Quiet, hard-working, loyal - Jess isn’t someone you’d expect to disappear without a trace. With a close family and tons of friends around her, she would have told someone if she was struggling with something.

Wouldn’t she?

As a trainee police officer, you embark on your first real missing persons case. Led by the formidable SIO Monica Clark, you’ll work through a body of evidence, building a picture of what happened to Jess. You’ll inspect gifts from loved ones, notes passed between friends and testimonies from her nearest and dearest.

But it won’t be easy. The evidence isn’t always readily available. You’ll need to crack codes and solve riddles, piecing together information to unlock the key to Jess’ whereabouts.

You’ll need to be thorough, but efficient.

Let’s get to work.

Lost & Found is a browser-based interactive experience which opens up a conversation around youth loneliness. It is for young people aged 11-25, and the professionals, parents and guardians who support and care for them.

Lost & Found draws on research from Loneliness Connects Us, a collaborative research project from Manchester Metropolitan University and 42nd Street, which saw 200+ young people from across the UK share their personal experiences of loneliness.

Please note:

  • You can play alone or in a small group.
  • We recommend playing on a laptop or a desktop computer with either Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome internet browser.
  • We recommend headphones or an external speaker for a better listening experience, but in-built speakers are fine.
  • If you prefer, you can switch the background sound off in the browser.
  • If a video appears you can click a button to the right to enlarge it.
  • You will need to take notes, so grab a pen and paper.
  • At the end of each chapter there are a couple of questions reflecting on what’s happened so far. If you are in a group, consider discussing them briefly before moving on.
  • You can leave and come back to the chapter you left using the links below.

Ready? Start here: Chapter 1: Missing Person's Unit

Mid-game? Pick up at the chapter you left:

Chapter 2: Jessica's Home
Chapter 3: Poletto Cafe
Chapter 4: Green Moor colleagues
Chapter 5: IT Department
Chapter 6: Case Meeting
Research & Acknowledgements