It’s not every day a game leaves you truly speechless, but after getting a hands-on demo at Summer Game Fest, that’s exactly where I find myself. Out of Words game, the co-creation of a stop-motion film studio and developer Kong Orange, is more than just a game; it’s a breathtaking piece of interactive art. It masterfully blends a deeply touching story of young love with strange, evocative gameplay that had everyone at the event, including the legendary Hideo Kojima, buzzing with excitement.
Kojima himself took to social media to praise the game, calling it “simple, gentle, and beautiful,” and noting, “It’s the kind of game we need in an age where we’ve lost the true meaning of ‘words’ on social media.” After playing it, I couldn’t agree more. This isn’t just another co-op platformer; it’s something truly special.
What is the Out of Words Game? A Love Story Lost for Words
At its heart, the Out of Words game is what director Johan Oettinger calls a “co-op, handcrafted love story.” Oettinger, a stop-motion filmmaker, always dreamed, according to a Summer Game Fest interview, of pairing his two great loves: stop-motion and video games, ever since playing the classic 1996 title The Neverhood.
The story follows best friends Karla and Curt, who find themselves on the verge of expressing their love for one another. In that moment of hesitation, they are “out of words,” lose all confidence, and are plunged into the surreal world of Vokabulantis. When they arrive, they discover their mouths have vanished. It’s a powerful, relatable setup for what Oettinger describes as a very personal story inspired by his own experiences with first love.
Gameplay Built on Trust and Metaphor
This is where things get really interesting. The Out of Words game isn’t just about walking from left to right. The gameplay mechanics are metaphors for the characters’ relationship. In one section we played, we were introduced to Aleph, a flying, feathered creature that represents the bond between Karla and Curt.
This creature allows the players to flip gravity. Whoever holds the Aleph sticks to the ceiling, while the other remains on the ground. To solve puzzles, you have to toss Aleph back and forth with perfect timing. It requires communication and, more importantly, trust. You have to believe your partner will catch you when you fall—a brilliant gameplay loop for a co-op game about connection.
Other mechanics are just as inventive. Later in the demo, we found ourselves controlling a giant clay golem, with each player responsible for one of its arms, smashing through levels together. According to Kong Orange at Summer Game Fest, they designed around 100 mechanics but only kept about 10, choosing the ones that best reflected the characters’ journey at that point in the story.
A Stunning, Handcrafted World
The game’s visuals are simply astonishing. Every single asset in the game was handcrafted in the real world before being digitized and placed in Unreal Engine. The grass is individually cut paper. The surfaces are textures from cut-up books. Even the water is a scanned gelatin texture. The characters, Karla and Curt, are stunningly detailed maquettes that come to life in the game’s stop-motion cutscenes.
Walking through the world feels like exploring a living diorama. In one area, we saw a marketplace built on massive bookshelves, and in another, a tiny character was sharpening a blade, sending sparks flying. It’s a level of artistry and dedication that is frankly jaw-dropping.
A Positive Story We Need Right Now
In a gaming landscape often filled with grim and gritty titles, Out of Words stands out with its sincerity. “One thing that is important for me is that Out of Words is a really positive story,” Oettinger said. “It’s about love and working together. I want to bring something interesting to the world.”
This isn’t a game about getting high scores or being the best. It’s about sitting down with someone and helping each other, catching each other, and working together to overcome obstacles. It’s a message that clearly resonated on the show floor and one that feels incredibly relevant today.
The Out of Words game is a massive creative endeavor that proves games are a powerful art form capable of delivering deep, emotional experiences. It’s shaping up to be a truly unforgettable co-op adventure.
You can wishlist it now on the Epic Games Store to stay updated. It will also be available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S
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