This one is a little different this time. First, I played on PC instead of the usual Xbox. Also, I didn’t
specifically request the game, it was given to the site and somebody needed to review it. In the end, I’m
glad I got the experience as otherwise, I may have missed it.
Lost Words follows the story of a girl that receives a journal just before her grandmother has a stroke.
She uses it to deal with her feelings about the situation as well as create a story. You get to decide some
of these story details, like a choose your own adventure game.
The game play is split between diary segments and story levels. Diary levels are like classic single screen
platformer, with you controlling a drawing of the girl as she walks, jumps, and climbs among the words
as they are written on the pages. Some of these also have extra activities to do, usually by plucking
words from the page and moving them around to accomplish something.
The story levels are basically side scrolling platformers, with the added element of magic words, light
puzzle solving, and some RPG like dialog options. Each one has a different theme reminiscent of retro
games, like an underwater level or a volcano level. They also seem to be manifestations of the girls
feelings at the time of writing.
The characters are very well fleshed out, with adequate backstories. Even the temporary side characters
are well done. Their designs are unique are well done as well. Speaking of that, the artstyle is very
colorful and high contrast, making everything easy to see, including the multitudes of text. I appreciate
that everything has voice over, just in case you can’t see all the text.
I will mention that there is some themes that could be triggering for Mental Health. Nothing is explicitly
shown, but the acting is so good that you will feel what the character experiences when her
grandmother dies. Its an integral part of the story, so shouldn’t be skipped. I myself found it to be
helpful, but others may not.
Overall I quite enjoyed the six hours or so I spent playing through it. The story of life, death, and dealing
with both leaves an impact on anyone that plays. I’m glad that I was given the opportunity to play it. I
recommend it for anyone really. I don’t think anyone would not enjoy it, but fans of platformers may
enjoy it a little more.
Lost Words on Steam was provided to me by the Mental Health Gaming site with the expectation for a
written article. I am mostly blind, so some things I have trouble with may not affect your experience
with the game. The game is available now on several platforms.
