Lost Words: Beyond the Page

It may be Rhianna’s name that sells you on Lost Words but it takes a talented team to bring a writer’s work to life. And Sketchbook Games did such a brilliant job of it. The art is inviting, the controls are simple and intuitive. No level felt like a chore, nor did I encounter any strange bugs. I found it almost impossible to get stuck at any point. It’s not so long that it will be pushed aside quickly, either; it took me a Saturday afternoon to get through the majority of it. If you have a youngster interested in writing and video games, I highly recommend nudging them towards Lost Words to encourage their creative spark.

Mixing platforming and simple, effective spellcasting, Lost Words is the Harry Potter game you didn’t know you wanted – with an impactful story to boot. Younger gamers will be drawn to the platforming, but don’t be fooled by the family-friendly art style as beyond that lies a game with a powerfully emotional story that is likely to crack even the hardest among you.

An emotional story that deserves to be told and a touching, simple adventure that will dig deeply in your soul.

Lost Words: Beyond the Page makes a strong case for the argument that video games can be considered art.

Lost Words: Beyond The Page is an excellent exploration of the relationship between a young girl and her grandmother with superb voice acting for the lead character. Very much recommended.

Lost Words: Beyond The Page is a heartbreaking, beautiful tale, dealing in grief, depression and escaping into our own perfect worlds to escape the sadness of reality. Do yourself a favour and bring this story to life.

If you’re looking for an emotional ride that will likely elicit a tear or two, Lost Words is something that should be on your list. Hiding under the basic gameplay is a story worth experiencing.

Lost Words: Beyond the Page is a great story with minimalistic gameplay. It feels that through the entire game the developers focused mainly on the diary, Estoria being more of an afterthought. Still, overall, the magic is there and the game is worth a playthrough especially by young adults. There are some original and innovative ideas in the game, but in the end, is a very casual experience. Those who love a good story will love Lost Words: Beyond the Page. But those who are looking for deep gameplay, have nothing to see here.

Lost Words: Beyond the Page offers a touching experience, able to lead the players to identify with the experience of the little protagonist. A powerful and talented narrative that unfolds its effectiveness especially when you find yourself treading the handwritten ink words on your diary in small steps, capable of evoking snapshots that are both daily and suggestive. With more structured gameplay and a higher level of challenge, the adventures of Izzy and the heroine of the world of Estoria could have shone a brighter light, taking the delicate indie to higher heights. Despite this, Lost Words: Beyond the Page remains a title that we absolutely feel to recommend to enthusiasts looking for a genuinely exciting journey, able to fascinate - even if for a few hours - with its delicate watercolor shades.

Lost Words: Beyond the Page is a heartfelt and human exploration of grief. While it will certainly make you feel things, it stumbles a bit in the execution with ham fisted moments, glitches, and overall simplicity of puzzles.

A simple platformer bolstered by a beautifully delicate meditation on family, love, remembrance and loss told through the prism of young girl, Lost Words: Beyond The Page might not have much to offer the genre at large, but it resolutely crafts an experience that lingers long after the stylish credits have completed their inexorable ascent.

A positive outlook on life provides a positive experience. Izzy’s emotional journey is worth exploring to see what happened next. The use of the journal made the emotional twists land. The Land of Estoria is a pleasant albeit safe environment, possibly mirroring Izzy’s mental state. The gameplay is straightforward, pleasant to explore despite an occasional lagging camera. Could there have been better variety here? Sure, but story is the focus here, with a nice art style and enjoyable music & voice acting to accompany it.

Saying the right thing at the right time can be of incredible value, and even more so when one debates themselves. In this context, the girl’s words are clearly ripples originating from a point somewhere deep within her, and even after they’ve been written down and observed, they continue to linger and resonate. In those moments, Lost Words: Beyond the Page becomes an exemplary result of the clash between videogame rules and sincere expressionist literature. This dynamic even paves the way for the main character to accept living with a previously-unfathomable empty space in her heart – a condition that is manageable and is part of everyone’s nature. No doubt, a message very timely for younger audiences who probably won’t anticipate receiving meaningful life-lessons from this medium.

With its touching story about this aspiring little writer girl struggling to process her feelings, Lost Words reveals to be a mostly narrative-driven experience. The concept of magical words is quite interesting but in the end, there isn't one obstacle in the player's path able to bring some tension in the game. Yet, the adventure of Izzy and its paper alter ego might well soften the most hardened hearts.

A moving game that prioritizes its story over any other gameplay mechanic or technical improvements, that will be interesting because of its storytelling, but that will not be remembered for long.

Lost World is a short adventure with glimpses of exciting concepts, but in the end fails to impress as you wouldn't miss much by not playing it.

This is a beautiful game with a clever concept and a wonderful soundtrack, but it’s unambitious in its execution. The story is an obvious metaphor for Izzy’s grief when her gran has a stroke, valuable for young players but too on-the-nose otherwise. There are very few magic words to use, and no real puzzles to speak of. It offers a sweet story clearly geared towards children like its protagonist, but the gameplay doesn’t live up to its potential. [Issue#1, p.88]