Review: ‘Lok’ offers another avenue to explore word play

Word games aren’t the most popular genre among hard-core gamers, but it is one of the oldest forms of play and the most accessible. It’s been a staple of newspapers, which feature crossword puzzles and word searches, and it has evolved in the digital space with the explosive success of Wordle.

Although most word games are deceptively simple, they have room for depth. Blaž Urban Gracar and Ferran Ruiz Sala, two indie game developers, explore thhose wider frontiers with their game “Lok.” Based on the critically acclaimed puzzle book, the project introduces players to a mysterious language that uses a 26-letter Latin alphabet.

HOW TO PLAY
The goal at each of level is to color in all the letters by incorporating them into magical words. The first word they learn is “Lok,” and when they spell it out, they color in those letter boxes and one additional letter block anywhere on the board. By running through each word and its accompanying puzzles, players learn how those simple rules can be bent and twisted.

For example, if blocks are already colored in from a previous action, they act as bridges as long as the word flows in one direction. Those lessons become more important the further players advance in the campaign. They learn that the second word “Tlak” lets them color in two adjacent tiles, and another word, “Ta,” lets players fill in tiles of one-letter type.

Meanwhile, “Be” gives players the opportunity to change a blank tile with any letter they choose while “Lolo” has the ability to mark out tiles in a diagonal line.

Players learn the special abilities of the words “Tlak” and “Lok” in the video game “Lok.” (Draknek & Friends)

INCREASING COMPLEXITY
“Lok” starts off simple but it grows more complex as the developers weave in more words and concepts. It especially grows harder when developers introduce “X,” which acts as a connector allowing players to switch directions while spelling a word. Fortunately, the letter X is never used up when incorporated to form a word.

The puzzle solving feels like a word search at times, and at other moments it’s like a chess game where you have to attain a checkmate in a limited number of moves. Players look through the puzzles for the right magic words and figure out how they interact and interlock for the next move. It involves planning and flexible thinking, but the fun in these games is the A-ha moment when players grind through trial and error for a solution or stumble upon a move they never considered before.

It’s a glorious feeling akin to figuring out a crossword puzzle clue that has remained annoyingly elusive. It’s like removing a splinter in the mind.

Gracar and Sala, the developers, wrap their puzzle game in the conceit of learning a magical language and they fill it with cute characters to bring life into the proceedings. The idea is that the Lok-lings (I’ll call the creatures that for the lack of a better word) can only live on blackened tiles and as players run through each world, they give them more real estate to expand and build their civilization.

The creatures in “Lok” huddle around a fire, and as players solve more puzzles, they see the world grow more modern. (Draknek & Friends)

UNEVEN DIFFICULTY
Like much of the game, the hand-drawn imagery subtly conveys a narrative but there’s no written story. In the same way, the campaign removes the hand-holding as players grow comfortable with the gameplay, but it does so to its detriment.

“Lok” has areas where the difficulty jumps or where the developers throw so much at players that it can be overwhelming. At times, it feels as though players are tossed to the wolves without a steady lesson to build their skills. “Lok” can be so frustrating at times that puzzle solvers will just walk away or watch a YouTube video for solutions.

The game has a hint system but it’s bare-bones. The bigger issue is that the puzzle design, and the system of how concepts are taught, need more polish. Themed levels need to hammer home lessons and be better building blocks before the campaign throws more complex puzzles. It becomes so intimidating that players may not know where to start.

If they stick with it, “Lok” can be rewarding in the same way completing a crossword puzzle is. It tests that mental flexibility and could be in the next addictive word game, especially when it launches on iOS and Android devices on Jan. 23.