Lost Words: Beyond the Page

Lost Words: Beyond the Page is a gorgeous, moving tale of two young girls facing an increasingly frightening world and eventually finding beauty where those less innocent might not, and that’s the kind of writing that transcends mediums.

77%Game Brain Score

story, emotional

stability, grinding

96% User Score Based on 423 reviews

Critic Score 76%Based on 3 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 Play through the game's story or campaign solo

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 426 reviews

story186 positive mentions

stability6 negative mentions

The game features a beautifully emotional story that resonates with players, particularly those who have experienced loss.
The visuals and art style are stunning, enhancing the overall experience and immersion in the narrative.
The unique gameplay mechanics, which involve using words to solve puzzles and progress the story, are innovative and engaging.

The gameplay can be overly simplistic and may not provide enough challenge for players looking for more complex mechanics.
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
569 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 is writing. While the gameplay is simple and often serves as a vehicle for the narrative, 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 overall storytelling is celebrated as a standout feature of the game.
- “The story is rich and heartwarming.”
- “A masterpiece in storytelling.”
- “The story, the narration, the concept, the gameplay, everything is done to tell a story and makes us feel, and gosh did I feel.”
- “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 was told in a way that made you feel with the main character, it also showed how differently characters reacted.”
- “The ending of the story left me confused and ruined the otherwise simple nature of the story.”
emotional
183 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its heartfelt storytelling, which resonates deeply with players, often evoking tears and personal reflections on loss and grief. Many reviews highlight the unique blend of reality and fantasy, enhanced by beautiful visuals and a touching soundtrack, creating a powerful narrative experience that is both relatable and moving. While some find the gameplay simplistic, the emotional impact and the sincerity of the story make it a memorable and worthwhile experience for those seeking an emotional journey.
- “This game is a beautiful and emotional blend of reality and fantasy.”
- “I cried, smiled, and got completely engulfed in the story.”
- “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
164 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 sometimes repetitive, they effectively complement the game's heartfelt themes and beautiful visuals, making it a memorable experience for those who appreciate narrative-driven games.
- “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 story.”
- “To be honest, this unique little game is very mediocre in gameplay; things we have seen a hundred times done better elsewhere.”
- “Gameplay could use some work (more content, more engaging), and though it is ostensibly a 'choices-matter' game, your choices don't really matter all that much (if at all).”
- “Overall, it was a fun idea to explore, but it really didn't do enough either gameplay or story-wise to make it worthwhile.”
music
92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
29%
3%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its emotional depth and ability to enhance the storytelling experience. The orchestral soundtrack is described as beautiful and fitting, often evoking strong feelings that resonate with players. Overall, the combination of music, voice acting, and visuals creates a captivating and immersive atmosphere that significantly contributes to the game's emotional impact.
- “The music is amazing; I highly recommend getting the OST bundle if you get the game.”
- “The orchestral soundtrack, combined with the heartfelt writing and emotional voice acting, all comes together into one beautiful narrative.”
- “The music perfectly accompanies the sentimental story.”
- “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 its release; it's more about storytelling than playing, yet it's a heart-touching game with very cozy music and soundtracks.”
graphics
80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
66%
30%
4%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning beauty and unique art style, often described as vibrant and watercolor-like, which enhances the emotional storytelling. Players appreciate the immersive visuals that complement the narrative, although some note minor graphical glitches and a lack of complexity in gameplay mechanics. Overall, the visuals are considered a highlight, contributing significantly to the game's charm and emotional impact.
- “Lost Words: Beyond the Page excels at its powerful and emotional story that is excellently supported by its unique art style.”
- “The artwork is gorgeous, the music hits all the emotional points, the story is wonderfully crafted, and the game mechanics are clever and interesting.”
- “The graphics are gorgeous.”
- “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
6 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 are generally not game-breaking, they detract from the overall experience, leading to mixed reviews regarding 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.”
- “Also worth mentioning that it's a bit buggy.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a blend of surprising and thoughtful moments, often evoking both laughter and tears. Players appreciate the balance of hilarity and sadness in the storytelling, with some finding the puzzles amusingly simple. Minor bugs add to the comedic experience without detracting from gameplay.
- “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
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
Character development in the game is praised for its quality despite the short length, with reviewers highlighting the well-crafted plot and unique character designs. The combination of beautiful 3D visuals and an engaging soundtrack enhances the overall experience, making the characters and their stories 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
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, often requiring excessive time investment for minimal progress. While some enjoy the game, many feel that the grinding detracts from the overall experience, making it feel slow and boring.
- “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
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its lovely voice acting and emotive music, creating a rich and immersive experience. While it is generally story-driven and suitable for younger audiences, some players noted moments of tension and hecticness, enhancing the overall ambiance without the presence of combat.
- “Lovely voice acting accompanied by emotive music makes 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 voiceover.”
- “I found the atmosphere rather tense and hectic at times, though it still seemed to be made with kids and teens in mind. Thankfully, there's no combat, and you don't actively harm anyone, if I remember correctly.”
- “The game tries to create a whimsical atmosphere, but it often feels forced and lacks genuine charm.”
- “While the visuals are colorful, the overall atmosphere feels empty and uninspired, making it hard to stay engaged.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game is praised for its narrative quality and artistic value, though it is not considered highly replayable. While some players find limited replay value due to its simplicity and short length, the compelling story makes it a worthwhile experience to own.
- “Highly recommended, not necessarily as a replayable game, but as an experience which I am proud to own as a piece of narrative art.”
- “The game is relatively short, but has some replay value, I believe.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The optimization of games like Mirror's Edge, Tomb Raider, and the 2014 reboot of Thief has received mixed reviews, with some users expressing disappointment in performance and efficiency.
- “The optimization in this game is severely lacking, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
- “I was disappointed with the optimization; it feels like the game was rushed and not properly tested on various hardware.”
- “Despite the interesting gameplay mechanics, the poor optimization makes it nearly unplayable on lower-end systems.”