Everybody in the gaming space wants to be unique, but few look to do something different. After all, certain things just sell. That’s why it's amazing when we see video games that try something fresh. While the two-player, narrative co-op game isn’t exactly new, a studio crafting the entire thing in stop-motion is. After playing alongside Director & Founder Johan Oettinger of WiredFly at Summer Game Fest, his vision absolutely sings on the screen, dragging me into an unforgettable world about a boy and a girl falling in love.
Listening to Johan discuss the game he’s put his heart into, it’s easy to see why that passion translates into Out of Words. He wanted to make the kind of game he’d love to play with his brother or sister. Between his devotion to two mediums – stop-motion and video games – he’s combined them to make something he’d have never dreamed of. It’s why this game looks so incredible in every trailer; every bit of it is real.
Sand dunes are created from carved-up books, and water is cellophane. The grass is individually sliced paper. Even the lizard tram I saw in my demo was specially constructed by the team, and he was in the room with us as well.
Karla and Kurt are the two main protagonists of Out of Words, and they’ve been swept into the land of Vokabulanatis. Unfortunately, they don’t know what to say to each other, and they can’t anyway. Many of you have probably seen the trailer above and their missing mouths, and that premise is the underlying heart of Out of Words. Finding the right things to say isn’t always easy, after all.
In the gameplay, while you’ll be reminded of games like Hazelight’s It Takes Two or Split Fiction, that’s not the intention of WiredFly. While I’m sure the attention to the co-op genre is nice, Johan and the team are focused on their game. Each player chooses a character, and away we go to Vokabulanatis. Johan mentioned to me that Out of Words has been fashioned so that if one player isn’t as familiar with video games, there’s an opportunity here for the other to carry them through. Simple phrases like “I’ve got you” will ring true as you build trust with each other, and that’s exactly what the characters on the screen are going through as well.
Playing the small segment of the game wasn’t too involved, and I think that’s part of the point of Out of Words: it’s not made to be tough. Running from one 2.5D section to another was what most of my time consisted of. Similar to It Takes Two, there will be specific mechanics you learn along the way that immerse you in the world. For example, moss has a clingy quality, allowing you to stick to it even when you go upside down. With something chasing you later on in this level, you’ll need to be quick in sprinting and hopping to other mossy surfaces.
There was another level where a flying friend could be swapped between the characters, which disabled their gravity. This was more intensive, requiring both players to work together to keep from floating away, especially when the current room you were in had no ceiling. It works beautifully and ends in a wonderful and serene moment where you keep trading back and forth as you soar towards the level’s conclusion. This could have been a cutscene, but it's more beautiful to take in together through the gameplay.
It’s these kinds of thoughtful design that make Out of Words special. There is nothing out there like this game. Johan and WiredFly are putting their soul into Out of Words, and I hope that is recognized as people take in all the trailers and previews that are coming out post-SGF. Trust me when I say this is one that should be on your radar. Out of Words launches in early 2027 on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series consoles, and Nintendo Switch 2.
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