I have no mouth and I must play this artistic co-op platformer.
Since Mario took that faithful first step into World 1-1, one could argue that platformers were the distilled gaming experience. It was often just the player, precision timing, and some unique art direction. But slowly weāve seen the rise of the artistic, emotionally charged platformer. Over the last few years alone, games like Gris, Limbo, and Celeste have successfully woven relatable stories of grief and even mental illness into a genre that was once centered around landing that perfect jump. We love us a Super Meat Boy or a Mario adventure, but the narrative experimentation with the gameplay loop from newer devs has been incredibly interesting to watch unfold.
At Summer Games Fest, I spent 30 minutes with Out of Words, the newest twist on the platforming formula developed by Kong Orange and WiredFly. A co-op adventure following childhood friends Kurt and Karla on a coming-of-age journeyā¦that just happens to involve fantastical worlds and saving a friendship when your mouths have disappeared.
The first piece of the game thatās immediately apparent is just how much time, care, and passion went into the art style. The character models are based on physical stop-motion assets that were used to animate the cut scenes, which gives them a tactile feel. Both the foreground and background of levels are also put to great use, placing creatures and objects across the screen to give it a sense of depth like youād see on a theatrical stage.
While we didnāt see too much of the story, whatās most striking is how well this game nails the vibes of a stop-motion film. If youāre a fan of Coraline, Kubo and the Two Strings, or even Mad God, youāll know this is a genre of film equally likely to enchant and spook an audience. To be clear, do not expect this game to be as constantly foreboding as Limbo, but there are some moments that inspired the same cold, creepy feelings of dread. This may be a game about two kids on an adventure, but that adventure isnāt afraid to get dark.
The chunks of gameplay we were given ran across the gameās three acts, so it was hard to get a sense of everything youāll encounter. Most of it was fairly standard running, jumping, and swimming, but one co-op mechanic really stuck out ā a gravity-defying game of catch. One character gets control of a creature called an Aleph that makes them fall upward, and the key to each player advancing becomes knowing when to pass that little guy between both characters. Like all the best platforming levels, itās all about the timing.
Itās true that while solid, the gameplay in Out of Words doesnāt seem to be redefining the platforming genre. But the earnestness of its narrative and the hand-crafted art style are undeniable draws. The story of two kids redefining their relationship on the cusp of adolescence has a lot of promise. Talking to the gameās director Johan Oettinger, his passion for stop-motion animation and using it to emotionally connect with the player left us hopeful of the gameās potential to be a worthwhile and even moving experience. If you loved Gris, co-op games, or just adore a good animated yarn, keep an eye on this one.
Out of Words is out early 2027.
