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Lost Words is a diary platformer from Rhianna Pratchett and former Lionhead devs

Lost Words has a unique concept and an excellent pedigree

Lost Words: Beyond the Page is a platformer with an unusual setting – a diary. You run and jump across both a fantasy world and written pages, using individual words to solve puzzles and help reshape the story. The title, from developers Fourth State and Sketchbook Games, has already pulled in a big set of awards over the past few years, and it’s now set to release in 2019.

Written by prolific game scribe Rhianna Pratchett, Lost Words puts you in a young girl’s diary, getting through traditional platforming challenges while making use of the words themselves. The trailer shows, like when you run through a fiery forest under the phrase “the dragon had managed to extinguish all hope.” Pull out “extinguish,” and you can use that word to douse the flames and move forward.

Another bit sees you swapping words around to direct the story, in this case picking a name for that scene’s protagonist. It’s a unique concept, and the developers are keen to promote the awards the game’s picked up, like the Indie Prize at Casual Connect 2018, UKIE’s UK Game of the Show at Gamescom 2017, and a ‘Best Story’ nod at Game Connection 2016.

The folks making the game have already built some classics, too. This is their first project as a studio, but many of them come from among the UK’s most famous studios, including Lionhead and Rare, along with plenty more industry veterans from Ubisoft, EA, and 2K.

Lost Words just got its Steam page, and you can head there to keep track of further developments on release date and price in the months leading up to the 2019 launch.