Lost River

What is Lost River?

Lost River is a fictional map set somewhere in the West. It is a mysterious town, abruptly abandoned by humans for unknown reasons and is gradually returning to nature.

How do I purchase it?

In the game, click Start New Game, then select Lost River in the map pulldown, which will open a new window with option to Preview or Purchase the game. The preview option will let you enter the Lost River map for ten minutes, limited to a small portion of the map, so you can make sure that Lost River runs well on your computer. If you would like to purchase it, return to the main menu and click the Purchase button after selecting Lost River again in the map pulldown. That will take you to Steam or itch.io (depending on where you purchased the game) so you can buy the DLC. If you are purchasing it through itch.io, you must then register your purchase with your WolfQuest game account to unlock it in the game.

Why is the new Lost River map an additional purchase?

Game revenues are how we keep developing and supporting the game.  DLC (downloadable content) such as maps and wolf customizations are offered as "extras" for people who want more options. The revenue from DLC is why we can keep adding content (such as the Saga) to the main game at no extra charge.

Where are the humans?

You will never see humans in Lost River -- and when they abruptly abandoned Lost River, they left behind many mysteries that wolves will never understand. After the humans left, nature began reclaiming the land and wildlife moved back in, going about their lives in amidst human detritus. Player theories abound about what really happened in Lost River but wolves will never know...

Can we raise pups in Lost River?

Yes. Unlike the Lost River Classic map, you can raise pups here. You will also be able to play the complete Saga in Lost River, once that is released.

Multiplayer

Can we travel to Yellowstone game maps from Lost River?

No, both Lost River maps are standalone maps and you can't travel to or from the Yellowstone maps.

Is the habitat the same as the other maps?

Lost River lies somewhere in the Mountain West, and the habitats here are similar to those in other WolfQuest maps. The geology is somewhat different though -- clearly volcanic, with rhyolite and basalt boulders and rock formations, instead of granite. There is a small geothermal area. 

What is the Cattle Ranch?

One of WolfQuest's main goals is to educate about wolves. We have kept the focus on the life of wild wolves of Yellowstone National Park where they mostly avoid people. However, human-wolf interactions are more common outside of the park where wolves might consider domestic animals prey.

We put the Crooked Creek Ranch in a remote corner of Lost River, imagining that these stubborn, somewhat eccentric ranchers stayed behind with their little herd of cows after the evacuation. You will never see the ranchers in the game but this small homestead provides interesting gameplay. The Crooked Creek Ranch is also a chance to learn about the various methods ranchers might use to deter livestock depredation. In the game, our ranchers will use both non-lethal and lethal deterrents to discourage predators. If wolves keep bothering cattle, they will likely perish.

NOTE: The ranch was an interesting game design challenge because humans playing a game won't be scared of things like real wolves would be. Players just won't make the same decisions a real wolf would and, of course, the penalties are very different in the real world. Nevertheless, we hope your main takeaway is that preying on well-protected ranch animals is very dangerous and quite often lethal. Wolves should probably stick to wild prey (which it is plentiful in Lost River). We also hope the game inspires people to learn more about wolf management and how deterrents can help wolves and people live together when their territories overlap.

What is the difference between Lost River Classic and the new Lost River (DLC)?

Lost River Classic is the original WolfQuest 2.7 map. It is also included for free when you buy WolfQuest: Anniversary Edition (Early Access for PC/Mac). We are no longer updating this map but it is still available for nostalgic fun. Because it is a smaller, more basic map, players with less powerful computers may prefer it for multiplayer games. Note: You can't raise pups in Lost River Classic.

The new Lost River (DLC) is a greatly expanded map that includes all the newest systems, gameplay, and graphics of WQ: AE.