A Normal Lost Phone

A femme appearing person looks at the camera with the queer pride flag painted on her cheek, and another queer pride flag on the wall behind her. The word 'Contacts' is below her to suggest the photo is on a phone.
  • Developer: Accidental Queens
  • Publisher: Accidental Queens
  • Year: 2017
  • Genre: Interactive fiction
  • Platform/s: PC

A Normal Lost Phone is a point-and-click about exploring a phone you find. Instead of simply calling a contact on the phone to find its owner (it's low on credit) or taking it to a police station (because then there wouldn't be a game, I guess), A Normal Lost Phone asks you to discover random information about the phone's owner by snooping through its contents. The snooping reveals a lot of queer themes, including explicit representation of bisexuality and trans identity, and the process of coming out. It also features themes of transphobia / homophobia / discrimination, as some characters in the conservative town where the protagonist resides seemingly do not react positively to this coming out.

Because the protagonist is visible only through the contents on their phone and not through actions of their own, A Normal Lost Phone isn't great for giving queer characters agency. In fact, the game encourages you to act on Sam's behalf, which makes the snooping even more unsettling. You can read about one player's issues with this here. The game offers explicit representation, a thought-provoking examination of queer identity, and was made in consultation with the trans community, but also feels unnervingly voyeuristic. Play with care.