Hardcore Droid
  • Home
  • Spotlight
  • Reviews
    • Action
    • Strategy
    • RPGs
  • Most Hardcore
    • Devices
    • Gifts
    • Gadgets
  • About Us
  • Knightcore Sword of Kingdom Official Promotional Artwork
    Strategy RPG Knightcore: Sword of Kingdom Opens for Global Pre-Registration
  • mobile-live-casinos
    How To Find Mobile Live Casino Sites With The Best Bonuses
  • mobile-esports
    Mobile Esports Ascend: Unpacking What It Means, Its Impact and Challenges
  • gaming-the-future
    Is Gaming the Future of Education?
  • smartphone-hacks
    Best Hidden Smartphone Hacks That Every Android Phone User Should Know
  • Little Nightmares Official Cover Artwork
    Little Nightmares Mobile Opens for Pre-Registration Ahead of Release
  • Super Cat Tales: PAWS load screen
    Super Cat Tales: PAWS Review
  • great-mmos
    Seven Features that All Great MMOs Have
  • Dungeon Hunter Cover
    Dungeon Hunter 6: Interview with GOAT Games’ Machine Ma
  • Heroes of Middle Earth Title Picture
    The Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth Review
  • Language-Learning-Apps
    Tech Tools for Learning Italian: The Best Language Learning Apps and Websites
  • Tropico Tropican Dream Title
    The Tropican Dream DLC Comes To Tropico
  • Tarisland MMORPG Promotional Artwork
    Tarisland Developers Announce Second Closed Beta Test
  • My Cat Club Featured Image
    My Cat Club Now Available Globally For Android and iOS
  • CABAL: Return of Action Keyart
    CABAL: Return of Action Launches on Mobile
Hardcore Droid
Hardcore Droid
  • Home
  • News
    • News
    • Spotlight
    • Interviews
    • Consoles
  • Reviews
    • Action
    • Adventure
    • Strategy
    • RPG
    • MMOs
    • Racing
    • Indie
    • Hardware
  • Best Of
    • Top 10 Games
    • Best RPGs
    • Best Action
    • Best Puzzlers
    • Best Strategy
    • Best Indie Strat
    • Best Indie RPGs
    • Most Hardcore
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Game Jobs
    • Archives
    • Attributions
    • Opportunities
  • Adventure
  • Platformer
  • Puzzle

Lost Words: Beyond the Page Android Review

  • June 21, 2023
  • Daniel DeAngelo
Lost Words Beyond the Page
Spread the love

Lost and Found

At the risk of overselling it, Lost Words: Beyond the Page is one of the most engaging narratives I’ve seen from a video game. Developed by Sketchbook Games and written by former Tomb Raider writer Rhianna Pratchett, this unique puzzle platformer tells a story of family, loss and moving on. Combined with fun gameplay, great art, and fantastic music, Lost Words is a nearly perfect narrative adventure.

Lost Words puts players in the shoes, or at least pen, of a young girl named Izzi. An aspiring writer, the game begins after her grandmother gifts her a journal. This is the first layer of the narrative, where Izzy recounts the events of her life on the page. The second layer takes place inside the fantasy story that Izzy is writing. When tragedy unsettles Izzy’s life, she pours her thoughts and emotions into the page.

Black and White

In the Journal layer, players control an animated doodle version of Izzie. As real Izzie writes or draws in her journal, the words and pictures form platforms for doodle Izzie to jump between. Players can rearrange words and pictures to create new platforms or solve puzzles. For example, using the word “unlock” to open a drawing of a gate. There is also a good amount of variety in the puzzles, though none are particularly challenging. I had fun, but it’s worth remembering that Lost Words is a platformer more than a puzzle game.

The Journal story is well-written and relatable, seeing Izzy going through the stages of grief after a sudden personal tragedy. I don’t know enough about Rhianna Pratchett’s personal life that I feel comfortable playing armchair psychoanalyst. However, Lost Words feels like it’s heavily autobiographical. The music, narration and artwork help its emotional storytelling. The art in question is a mix of pen drawings and watercolors, with the stylized scenes helping to capture Izzy’s changing emotional states.

The journal layer is also where players make certain decisions about Izzie’s fictional story. Players choose from the names Grace, Georgia or Robyn, as well as three appearances and three personalities. Later on, players will also change the plot, such as other characters’ motivations and even parts of the scenery. None of these have too big of an effect on how the story progresses, but I still appreciated how its last players feel like they have an active role in shaping the story.

Lost Words: Beyond the Page desert

Finding the Words

Meanwhile, most of the game takes place in Izzy’s story, set in the fantasy land of Estoria. Mostly eschewing the pens and paints, Lost Words depicts Estoria with vibrant and colorful 3D models. The Protagonist, who I called Robyn, lives in an idyllic treetop village protected by magical fireflies. As the new Firefly Guardian, it falls on her to protect her people and the Fireflies they depend on. However, when a dragon steals the Fireflies, she must embark on a quest to save her home and all of Estoria. 

To complete this quest, Robyn’s mentor gives her a book to store magic words. Unlike the Journal segments, Izzy’s narration has no physical presence in the world of Estoria. However, occasionally, players can pick out a word and add it to Robyn’s book. For example, Izzy might say something is “beyond repair,” adding Repair to Robyn’s spell book.

Lost Words players select a word from Robyn’s spell book, then drag it over the object they want to use it on. Repair, for example, can restore a ruined bridge, while Rise can lift specific environmental objects. Some puzzles even combine words, such as using Repair to restore a damaged crane and then Rise to lift the platform it is holding. Some words come and go, but a few basic ones generally stick around.

Lost Words: Beyond the Page multiple choice

Beyond the Page

However, what makes Lost Words stand out is how the Journal and Estoria stories interact. The player can see how the events in Izzy’s life affect her and how that influences writing. This gives the player a very deep connection with Izzy, and the games, music, art and voicework do a fantastic job of conveying her emotions.

Now, the Android version of Lost Words has a few issues. The platforming is sometimes a bit finicky, and it’s easy to permanently lock yourself out of some collectibles. However, there was also a recurring bug where the game didn’t acknowledge some of my choices. For example, the game asks players to pick Robyn’s motivations early on. You can choose between “revenge,” “knowledge,” and “finding the Fireflies,” but the game only acknowledges the third choice.

Granted, it’s not as if one weird bug seriously diminished my enthusiasm for Lost Words: Beyond the Page. It’s a fantastic and very moving game, and players can try the first two Chapters for free. So, if Lost Words sounds like something you might enjoy, I strongly recommend it.

Is it Hardcore?
4.9

Absolutely!

Lost Words: Beyond the Page is a fantastic story-driven puzzle platformer whose great art, story and music are only marginally let down by a few bugs.

Related Topics
  • Android Adventure Games
  • Android Puzzle Games
  • Best Android Games
Daniel DeAngelo

Hardcore Droid's editor-in-chief, Daniel DeAngelo has been gaming since he was old enough to reach the keyboard and has a Bachelor's Degree in Writing from the University of Tampa.

Previous Article
popular-android-apps
  • Most Hardcore

Africa’s Most Popular Android Apps Revealed: From Sports Betting to eCommerce

  • June 21, 2023
  • Ajax Moroni
View Post
Next Article
apps-for-kids
  • Most Hardcore

Unlocking Fun and Learning: Gaming Apps for Kids

  • June 22, 2023
  • Ajax Moroni
View Post
You May Also Like
Little Nightmares Official Cover Artwork
View Post
  • News
  • Puzzle

Little Nightmares Mobile Opens for Pre-Registration Ahead of Release

  • James Bell
  • September 17, 2023
Super Cat Tales: PAWS load screen
View Post
  • Indie
  • Platformer
  • Reviews

Super Cat Tales: PAWS Review

  • Mayra Reynoso
  • September 16, 2023
Super Snail Featured Characters
View Post
  • Adventure
  • Miscellaneous
  • Reviews

Super Snail Review

  • Charlesice Grable-Hawkins
  • September 3, 2023
Dice & Spells menu art
View Post
  • Board Game
  • RPG

Dice & Spells Review

  • Daniel DeAngelo
  • August 26, 2023
Lost in Play promotional banner
View Post
  • Adventure
  • Indie
  • Puzzle

Lost in Play Review

  • Mayra Reynoso
  • August 18, 2023
Chrome Valley Customs Logo
View Post
  • Puzzle
  • Reviews
  • Simulation

Chrome Valley Customs Review

  • Allison Van Oirschot
  • August 10, 2023
Run Slash Run title
View Post
  • Action
  • Platformer
  • RPG

Run Slash Run Review

  • Daniel DeAngelo
  • August 6, 2023
Words Collide casual android
View Post
  • Offline Android Games
  • Puzzle
  • Reviews
  • Strategy

Words Collide Review

  • Tamanna Chandel
  • July 31, 2023
The Latest
  • Strategy RPG Knightcore: Sword of Kingdom Opens for Global Pre-Registration
  • How To Find Mobile Live Casino Sites With The Best Bonuses
  • Mobile Esports Ascend: Unpacking What It Means, Its Impact and Challenges
  • Is Gaming the Future of Education?
  • Best Hidden Smartphone Hacks That Every Android Phone User Should Know
  • Little Nightmares Mobile Opens for Pre-Registration Ahead of Release
  • Super Cat Tales: PAWS Review
  • Seven Features that All Great MMOs Have
  • Dungeon Hunter 6: Interview with GOAT Games’ Machine Ma
  • The Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth Review
Meta
  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org
Hardcore Droid
  • Reviews
  • Spotlight
  • Hardcore
Core Gaming on the Android OS

Input your search keywords and press Enter.