Developer: Plug In Digital
Price: $6/£5 per month [Free trial]
Size: 1.2 GB
Version: 1.0.7
Platform: iPhone & iPad

Lost Words

It’s an old cliche that words have power, but in Lost Words: Beyond the Page that’s very literally the case.

The game starts out as a young girl named Izzy narrates the contents of her journal. You quickly realize that this is no narrative adventure, however, as you guide a hand-drawn manifestation of said girl over her scrawled words as if they were platforms in a 2D Platformer. Which is, essentially, what Lost Words: Beyond the Page is.

Hopping onto key words, and physically interacting with others using your finger, opens out new paths and rips open an exit point to reach the next page.

It’s delightful, charming stuff, as Izzy spends these early moments outlining her vague ambitions to become a writer. Before long you’re drawn into Izzy’s Story itself, and the fantasy world of Estoria, with a hero that you get to name, clothe, and broadly define using a limited selection of options.

These story sections are more fleshed out 2.5D platforming sections, in which you discover your hero’s ability to wield words as very literal magic. Early on that can mean lifting platforms, repairing bridges, or extinguishing fires.

Soon you’re flitting back and forth between Izzy’s journal and her Earthsea-esque imaginary world. There’s an obvious interchange of themes and emotional beats at play here, as Izzy navigates the foggy territory between childhood and adulthood.

This story is written by acclaimed game writer Rhianna Pratchett, so it’s all deftly and tastefully handled, though there’s an undeniably youth-oriented slant to things. Combined with the simplistic platform-puzzling gameplay and the low-stakes nature of it all – imagine a traditional 2D platformer where it’s impossible to ‘die’, as such – and you have a game that might feel rather slight to some mature gamers.

It’s a shame that the ‘real world’ journaling phases are the more mechanically and aesthetically interesting of the two. Somewhat perversely, the fantasy sections feel more everyday and workmanlike than hopping and skipping through Izzy’s adolescent musings.

Even so, there’s no doubting the skill and thoughtfulness on display here, nor the artistry. The way the parallel narratives spool around the game’s sparse but solid platforming mechanics, and the way a little word game magic is carefully sprinkled across it all, lends a constant sense of wonder and discovery.

Technically, too, it’s a beautifully realized game, with splashes of watercolor intermingled with solid 3D work, all accompanied by immersive sound design and solid voice acting.

All in all, whether it’s serving as a ‘my first platformer’ for story-loving younger players, or simply a kind-hearted and artistically rich respite for older gamers, Lost Words: Beyond the Page is a sweet treat of a narrative platformer.