The Book of Lost Things is like an escape room in a book. 

It’s an illustrated adventure/mystery/puzzle novel that uses Augmented Reality (AR) in an entirely innovative way. You will use your phone or tablet to:

• Translate the text of a lost language.
• Discover code breaking devices within the 3D objects and use them to unlock puzzles, messages and cryptograms.
• Find hidden symbols and text on the sides and backs of objects for which you will need to use the code breakers.
• Bring all of these elements together to reveal hidden aspects of the story and solve the puzzles in the book. There are many levels to this story. And the deeper you go, the more mind-bending this adventure becomes.

The AR is an integral part of the storytelling process. Without it, there is no way to decipher the text and solve the mysteries.

The Book of Lost Things is a Sherlock-style adventure in the form of an ancient manuscript. The story is told through a series of objects now lost in time. Each object reveals a new chapter of the story. Each page divulges more clues and conjures more mysteries.

As you progress through the book, the AR will reveal:

• The party of heroes and their incredible journey.
• The eccentric scribe who chronicled their tale.
• The unknown annotators who’s notes in the margins reveal puzzling details about the characters, the world they inhabit, and its inexplicable connection to our own.
• The enigmatic translator who created the 3D objects, the AR, and brought the whole codex together.

I went to C2E2 to demonstrate how the book works, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. Here are just a few comments from people at the show.

“Wow, that’s the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen! Amazing!” – Stephanie

“An escape room in a book, and it’s 3D, I love it!” – Craig

“I’ve never seen anything like this before. That’s ingenious!” – Kendra

“Okay, that is the coolest thing ever!” – Benny

“This is my new favorite thing, I must have it!” – Denise

“Finally someone did something with AR that’s fun and interesting, I can’t wait to get my hands on this!” – Brenda

“A truly original idea, this is brilliant!” – Albert

“I need this right now!” – Marlow

Augmented Reality is a technology that superimposes a computer-generated image on a user’s view of the real world, thus providing a composite view. So you will see additional content of the book that can only be seen through your digital device. As you move your device around you will be able to view the entire object in 360 degrees (all four sides and the top). What really differentiates this book is that the AR is the only way to read the story and find the clues to solving it.

After you receive your book, you will download a free app. It’s currently compatible with iPhone and Android devices. That does not mean that other formats won’t available on release. I’m always looking to add more devises when possible. 

The book is laid out in two page spreads. Each spread is divided into six sections.

Section 1 contains the text of the main story of the manuscript. The origin and validity of this tale is a mystery.

Section 2 has illuminations that support the story in section 1. It also features unique artifacts that have been rendered in 3D to aid in your investigation.

Sections 3 & 4 have background information that generally support sections 1 and 2 and give additional context to the main narrative.

Sections 5 & 6 contain the comments of two annotators. The identities of these authors are unknown, and the time and place these additional texts were made are uncertain.

You will need to discover the puzzles yourself.

• There are cryptograms hidden throughout the pages and on the 3D objects.
• There are also decoders built into certain objects that will help unlock the puzzles.
• The answers solve riddles and give more information about the characters and events.

The Book of Kells

As a boy, I loved medieval manuscripts. To me they felt like magical objects sent from another universe. The breathtaking illustrations, the bizarre people and animals inhabiting the edges, the ornate text, and the annotations that had been added over generations. I would spend countless hours redrawing the illustrations and dreaming of what it would be like to meet the creators and ask them the thousands of questions I had about their masterpieces.

Many years later I was fortunate enough to visit Trinity College in Dublin and see the Book of Kells. To be able to view the actual book from just inches away was an awe inspiring experience. I wondered what it would be like if that book could talk.

Earlier this year I was watching The Secret of Kells for about the millionth time while outlining an AR project for a client, when I realized this is the technology that could finally bring my dream to life. I could use AR to translate a “manuscript” of my own.

Then I read a story about how Anne Boleyn had left secret messages in her prayer book. This was it, I could take it a step further. I would have the 3D objects and text become part of the storytelling experience by adding puzzles and ciphers that would require using parts of the 3D objects as codebreakers.

Now I’m here to take this dream and make it a reality. Only with your help will I be able to bring this one of a kind book to life.

The mysteries of The Book of Lost Things are appropriate for anyone ages 13 and up. 

This is your chance to participate in an innovative style of interactive storytelling. 

Back this project today, and discover The Book of Lost Things.

This is an extremely complex book with multiple elements to develop. The book will be printed in the US in a deluxe large format with heavy pages and hard cover. The AR element will incur development and usage cost. These factors were used in determining the price for the book.

Sometimes things get crazy and stuff happens that can’t be planned for: a supplier misses a deadline or a shipment gets lost. Those things could cause a delay.  I will be using an experienced logistics team to get my products to you. I will provide open and honest communication with you through this process so you know where your product is and when it’s going to get to you.

I want to make sure any content I release is the best it can be, so I don’t want to rush the design and development process. That being said, I am confident that I will be able to meet my deadlines. I promise to send updates at least every month to keep you up to date on what is going on. You can also visit the official website Perditus.com and the Facebook page Book of Lost Things to see more updates.

Please know that there may be changes in the design of the book, but it will remain true to my vision. I’m constantly looking to improve the story and experience.