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.

89%Game Brain Score

story, emotional

grinding, stability

95% User Score Based on 466 reviews

Critic Score 76%Based on 4 reviews

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About

Lost Words: Beyond the Page is a single player casual platformer game with fantasy and kids themes. It was developed by Sketchbook Games and was released on April 6, 2021. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"Lost Words: Beyond the Page" is an emotional narrative adventure game that takes place in a young girl's diary. Players navigate 2D worlds by walking on words and solving puzzles, while experiencing a fully-voiced story crafted by renowned games writer Rhianna Pratchett. The game features a unique blend of gameplay mechanics and a striking watercolor aesthetic, resulting in a memorable journey of self-discovery and personal growth.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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95%

Audience ScoreBased on 466 reviews

story203 positive mentions

grinding6 negative mentions

Beautifully crafted narrative that explores themes of loss and grief in a heartfelt manner.
Unique gameplay mechanics that creatively integrate words into the platforming experience.
Stunning visuals and excellent voice acting that enhance the emotional impact of the story.

Gameplay can feel simplistic and may not provide enough challenge for seasoned gamers.
Some players may find the pacing slow, particularly during dialogue-heavy sections.
Minor technical issues, such as glitches and unresponsive controls, can detract from the overall experience.

story
615 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
65%
2%
The story of "Lost Words: Beyond the Page" is a poignant exploration of grief and healing, told through the dual narratives of a young girl, Izzy, as she navigates her real-life struggles and the fantasy story she writes. Players engage with the narrative by interacting with words in her diary, which serve as both gameplay mechanics and emotional touchpoints, creating a deeply immersive experience. While the gameplay may be simplistic, the heartfelt storytelling, beautiful art, and emotional depth resonate strongly, making it a memorable journey for those who appreciate narrative-driven games.
- “The story is beautiful and the visuals are just stunning.”
- “A touching, beautifully-presented game following a young girl's journey through grief via the story she is writing.”
- “Lost Words: Beyond the Page is a masterclass in how to present an intelligent, thought-provoking, and emotional story in an imaginative and innovative way.”
- “Even though the game has a pretty cool art style, the game is too slow, focuses too much on its storytelling and forgets the gameplay.”
- “But the internal game is soooo boring, and the story is bad enough that it ruins the good parts of the idea of the game itself.”
- “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.”
emotional
202 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is overwhelmingly praised, with many players describing it as one of the most touching experiences they've had in gaming. The heartfelt narrative, beautifully crafted by Rhianna Pratchett, explores themes of loss, grief, and acceptance, often evoking strong emotional responses, including tears. Players appreciate the combination of engaging storytelling, stunning visuals, and a poignant soundtrack, making it a must-play for those seeking a deeply emotional journey.
- “The emotional tale, crafted by Rhianna Pratchett, is genuinely touching and perfectly paced – not too short, not too long.”
- “This game made me cry more than once, since I felt so reminded of the way I was feeling when I lost someone really special to me.”
- “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
182 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
61%
5%
The gameplay of "Lost Words: Beyond the Page" is characterized by its simplicity and accessibility, primarily serving as a vehicle for its emotional narrative rather than a challenging experience. Players engage in light platforming and puzzle-solving using unique word-based mechanics, which enhance the storytelling but may feel repetitive or underdeveloped at times. While the visuals and narrative are praised for their depth and beauty, many reviewers note that the gameplay lacks complexity and can be tedious, making it more suitable for casual players or those seeking a narrative-driven experience.
- “A beautiful, little game about loss, grief, and understanding your own feelings with creative gameplay, great voice acting, and beautiful music.”
- “The gameplay mechanics are gentle and fitting for the story, 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 the perfectly-paced story.”
- “Even though the game has a pretty cool art style, the game is too slow, focuses too much on its storytelling, and forgets the gameplay.”
- “Great story dragged down by tedious gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is very simple and easy, but it's clear that the story is the focus, so it's not too bad.”
graphics
93 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
29%
3%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning watercolor aesthetic and beautiful art style, which significantly enhance the storytelling experience. While some users noted minor issues like stiff animations and occasional graphical glitches, the overall visual presentation is described as breathtaking and emotionally resonant, complementing the game's themes of loss and hope. Despite some critiques regarding gameplay mechanics, the visuals remain a standout feature that captivates players.
- “The watercolor visuals in both the diary and the fantasy world of Estoria are stunning.”
- “The artwork is beautiful, the characters are endearing, the lessons learned are timeless, the overall story engaging.”
- “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.”
- “While gameplay is all but challenging, the handling of tone and themes is done greatly, and I can't say the game's visuals are bad either.”
music
93 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
29%
3%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its emotional depth and ability to enhance the storytelling experience. Many players describe the soundtrack as beautiful, captivating, and perfectly aligned with the game's themes of loss and understanding, often noting its impact on their emotional engagement. Overall, the combination of the music, voice acting, and visuals creates a deeply immersive and heartwarming atmosphere that resonates with players.
- “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 music perfectly accompanies the sentimental story.”
- “But sometimes there are some parts that feel empty with the absence of the music, so it could've done better.”
- “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.”
- “It's the music.”
grinding
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
86%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unengaging, with platforming sections described as frustrating due to unresponsive controls and a cumbersome combination of keyboard and mouse inputs. While the story is praised, the overall gameplay is criticized for being slow and overly reliant on repetitive tasks, leading to a lack of enjoyment. Many users suggest that the game feels longer than necessary, with significant time spent on card farming rather than active play.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The combination of needing to use the keyboard for jumping on platforming sections while simultaneously using the 'hold and drag' on words with the mouse, all on top of the jumping being floaty and the swinging being unresponsive at times, makes the 'fantasy' platforming portions really tedious.”
- “Great story dragged down by tedious gameplay.”
- “It is a good 'game' (not for gamers), though quite tedious, boring, slow, and longer than it should be.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
33%
17%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its captivating storytelling, unique art styles, and emotive voice acting, which together create a rich and immersive experience. While it evokes a range of emotions, from sadness to tension, it remains accessible for younger audiences due to its non-combative nature. Overall, players recommend it for those who appreciate story-driven atmospheric games.
- “This game succeeds with its story, atmosphere, and voice acting, which captivates with the themes of loss and sadness that Izzy and her avatar journey through.”
- “Both art styles are unique and play a significant role in enhancing the overall atmosphere.”
- “Lovely voice acting accompanied by emotive music makes this a great atmospheric experience.”
- “I found the atmosphere rather tense and hectic sometimes, 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).”
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 often described as annoying rather than game-breaking, they detract from the overall experience. Overall, players find the game enjoyable despite its stability shortcomings.
- “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 described as a blend of surprising, thoughtful, and sometimes sad moments, effectively eliciting both laughter and tears. Players appreciate the raw and real storytelling, which often incorporates hilariously simple puzzles and minor, amusing bugs that add to the overall 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%
Reviewers praise the character development for its depth and quality, noting that despite the game's short length, both the plot and character arcs are well-executed. The unique character designs and stunning visuals enhance the overall experience, contributing to a beautifully crafted narrative.
- “Despite the short length, the character development and plot were both very well done.”
- “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 are so unique, and the background is so amazing I sometimes just stared at it.”
- “From the soundtrack to the character design to the story plot - the entire game is beautiful.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game is primarily appreciated for its narrative and artistic value rather than its replayability, with some users noting limited replay options due to its simplicity and short length. While it may not be designed for multiple playthroughs, it still offers a compelling story that some players might revisit.
- “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 criticism, with users expressing disappointment in the performance of these titles.
- “I can't really estimate all of her works, but as for Mirror's Edge, Tomb Raider, and especially the Thief reboot (2014), I can't really praise her performance.”
- “The optimization in this game is severely lacking, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.”
- “I encountered numerous performance issues that made it difficult to enjoy the game.”

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76%Critics’ scoreBased on 4 critic reviews

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Frequently Asked Questions

Lost Words: Beyond the Page is a casual platformer game with fantasy and kids themes.

Lost Words: Beyond the Page is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Steam Deck and others.

On average players spend around 4 hours playing Lost Words: Beyond the Page.

Lost Words: Beyond the Page was released on April 6, 2021.

Lost Words: Beyond the Page was developed by Sketchbook Games.

Lost Words: Beyond the Page has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Lost Words: Beyond the Page is a single player game.

Similar games include Rakuen, Wandersong, GRIS, What Remains of Edith Finch, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons and others.

Lost Words: Beyond the Page

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