jackcos
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Completed
Playing
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Rating
Time Played
--
Days in Journal
1 day
Last played
September 15, 2022
Platforms Played
Sometimes a game comes along that you've never heard of and, unimpeded by online hype or preconceptions, totally blows you away.
Lost Words is one of those games.
I only knew this game existed because 2 years ago the developer appeared on the TV on my local news on the BBC as one of the few game devs from my region. The game looked alright, if a bit simple, and I quickly forgot about it.
Roll forward to 2022, and my ongoing Xbox Game Pass subscription which has opened my eyes to a number of indie games I'd probably have passed over. Every fortnight or so various threads on Reddit and forums implore people to try particular games before they leave the service. The middle of September 2022 had a long list of games leaving, including a number I'd loved and enjoyed like The Artful Escape.
And then I spot the game that I saw on my local news over a year ago. It was time to give it a go, if only to support a local dev.
Simply put, this game utterly blew me away. The story and themes here are immaculately told, the marriage of words and gameplay within the diary sections being especially effective. The sections of adventure where you cast spells by dragging words around still felt great if maybe not as powerful as the personal story told within the diary.
I didn't even mind that the game felt particularly childish or 'girly' as it was thematic with the story told, and the themes of dealing with death in childhood were... emotional.
I will say that the platforming and actual game elements were fairly simple and not exactly earth-shattering. At times this game was quite understated and efficient. That might be misinterpreted like it was too clinical or perhaps perfunctory, but it wasn't. It was a very strong story told with some perhaps overly simple gameplay - but gameplay that was still married so well with the story and the 'Lost Words' promised in the title.
I really suggest people give this a go. In terms of games about death and trying to find one's place in the world, I'd only rank Spiritfarer as more memorable.
Lost Words made me cry at one point, and that alone is enough for me to give it at least 3/5, but the story here was done so well.
Lost Words is one of those games.
I only knew this game existed because 2 years ago the developer appeared on the TV on my local news on the BBC as one of the few game devs from my region. The game looked alright, if a bit simple, and I quickly forgot about it.
Roll forward to 2022, and my ongoing Xbox Game Pass subscription which has opened my eyes to a number of indie games I'd probably have passed over. Every fortnight or so various threads on Reddit and forums implore people to try particular games before they leave the service. The middle of September 2022 had a long list of games leaving, including a number I'd loved and enjoyed like The Artful Escape.
And then I spot the game that I saw on my local news over a year ago. It was time to give it a go, if only to support a local dev.
Simply put, this game utterly blew me away. The story and themes here are immaculately told, the marriage of words and gameplay within the diary sections being especially effective. The sections of adventure where you cast spells by dragging words around still felt great if maybe not as powerful as the personal story told within the diary.
I didn't even mind that the game felt particularly childish or 'girly' as it was thematic with the story told, and the themes of dealing with death in childhood were... emotional.
I will say that the platforming and actual game elements were fairly simple and not exactly earth-shattering. At times this game was quite understated and efficient. That might be misinterpreted like it was too clinical or perhaps perfunctory, but it wasn't. It was a very strong story told with some perhaps overly simple gameplay - but gameplay that was still married so well with the story and the 'Lost Words' promised in the title.
I really suggest people give this a go. In terms of games about death and trying to find one's place in the world, I'd only rank Spiritfarer as more memorable.
Lost Words made me cry at one point, and that alone is enough for me to give it at least 3/5, but the story here was done so well.