Lost Words: Beyond the Page

Lost Words: Beyond the Page is a beautiful game, with a touching and meaningful plot, engaging gameplay and gorgeous visuals. A few technical glitches cannot stop this brilliant game.

87%Game Brain Score

story, emotional

stability, grinding

96% User Score Based on 846 reviews

Critic Score 76%Based on 28 reviews

Platforms

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About

"Lost Words: Beyond the Page" is a single-player adventure game with a gripping plot, written by Rhianna Pratchett. The game combines platforming and puzzles, as players run and interact with words in a diary and a fantasy land to solve puzzles. Its immersive storytelling, beautiful visual style, and innovative gameplay make for a unique and emotionally moving experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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96%

Audience ScoreBased on 846 reviews

story372 positive mentions

stability12 negative mentions

The game features a beautifully emotional story that resonates with players, particularly those who have experienced loss.
The unique gameplay mechanics, where players use words to interact with the environment, create an engaging and immersive experience.
The art style and music are stunning, enhancing the overall atmosphere and emotional impact of the game.

The gameplay can feel simplistic and may not provide enough challenge for players looking for more complex puzzles or platforming.
Some players experienced bugs and glitches that affected their gameplay experience.
The game is relatively short, which may leave some players wanting more content.

story
1,137 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
66%
1%
The story of "Lost Words: Beyond the Page" is a poignant exploration of grief and acceptance, told through the dual narratives of a young girl, Izzy, as she navigates her real-life struggles with her grandmother's illness and the fantasy story she writes. While the gameplay is simple and linear, the heartfelt writing, beautiful art, and emotional depth resonate deeply with players, making it a touching experience that many find relatable and impactful. Despite some predictability and minor gameplay issues, the storytelling is celebrated for its creativity and emotional weight, often leaving players moved and reflective.
- “The storytelling goes along with the game mechanics flawlessly, making it an enjoyable experience.”
- “The story is rich and heartwarming.”
- “The story, the narration, the concept, the gameplay, everything is done to tell a story and makes us feel, and gosh did I feel.”
- “Pity the story was also very predictable.”
- “And unfortunately, despite all the prettiness, the story itself is predictable and plodding, all the way to the game's final humdrum and shallow message about life, loss, and growing up.”
- “The story telling felt a little all over the place.”
emotional
366 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of "Lost Words: Beyond the Page" is widely praised, with many players noting its heartfelt storytelling that explores themes of loss, grief, and acceptance. The game effectively combines a touching narrative with beautiful visuals and music, often evoking strong emotional responses, including tears. While some found the gameplay simplistic, the overall experience is described as deeply moving and relatable, making it a memorable journey for players of all ages.
- “I highly recommend this game, especially for those who enjoy emotionally driven stories that tug at your heartstrings.”
- “For me, it's a heart-wrenching game that brings you back to your own experience of grief no matter how long ago it was and will definitely bring you to tears.”
- “The orchestral soundtrack, combined with the heartfelt writing, the emotional voice acting, the parallels between real life loss and a fantasy struggle, all comes together into one beautiful narrative.”
gameplay
327 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
61%
6%
The gameplay of "Lost Words: Beyond the Page" is characterized by its simplicity and accessibility, primarily serving as a vehicle for its emotionally resonant narrative. Players engage in light platforming and puzzle-solving using a unique word mechanic that enhances the storytelling experience, though many reviews note that the gameplay lacks challenge and depth. Overall, while the mechanics are straightforward and designed for a casual audience, the integration of gameplay with the heartfelt story creates a memorable experience.
- “I really enjoyed the gameplay's uniqueness, using words filled with magic to progress the fantasy side of the game and walking on words written in the main character's journal.”
- “The storytelling goes along with the game mechanics flawlessly, making it an enjoyable experience.”
- “The gameplay is a combination of 2D puzzle platformer and interactive novel where the words themselves literally serve as game elements like platforms and spells - in ways that continually surprise and mesh with/enhance the perfectly-paced ~5 hour Rhiana Pratchett-written story.”
- “To be honest, this unique little game is very mediocre in gameplay; things we have seen a hundred times done better elsewhere.”
- “The gameplay is very simple and easy, but it's clear that the story is the focus, so it's not too bad.”
- “Right now, though, we just have a well-written, intimate, and sincere story that gets bogged down by extremely repetitive and boring gameplay.”
music
184 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
31%
2%
The music in "Lost Words: Beyond the Page" has received widespread acclaim for its emotional depth and ability to enhance the storytelling experience. Players describe the soundtrack as beautiful and fitting, often highlighting its orchestral quality and how it complements the game's visuals and narrative. While some noted minor technical issues with voice volume, the overall consensus is that the music significantly contributes to the game's emotional impact, making it a standout feature.
- “The music is amazing, I highly recommend getting the OST bundle if you get the game.”
- “The orchestral soundtrack, combined with the heartfelt writing, the emotional voice acting, the parallels between real life loss and a fantasy struggle, all comes together into one beautiful narrative.”
- “The artwork is gorgeous, the music hits all the emotional points, the story is wonderfully crafted, and the game mechanics are clever and interesting.”
- “First one is more technical: the volume of the voices in some places was very low, even though it was turned to maximum, and it was not because of the music.”
- “But sometimes there are some parts that feel empty with the absence of the music, so it could've done better.”
- “Lost Words: Beyond the Page is a game that I've waited long for until it got released. I personally liked it since the first moment I saw the trailer, but to start fairly while reviewing it, it's more storytelling than playing, yet it's a heart-touching game with very cozy music and soundtracks.”
graphics
160 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
66%
32%
2%
The graphics of the game have been widely praised for their stunning beauty and unique art style, often described as colorful and immersive, with a watercolor aesthetic that enhances the emotional narrative. While some reviews noted minor graphical glitches and a lack of complexity in gameplay, the overall visual presentation, combined with effective voice acting and a touching story, creates a captivating experience that resonates with players. Many reviewers highlighted that the visuals significantly contribute to the game's emotional impact, making it a standout feature.
- “Lost Words got that gris vibe with all that platforming, stunning visuals, and a fully voiced evocative and sorrowful narrative about coping with grief and loss.”
- “The artwork is beautiful, the characters are endearing, the lessons learned are timeless, and the overall story is engaging.”
- “The graphics are gorgeous, the music hits all the emotional points, the story is wonderfully crafted, and the game mechanics are clever and interesting.”
- “The graphics in the fairytale land are simply put, awful; the main character has a cute design, but this really looks like something from several decades ago, especially since all it does is repeat the same few movements ad nauseam.”
- “Not flattering in terms of gameplay and graphics.”
- “There are some graphical glitches here and there with the main character getting stuck on walls or floating during a cutscene, but nothing that was game breaking.”
stability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its charm and storytelling, but it suffers from numerous stability issues, including model bugs, clipping, and graphical glitches. While these bugs can be annoying, they are generally not game-breaking, leading to mixed reviews regarding overall stability.
- “It has a lot of charm and a very sweet story, but that is taken down by the constant model bugs, clipping, broken models, and other glitches just with the levels themselves.”
- “6/10 | Good game with beautiful art and story, but surprisingly buggy for the number of people working on it.”
- “There are some graphical glitches here and there with the main character getting stuck on walls or floating during a cutscene, but nothing that was game breaking.”
humor
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as a blend of surprising, thoughtful, and often sad moments that evoke both laughter and tears. Players appreciate the raw and real storytelling, which includes hilariously simple puzzles and minor, amusing bugs that add to the overall experience without detracting from gameplay. Overall, the game successfully balances humor with emotional depth.
- “This is an absolutely gorgeous game that made me laugh and cry.”
- “The story feels raw and real (and sometimes very funny); it might have been just me, but yeah, it *will* make you cry.”
- “It is sad as well as hilariously funny.”
character development
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development in the game is praised for being well-executed despite its short length, with reviewers highlighting the unique character designs and beautiful art that enhance the overall storytelling experience. The combination of a captivating soundtrack and visually stunning backgrounds further enriches the narrative, making the characters feel more engaging and memorable.
- “Despite the short length, the character development and plot were both very well done.”
- “From the soundtrack, to the character design, to the story plot - the entire game is beautiful.”
- “When I first added this to my wish list, I thought they were going to make it a more traditional 2D animation, but the 3D looks beautiful, the character designs look so unique, and the background was so amazing I sometimes just stared at it.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, often describing it as boring and slower than necessary. While there is some enjoyment in the gameplay, much of the experience involves passive card farming, leading to a sense of frustration and the feeling that it requires an excessive time commitment.
- “It is a good 'game' (not for gamers), though quite tedious, boring, slow, and longer than it should be.”
- “About 1.4 hours of gameplay; the rest is AFK card farming.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
12%
13%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its lovely voice acting and emotive music, creating an engaging and immersive experience. Reviewers note that while the atmosphere can be tense or hectic at times, it remains suitable for a younger audience, as there is no combat involved. Overall, it is recommended for those who enjoy story-rich, atmospheric games.
- “Lovely voice acting accompanied with emotive music make this a great atmospheric experience.”
- “If you like story-rich atmospheric games, you should give it a shot.”
- “Absolutely loved the story, the atmosphere, and the voice over.”
- “I found the atmosphere rather tense and/or hectic sometimes, though it still seemed to be made with kids/teens in mind. Thankfully, there's no combat, and you don't actively harm anyone (if I recall correctly).”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
Overall, the game is praised for its narrative quality and artistic value, though many reviewers note that it lacks significant replayability. While some find limited replay value due to its short length, it is primarily recommended as a one-time experience rather than a game to revisit frequently.
- “The game is relatively short, but has some replay value, I believe.”
- “Highly recommended, not necessarily as a replayable game, but as an experience which I am proud to own as a piece of narrative art.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization of games like Mirror's Edge, Tomb Raider, and the 2014 reboot of Thief has received criticism, with users expressing disappointment in the performance of these titles. Overall, the optimization in these games does not meet expectations.

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76%Critics’ scoreBased on 28 critic reviews

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4h Median play time

4h Average play time

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*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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