Walking into Summer Game Fest 2025, I expected the usual mix of high-octane trailers and flashy demonstrations. What I didn’t expect was to be completely transfixed by a stop-motion animated game about friendship and communication. Out of Words, the debut title from director Johan Oettinger and his team at Kong Orange, represents something truly special in an industry often obsessed with bigger, louder and more explosive experiences.
The game’s premise is deceptively simple, yet incredibly relatable and touching. Players control Kurt and Karla, two best friends who find themselves transported to the mysterious world of Vokabulantis after a moment of romantic tension leaves them literally without words. When they arrive in this strange realm, their mouths have vanished entirely, forcing them to communicate and navigate challenges through pure cooperation and understanding. Oh—and there’s an adorable new friend literally made out of their connection. There’s a lot going on here.
During my hands-on time with the game, the cooperative mechanics proved both intuitive and emotionally resonant. It forces players to work together, and it’s this connection that makes everything feel so fluid and unique. One particularly memorable sequence placed both players inside a massive clay golem, with each controlling one of its enormous hands as it tried to catch up to a small clay figure. It’s both unique and familiar, building on concepts we’ve seen before while introducing a co-op twist that demands communication. This kind of thoughtful metaphor runs throughout the experience, elevating what could have been simple puzzle-solving into something far more meaningful.
“Even from just watching the trailer for Out of Words, I was struck by how unique the game looked.”
While the gameplay itself doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it offers enough to let anyone jump in and quickly grasp the core of what’s happening. Out of Words strikes a delicate balance between accessibility and challenge, and it’s this balance that allows both new players and seasoned gaming veterans to dive in and discover something unique as they journey through the world.
Physics-defying puzzles require genuine communication between players, whether you’re navigating ancient catacombs or performing stunts among the clay skyscrapers. One of the best examples of this comes when players are asked to manipulate gravity, with careful timing required as one player falls normally while their partner falls toward the ceiling. These moments demand the kind of wordless understanding that mirrors the game’s central theme: communication beyond language.
What really worked for me in Out of Words is the level of emotional maturity the developers have brought to the experience, asking the player meaningful questions without ever feeling like they’re pushing a concept or taking away from the gameplay. This isn’t a game about relationship-testing challenges or competitive mechanics designed to frustrate players. Instead, it focuses on the genuine vulnerability that comes with expressing feelings for the first time. The Alice in Wonderland/Wizard of Oz–style fall that transports Kurt and Karla to Vokabulantis occurs at the precise moment when they might have said something new to each other. It’s a metaphor that anyone who has struggled to find the right words will immediately recognize.
“Out of Words strikes a delicate balance between accessibility and challenge…”
Even from just watching the trailer for Out of Words, I was struck by how unique the game looked. It blends the surreal, the comedic and even the creepy into an experience that feels truly special, made by a team clearly excited to bring it to life. It feels very much like a passion project for everyone involved, and even from the short time I spent with the game, I can’t wait to dive back in.
The technical achievement of translating stop-motion artistry into interactive entertainment cannot be overstated. Cutscenes utilize traditional stop-motion animation, while gameplay sequences utilize those same handcrafted models to bring them to life through photogrammetry and light scanning. The seamless transition between these two approaches creates a cohesive visual language that feels both nostalgic and innovative.
Out of Words feels far more complex than its cute façade may suggest. It’s a story about communication, vulnerability and the courage required to express our deepest feelings. In a gaming landscape often dominated by conflict and competition, this handcrafted love story offers something genuinely different. When it launches in 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via the Epic Games Store, it may well redefine what we expect from cooperative gaming experiences, and I can’t wait for more people to get their hands on it and experience what it brings to gaming.
