In this guide, you’ll find tips and tricks for Mayhem Mode in Lost But Found.
Lost But Found: Mayhem Mode Guide
Time management is the cornerstone of success in this mode. A well-organized table is crucial to keeping up with the pace. I personally arrange items alphabetically from left to right—Baby Diaper and Ball on the left, Map and Necklace in the middle, Umbrella and Violin on the right. But this is just my preference.
Feel free to create your own system, whether it’s by size, color, or any other logic. The most important thing is consistency, which saves you time searching for items and lets you focus on fulfilling requests efficiently.
Table Setup & Challenges
I place the Gaming Laptop and Valve Deck in the top-middle section of the table. This makes them easy to grab for specific requests, like the “Give Me Something Fun” prompt. If you hand over an “Unfun” item, the requester will scramble all your table items, which can cause chaos—especially if items fall onto the conveyor belt.
Avoiding penalties is all about preparation. My go-to for these requests is the Gaming Laptop: it’s large, noticeable, and easy to grab.
Avoiding Minigames
In Mayhem Mode, minigames are distractions. You might eventually find time for them, but this isn’t the mode to complete challenges like collecting stickers or failing to defuse bombs. Stick to core tasks for efficiency.
“Don’t Have” Button Warning
Avoid using the “Don’t Have” buttons under customer requests. Clicking them generates a useless sticky note with a phone number. The penalty for letting a customer time out is identical to clicking the button, so it’s better to save the hassle and ignore this mechanic entirely.
Managing Trash
Use the trash can at the top-left of the screen to get rid of unnecessary items. Throwing items away incurs a small fine ($1–$9), which is negligible compared to the hundreds you could lose if items clog the conveyor belt.
Here’s what I recommend tossing:
- Boarding Passes: Trash them immediately. Organizing them is tedious, and the fine for throwing them away is minimal.
- Large Items (Luggage, Backpacks, Combination Cases): They take up too much space and serve no purpose in this mode.
- Tiny Items (Wedding Rings, Souvenirs, Lipsticks): These are hard to click quickly, and misclicking can waste valuable time.
When throwing away items, drag them carefully to the trash. Dropping them on the wrong spot (e.g., near a claimant) can result in hefty fines and increase the temperature gauge.
Purchase Priorities
- Cash Register ($3,000): Your top priority. Thieves scale their steals based on your cash on hand, so invest in this ASAP. Until you get it, always keep your cursor ready on the pepper spray to deter thieves.
- Desk Fan & Black Market Art Piece: These help manage the temperature gauge, reducing the risk of losing the game to overheating.
- Court Order: Saves money by lowering end-of-day penalties.
- Table Upgrades: Start with one upgrade for more space. Proper trash management will keep space issues minimal, but an upgrade adds convenience.
- Income Boosters (Security Certificate, Whistle): Extra income is always helpful.
Late-game purchases like additional table space and quality-of-life items (e.g., the radio) are nice but not essential. Skip items like QR code scanners or price guides—they’re unnecessary in this mode.
Closing Thoughts
Mayhem Mode doesn’t offer achievements but is an excellent challenge. It’s also ideal for grinding the Return 1,000 Items Achievement. In Normal Mode, I averaged 30 items returned per day (with time upgrades). In Mayhem, I averaged 40+ returns without extra time, making it far more efficient for this goal.
Ultimately, play the way that feels right for you. If you want to save Wedding Rings or focus less on efficiency, go for it. This mode is about pushing yourself, but there’s no wrong way to approach it!