll be able to completely be advantageous with largely your self, possibly have associates, and nonetheless typically be with others. 

Even if it’s unhappy as a participant that you just’re not getting these relationships rekindled fully, we nonetheless present that Swann has her life and she or he has these nice recollections that formed her. I don’t assume it’s such a tragic ending even when you find yourself simply by your self. She decides to embrace going again to Velvet Cove and go once more to the woods. So I like the fact of this type of ending too, as a result of in actual life, you typically lose sight of individuals and you can not rekindle with everyone, and possibly that’s okay.

Freeman: And simply so as to add to that, with the branching within the recreation, you’ll discover that in the event you play a pair instances, the theme of Swann valuing her alone time and doing issues on her personal is all through all of the branches. Even in the event you get near different ladies, they’re all the time saying issues like, “Oh I want to stay with my friends this summer.” Swann is ready to concurrently worth her associates but in addition worth her independence, whether or not she’s younger or older. So you’ll discover that that’s one thing we didn’t department as a result of it’s such an vital a part of her persona.

Cook: Absolutely, and this isn’t actually a query, however extra so a thought I had in regards to the endings of Lost Records, however I might say Life is Strange is without doubt one of the most, if not essentially the most, vital video games for younger queer individuals and girls particularly who’ve discovered solace in Max and Chloe or discovered themselves in that recreation. But it does give that inconceivable selection on the finish to both sacrifice Chloe for the sake of the bay or sacrifice Arcadia Bay to stick with Chloe.

What Lost Records does as a substitute is make all of its core characters canonically queer, not simply playersexual, and by doing that, you don’t actually have to fret about burying your gays or giving everybody a cheerful ending, as a result of there’s not only a single queer character or a pair the place everything of illustration rests solely on them. So I felt that that was an extremely particular side of the sport that we actually have by no means seen in a mainstream recreation earlier than that permits you to be rather more versatile with the place their paths take them.

Koch: Thanks for this reflection. I’m not even positive I consciously considered that, however in fact the ‘bury your gay’ trope is one thing that I do know. For the story, I feel how we did Life is Strange was nice. I perceive fully that, particularly again then, I used to be not that a lot conscious of this trope even after we wrote Life is Strange again in 2013 or one thing, and I used to be simply loving Willow and Tara in Buffy and probably not understanding myself even the problem the way it was a trope that possibly shouldn’t be continued. But we’ve positively discovered since then. I discovered, and I do know that we needed to be sure that we deal with issues higher with the assistance, in fact, from Nina, Desiree, and a whole lot of different individuals.

I’m actually comfortable that it labored out, and that’s what you’re saying about Lost Records – it pleases me rather a lot that it really works this fashion for the characters as a result of we nonetheless like to have dramatic occasions. I imply, the dying of a personality – these are nonetheless the bread and butter of dramatic storytelling. I like that myself. If you watch the ranking of any TV present, the best rated episodes are all the time the one with essentially the most brutal dying or a stunning occasion. That’s nonetheless one thing that resonates for everyone. They like to have their peak of one thing horrible that occurs. So, how do you handle to try this, even in a slice of life recreation, whereas being considerate to your characters and to your viewers? So, I’m comfortable that you just assume that it labored out.

Freeman: And I’ll say after I joined the mission, one of many first issues Michel stated was, “We need to make them all romanceable.” And I used to be like, “What?! Yes!” And I feel it was hilarious when individuals began speaking about Lost Records on Reddit and different social media after one of many early trailers. I bear in mind seeing so many individuals attempting to guess who could be romanceable.

Cook: Yup, that was me. That’s what I used to be doing.

Freeman: And I bear in mind simply sitting there being like, “Oh, they’re guessing just, like, Nora,” and I used to be sitting there like, “Little do they know they’re all romanceable.” And I bear in mind being so excited. Maybe I noticed one individual on all the web guess that, however I’ve to say it was a kind of thrilling little secrets and techniques whereas we have been engaged on it, particularly for Life is Strange followers to expertise as a result of it isn’t a typical factor in video games with romance. That was such a enjoyable half to work on and so gratifying.

Cook: I do know that we’ve talked about Life is Strange 1 and 2, nevertheless it’s inconceivable to disregard that DON’T NOD has carried a era of like queer coming-of-age tales on its again. Games just like the Life is Strange sequence clearly, but in addition Lost Records and Tell Me Why, which GLAAD had a component in consulting on as properly… What is it that retains this studio coming again to tales about queer teenagers and younger adults when so many different studios have the thought strategy of, “Oh, well we had a queer character in XYZ game so we’re going to move on to something else because we’ve been there and done that”? 

Koch: For Lost Records, we pitched it to DON’T NOD and so they accepted it. Life is Strange 1 was an inside mission and that was an inside pitch, and Square Enix was proud of it. In Life is Strange 2, we needed to have the character of Finn and present the bisexuality of Sean. That’s one thing that was vital for us. I’m not queer myself, however I nonetheless bear in mind after I was an adolescent, I used to be all the time uncertain about my sexuality and who I used to be interested in. I really feel prefer it’s extra in regards to the bonding you’ve gotten with others. I actually see for me a really blurry line between friendship and sexuality, and whenever you really feel good with somebody, I really feel prefer it’s very near a relationship. So that’s one thing I actually needed within the story, particularly for youngsters: to blur this line about “Who am I, what am I seeking, what am I searching for?”

For Lost Records, we had this story we needed to inform, and it felt pure for us to do that recreation with grownup ladies, with these 4 teenage ladies, and DON’T NOD was proud of the pitch. So there was by no means a pitch from anybody to say “We want a queer story.” It’s all the time one thing that felt pure for us within the story we needed to inform for these characters. And we’ve been very fortunate to be working with companions who have been very receptive to these tales and people pitches.

Cook: I’ve to commend the studio as a result of I do know the workforce most likely needed to assume rather a lot about telling a narrative like this on this local weather. It’s a recreation that facilities 4 younger ladies/ladies, all of whom are queer in several methods – Autumn can also be Black. And there’s a very small however very loud a part of the online game group that targets video games with these sorts of characters, however there may be additionally a core viewers of avid gamers who need tales like these and are underserved, underrepresented in a whole lot of mainstream video games. DON’T NOD looks like one of many few mainstream studios that acknowledges this chance and tells high quality tales as properly.

Koch: Thank you and I agree. I feel we should always try to proceed to push for these tales particularly at present with all of the uncertainties of recreation gross sales, studio closing, and the tough realities. I might say we nonetheless want much more publicity as a result of to make video games, you continue to must to promote these video games. So we have to be sure that we discover methods to seize these audiences – that viewers that wishes to have these sorts of video games.

Freeman: And I feel a part of engaged on these video games can also be about representing these marginalized experiences in a manner that may enchantment to a wider viewers. I feel what’s so vital for illustration within the media is to not give it some thought being only a recreation for, like, bisexual ladies, proper? It’s actually a recreation for all gamers, however in regards to the experiences of those ladies – simply placing worth and making a recreation that these ladies and folks will like, but in addition pondering, “How can we have everyone love this?” Cause like they need to, as a result of these are lovely individuals and everybody must be loving them and having fun with their tales. So enthusiastic about that broad viewers and never pandering to them, however simply making characters that really feel relatable and actual sufficient that everybody can love them is so vital and a core course of for me.

Lost Records simply gained a @glaad.bsky.social award for Outstanding Video Game!

This recreation was made with care, love, and respect for the tales it tells.

Thank you a lot to our workforce, to GLAAD, and particularly to everybody who noticed themselves in Swann, Nora, Autumn and Kat!

#SNAK

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— Michel Koch (@michelkoch.bsky.social) March 7, 2026 at 11:43 AM

Koch: That’s all the time what we attempt to do. Even after we wrote the primary Life is Strange, we have been simply writing what sort of story we needed to play that we hadn’t skilled in earlier video games. We are making video games about individuals we need to inform tales about, however we’re additionally making video games that we really feel the broader viewers would love as a result of we would like these video games ourselves. 

Freeman: One factor that retains me going is that I’ve heard from a bunch of queer ladies since Lost Records got here out who have been like, “I saw myself in this game” or “I loved it because I loved being able to romance any of the girls.” There’s that private suggestions from the teams represented that typically you see as a developer that makes me really feel like, “Oh, we’re doing something cool here,” so I at the least obtained a few of that suggestions and it simply makes you so comfortable. Even although it’s supposed to enchantment to everybody, there are these ladies on the market that really feel represented by it.

Koch: That’s so vital. We don’t must tone down our recreation for the remainder of the viewers. We simply must proceed to make the video games we really feel like are the suitable video games and the suitable tales, and I feel they need to work with different audiences. That’s the problem of at present’s world with the loud minority that are actually pushing in opposition to something that isn’t their razor-thin imaginative and prescient of what life must be. But we don’t care about them and hopefully the remaining are extra clever than that to only be open to these video games.

Keep up with Nina Freeman’s work by visiting her website or following her on Bluesky. Freeman additionally streams her Let’s Plays of assorted video video games on Twitch.

For updates on DON’T NOD Montréal, try their website and discover extra of Michel Koch on Bluesky.