At Summer Game Fest 2025, a variety of games were showcased: scary ones, exciting ones, funny ones, yet only one game left everyone teary-eyed. I had the opportunity to play a demo of this game alongside its developers, and I must admit, it affected me as well. The deeply emotional experience was provided by Out of Words, the debut creation from Kong Orange and WiredFly’s imaginative team. Talking with them left me touched by their wisdom and sensitivity. Out of Words is a charming cooperative puzzle-platformer, but what makes it truly unique is its exploration of raw emotional exposure.
As a game director, Johan Oettinger shared with me that the characters Karla and Kurt in our game have a deep connection. They can chat about anything under the sun, yet there’s an undeniable sense of something fresh brewing between them. However, he lamented, they seem to struggle expressing their feelings, leaving them ‘Out of Words.’ This game is a heartfelt tale of adolescence and love, exploring those moments when we yearn to speak our minds but remain tongue-tied instead.
There seems to be an obstacle preventing them from being open with one another, and this, along with Oettinger’s tender manner of discussing his cherished game, was already stirring emotions in me before I even started playing. It felt like stumbling upon a poetry reading, where coincidentally, a captivating, frame-by-frame animated video game demo was ongoing.
Oettinger shared with me that he’s passionately fond of stop-motion animation, describing it as an “exhilarating challenge” because of its unforgiving nature. He further revealed that his desire to create this game had been a lifelong dream ever since he was 11 years old, when he encountered The Neverhood – a 1996 stop-motion animated game developed in partnership with Stephen Spielberg’s Dreamworks. “Each scene in Out of Words is meticulously crafted through stop-motion animation, frame by frame, under the watchful eye of a camera,” Oettinger explained. “Every aspect you see – from the grass to the books – has been painstakingly handcrafted. Each element, every image, has literally been manipulated by human hands.
As players delve into the game world, they’ll uncover the main obstacle: “doubt” as described by Oettinger. The game mechanics will shift frequently to mirror the narrative progression. In one instance I experienced, Kurt and Karla needed to build trust, alternating control of a light that allowed them to float over chasms. Initially, we struggled, falling into dark abysses with each error. However, we soon mastered passing the light between us, moving with a rhythmic synchronicity, catching each other in well-coordinated trust falls. Regardless of the gameplay’s evolving form, it is designed to be accessible for players of all skill levels. As Jeff Sparks, the lead game designer explained to me, “The aspiration is that you can play with your child, or a non-gamer companion, your parents who are not gamers, guiding them on this journey with you.
For my perspective, art needs to be deeply rooted in personal emotions. It becomes authentic when it emerges from personal experiences.
Morten Søndergaard, who is known as the poet of the game, encountered Johann Oettinger in 2012, and they found a strong connection based on shared experiences and a mutual vision. As Søndergaard explained, he’s always sought to make language a tangible entity due to his own dyslexia, which often causes him to collide with language. He described language as something that collides with him just as much as he collides with it. Working with Oettinger on Out of Words was a fulfillment of a dream for Søndergaard, enabling him to be immersed in language. Characters like Karla and Kurt are also immersed in language, moving through it. Søndergaard believes that language is a system of trust in a way, and it’s also a game we play with, using words creatively. In essence, all these ideas converge in the emotional symphony that is language.
When Martin pitched the concept of a game where you dive into language, it resonated deeply with me, as both Morton and the idea captured my heart. As someone who grapples with dyslexia, this project holds a special place for me. It’s a fusion of my fondness for coming-of-age narratives, stop-motion animation, and my personal experiences. This is the game I’ve always wanted to create.
Imagine finding such a game as an 11-year-old boy struggling with dyslexia. It would have shown me that language isn’t something to be forced or belittled but rather, a beautiful tool to explore and enjoy. This game could have opened up my world much earlier, allowing me to discover the things I love now at a younger age. I dream of sharing this experience with others, especially those who might find themselves in similar shoes. So, if you ever want to join me on this journey, let’s dive into language together and see what wonders it holds.
By this stage, the room was filled with a sense of deep emotion, and my team had mentioned that tears were quite common at the Summer Game Fest in our Out of Words booth. Oettinger provided a heartwarming anecdote from earlier in the day. He was explaining the game to a translator who would then translate his words into Japanese for their colleague, and this translator became emotional while conveying the message. To me, this moment echoed the game’s intent; it too seeks to evoke raw emotion through its transformation process.
In a unique twist compared to any video game demonstration I’ve participated in, everyone present was incredibly genuine and exposed their emotions. This raw vulnerability struck me as an unparalleled form of beauty. It’s truly moving when individuals, particularly couples, choose to expose themselves to the possibility of pain but instead find understanding, empathy, and acceptance from each other. Such moments are rare and profound human experiences. I was thrilled to witness a game tackling this concept with such sensitivity and skill. To conclude, as my 40-minute session with the team drew to a close, I knew it would rank among my most cherished career experiences.
For me, art should be deeply rooted in personal experiences to maintain its authenticity. It’s when it stems from personal life that it becomes genuine, as seen by this artwork depicting the main characters. We all encounter moments where words fail us, and for me, one such moment involved a girl standing before me. The character Karla is inspired by a girl I knew at that time, named Sarah. There’s also a hint of Johan in her, and she was my closest friend. In the silence of that wordless moment, I wondered if I could mend the inner dialogues within me, enabling me to express what I truly desired?
2026 is when “Out of Words” is set to release on the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. The game supports cooperative play, which can be enjoyed either locally or online. Notably, it features cross-play functionality, allowing you to seamlessly bring your own Kurt or Karla characters into the game.
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2025-06-12 18:09