Throughout the game, the player encounters CG artwork at certain points in the story, which take the place of the background art and character sprites.

Throughout gameplay, the player is given multiple options to choose from, and text progression pauses at these points until a choice is made.

[4] In Search of the Lost Future was released on November 26, 2010 as a limited edition version, playable as a DVD on a Windows PC.

[6] A manga adaptation illustrated by Sasayuki was serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's Comp Ace magazine between the November 2011 and October 2012 issues.

[9][10] A second manga, illustrated by Takeshi Kagura, began serialization in Media Factory's Monthly Comic Alive magazine with the December 2014 issue sold on October 27, 2014.

[12] A 12-episode anime television series adaptation, produced by Feel[13][14] and directed by Naoto Hosoda, aired in Japan between October 4 and December 20, 2014.

The scripts are written by Sadayuki Murai, Tatsuya Takahashi, and Satoko Shinozuka, and the series composition is by Rie Kawamata.

[17] There is a French sentence, "Nous dépassons beaucoup d'aujourd'hui, et changerons le destin quelque jour" (literally translated as "We pass many today, and change the destiny someday", and interpreted as "We pass by much today, and someday will change our fate"), at the bottom of the anime's title logo.

[21][22] From September to November 2010, In Search of the Lost Future ranked twice in the top ten in national PC game pre-orders in Japan.

[23] In Search of the Lost Future ranked first in terms of national sales of PC games in Japan in November 2010.