Lost Words: Beyond the Page is a narrative-driven puzzle-platform game developed by Sketchbook Games and published by Modus Games. The game was initially released on March 27, 2020, for Stadia, followed by releases on Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on April 6, 2021. It became available for iOS and Android devices on May 9, 2023.
The game features a story written by Rhianna Pratchett and ties the narrative into the gameplay in an unusual way, by having the player running on and interacting with words to solve puzzles. Players take on the role of Isabelle Barbara Cooke, or Izzy, a young aspiring writer who keeps a personal journal. The game takes place in Estoria, a fantasy world that emerges from Izzy’s diary entries. The player character is crowned as the Guardian of Fireflies and must restore the fireflies to their village after it has been destroyed by a dragon. The real-world turmoil that affects Izzy’s life leads to consequences that affect the fantasy setting of Estoria.
Lost Words is split into two separate gameplay modes: one in the fantasy world of Estoria and the other in Izzy’s journal. Within the journal, words are used as platforms to navigate through Izzy’s diary. Asterisks allow the player to read additional text, and both words and sketches are used to move to further pages. In Estoria, words are used by the player to interact with the world by casting spells and solving puzzles. Each level also has 20 fireflies that can be collected throughout the game. Collecting all fireflies will unlock the game’s true ending.
The game is available for purchase on various platforms, including the Nintendo Switch. In Australia, it can be found on Amazon Australia as a code-in-box version. This version contains a unique code for a full game download but does not include a physical game cartridge. The game is also available for download on the Nintendo eShop.
For more information, you can visit the official Nintendo website.