The Search for Lost Species
Explore island habitats, survey wildlife on foot or by boat, gather clues and locate a species that has remained unseen for decades.
The Search for Lost Species is a deduction and exploration board game published by Renegade Game Studios in 2023. Scientists travel around an island, use surveys and logical clues to identify wildlife, report sightings and eventually locate a lost species.
It follows The Search for Planet X, but adds geographic movement, terrain relationships, town abilities and several different lost-species puzzles. The game draws on real conservation work, particularly the rediscovery efforts documented by Re:wild.
What makes this game different?
Information does not come only from choosing a sector. Your explorer must be in the right area, and a survey’s route determines which habitats it can examine. That makes route planning part of the deduction problem: the best clue is not necessarily the most accessible one.
What this guide covers
We explain island movement, boat and foot surveys, camera traps, the time-track system, town cards, sighting reports, solo play, comparison with Planet X and a practical reasoning framework for beginners. The gameplay overview is a learning companion rather than a replacement for the complete rulebook.
Game at a Glance
Explore
Travel across connected areas to set up surveys.
Investigate
Collect counts, local sightings and logic clues.
Report Sightings
Convert justified deductions into expedition credit.
Find the Species
Identify the hidden lost-species location.
How The Search for Lost Species works
The island is divided into numbered areas, with coasts, mountains and multiple terrain types. A hidden wildlife distribution is generated by the companion app using the chosen island and lost species. Each player maintains a private record of confirmed sightings and deductions.
On your turn you choose an investigation or movement-related action, use the app for its information, and pay the indicated time cost by advancing on the time track. Like Planet X, turn order depends on time positions rather than simply rotating clockwise. Players who take costly actions can give opponents opportunities to act sooner.
The object is not merely to be first to guess. You want to contribute accurate sightings and successfully locate the lost species while using the expedition’s limited time efficiently.
Survey by foot vs survey by boat
| Action | Movement / coverage | Time cost | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Survey by foot | Move 1–3 adjacent areas; survey entered areas | 3 | Precise inland investigation |
| Survey by boat | Move 4–6 areas along coast, including at least four distinct areas | 2 | Broad coastal counts |
Both actions select an animal type and return information on how many of that type are found in the surveyed area set. A foot survey can change direction but cannot cross a mountain. A boat survey must remain on the coastline and satisfy the minimum distinct-area requirement.
Editorial example: if a coastal survey finds two animals across five areas, that establishes a total but not their individual locations. A later overlapping survey can help narrow the possibilities by comparing which areas were included in each count.
How island movement changes the puzzle
On the physical board, the investigator’s position determines where movement begins. Mountain barriers and coastline restrictions influence which route a survey may legally use. Several explorers may occupy an area at once; there is no need to block an opponent by standing on a location.
This introduces a strategic question absent from a simple grid deduction puzzle: will a longer trip produce enough useful information to justify its time cost, or can a smaller observation answer the question immediately?
What does the Camera Trap action do?
Camera traps provide a more localized way to examine wildlife than a route-based survey. They are most useful when a small number of possibilities remain and another broad count would give too little additional information.
For example, when several survey results already constrain a particular area, checking that area can resolve an uncertainty that affects multiple deductions. Use the app’s action instructions for exact legal targeting and time cost.
Terrain and wildlife logic rules
The game uses three terrain types, so clues can express more than simple neighboring relationships. A species might be constrained by habitat, distance or combinations of island regions. The specific clues change with the selected lost species and generated setup.
When noting a clue, distinguish a confirmed positive sighting, a confirmed negative result, and a theoretical deduction. Marking those differently helps avoid treating a plausible location as certain.
Why the time track matters
Survey by boat costs two time units and survey by foot costs three. They are not interchangeable: the cheaper boat action covers more coastal territory, while the more expensive foot action can inspect interior spaces.
A time-efficient survey is not necessarily the shortest survey. A clue that eliminates six candidate arrangements can be more useful than an apparently precise answer that confirms what you already knew.
Town cards and expedition advantages
Town cards provide abilities that can alter how an expedition unfolds. The box includes 18 town cards, creating variety between games. Their value depends on the information you need and your current position, not simply on collecting every available benefit.
Before spending time to reach a town, ask whether the ability will help immediately or only under an unlikely later condition.
How reporting sightings supports victory
Correct sightings of other wildlife are part of the expedition’s scoring goal. The strongest players do more than seek the final lost species: they turn deductions about ordinary animals into reliable reports.
Do not submit a location only because it appears likely. A single incorrect assumption can also corrupt subsequent deductions, so trace each report back to observations or confirmed logic.
Six possible lost species
The game offers six lost-species cards. Each introduces its own logical constraints, meaning a successful strategy on one puzzle may not carry over unchanged to another.
The six-species system and double-sided island are important for replayability: changing the map alters travel options, and changing the species alters the deductions needed to solve the mystery.
How does solo play work?
The official game supports one player, with special solo rules. Solo remains a deduction and expedition-planning challenge, rather than a stripped-down demonstration of the multiplayer game. Follow the separate solo instructions included with the rules resources and use the companion app for the generated hidden information.
Do you need the companion app?
The companion app is the standard way to generate the secret island setup and report investigation results. Renegade also provides a browser-based version, making it possible to use the system without installing a mobile app.
The publisher’s original crowdfunding FAQ described an app-free printable GM Kit as a planned alternative, but that statement alone does not establish present availability. Check the publisher’s current resources before buying specifically for fully app-free play.
The Search for Lost Species vs The Search for Planet X
| Feature | Lost Species | Planet X |
|---|---|---|
| Setting | Island wildlife expedition | Outer solar system astronomy |
| Investigation geography | Physical movement across areas | Visible sectors around a circular board |
| Variable puzzles | Six lost species; two island maps | Standard and Expert sector configurations |
| Distinctive action | Foot and boat surveys | Sector-targeting and research |
| Solo | Official solo rules | Official app-controlled opponent |
| Best for | People who enjoy spatial deductions and route planning | People who prefer concentrated abstract logic |
Which should you choose? Choose Lost Species if moving around a map and combining terrain clues sound appealing. Choose Planet X if you prefer a more abstract astronomical logic puzzle. Neither is simply an expansion to the other.
Eight practical strategy principles
- Choose observations that split possibilities. A survey is valuable when its potential answers imply different next moves.
- Overlap surveys intentionally. Two partially overlapping counts may reveal more than unrelated observations.
- Save camera traps for bottlenecks. Narrow observations become more useful after broad surveys reduce uncertainty.
- Account for terrain. A seemingly nearby area can require an inefficient detour around mountains.
- Compare time costs and information gain. The cheaper boat action will not always be the smarter one.
- Separate evidence from guesses. Use distinct symbols on your notes for confirmed facts and tentative theories.
- Report high-confidence ordinary wildlife sightings. Do not focus entirely on the lost species and overlook other scoring opportunities.
- Reevaluate when new shared information arrives. Another player’s confirmed report can narrow your own search.
Is The Search for Lost Species worth buying?
It is a strong candidate for people who like logic-grid puzzles, clue elimination and deduction under time pressure. It is less suitable if you want freeform exploration, combat, a story-driven campaign or a game with almost no note-taking.
Renegade lists a game board, note pad, four player screens, 18 town cards, six lost-species cards, nine pawns and assorted tokens. Age guidance is 14+ on the publisher’s current retailer page.
The greatest reason to choose it over Planet X is the added layer of geographic planning, not simply the wildlife theme.
The Search for Lost Species FAQ
How many players?
One to four, including official solo play.
How long does it take?
Renegade lists 60–75 minutes.
Is it a sequel to The Search for Planet X?
It is a standalone follow-up that builds on the deduction approach with island travel and new clue structures.
How many lost species are included?
Six lost-species cards, each offering its own logic challenge.
Are there different islands?
Yes. The game features two island-map configurations.
What is the difference between foot and boat surveys?
Foot surveys examine 1–3 adjacent movement areas and cost three time; boat surveys cover a longer coastal route and cost two time.
Can you play without a phone?
A browser app is available. The publisher previously announced plans for an app-free GM Kit, but its current availability should be checked separately.
Is this a cooperative game?
The standard game is competitive: scientists contribute sightings and race to earn expedition credit.
Can I use the Planet X app?
No. Lost Species uses a separate companion app and hidden island setups.
Is it an educational conservation game?
It is a deduction game inspired by real rediscovery efforts. The theme can prompt discussion about wildlife, but playing it does not replace scientific conservation training.
Sources and scope
- Renegade Game Studios: official product information, components and player count
- Renegade: November 2023 retail availability announcement
- Renegade campaign FAQ: solo, app, differences from Planet X and play time
- Renegade: companion web app
- Re:wild: real-world lost-species conservation initiative
Publisher and app information checked October 10, 2026. Strategy recommendations are editorial reasoning, not claims of personal playtesting. Game content is paraphrased rather than reproducing the copyrighted rulebook. Editorial policy and corrections.