Introduction

Imagine two slightly bewildered puppets who went out for coffee and returned having misplaced their voices. That's the cozy, slightly surreal premise of Out of Words, a cooperative platform-adventure from Danish studios Kong Orange and WiredFly, arriving on PS5 in 2026 via Epic Games Publishing. It's less a frantic spectacle and more an art-house buddy-caper: you play as Kurt and Karla, two characters navigating the tactile world of Vokabulantis while trying to recover their lost capacity for speech. If you enjoyed the emotional rollercoaster of It Takes Two or the quiet, reflective vibes of Journey, you're already in the right postcode. The game was unveiled during Summer Game Fest 2025 and has been turning heads for its handcrafted stop-motion feel, poetic collaboration with Morten Søndergaard, and a director credit that reads Johan Oettinger - a name that sounds like it could be a crossword answer or a Scandinavian pastry. Out of Words sets out to be a cooperative meditation on communication, emotional connection, and the occasionally maddening act of getting your partner to jump at the same time you do. It supports local couch co-op and online cross-platform multiplayer, which means you can either dominate your sibling from the same sofa or coordinate with a friend across the internet and politely disagree over whether a clay skyscraper should be pushed with a lever or hugged until it falls over. The premise is simple, but the charm is in how the game turns that simplicity into a series of tactile, well-crafted puzzles and platforming sequences that feel like someone made a diorama version of a relationship drama and then decided to add trapdoors.

Gameplay

Gameplay in Out of Words centers on two-player collaboration. You and your partner control Kurt and Karla as a team, working through handcrafted environments that range from damp ancient catacombs to surprisingly elegant clay-built skyscrapers. The interaction model is familiar if you've played co-op platformers before: physics-based puzzles, timing-oriented platforming, and objects in the world that react to cooperative nudges, shoves, and well-timed jumps. But the execution is where it distinguishes itself. Levels are designed to require real communication - not the shouty "duck!" kind, but nuanced coordination where one player might have to hold a rickety bridge steady while the other scurries across, or activate a sequence of voices-free switches in a rhythm that feels suspiciously like a duet. There's a playful variety to the puzzles. Some are small choreography exercises where you and your teammate complete a sequence together to progress, while others are larger contraptions that demand patience, timing, and the occasional experimental biffing of levers. Physics is at the core: pipes tilt, boulders wobble, and soft plasticine-looking platforms deform under weight. This makes for moments of genuine delight when everything comes together and the pair of you tumble gloriously into the right solution. There's also a nice balance between challenge and accessibility - the game rarely punishes with cheap deaths. Failure usually results in a cute reset, a wry bit of puppet-mime, and a moment to plan a better strategy instead of rage-quitting into the void. The co-op emphasis is layered into the storytelling as well. The characters have lost their voices and must relearn how to connect, so many mechanics are tied to non-verbal communication. You'll find yourself inventing your own sign language with whoever you're playing with - a tiny social experiment wrapped up in a game. Puzzles frequently require players to interpret environment cues together, and this fosters a kind of emergent narrative where the two of you carry the story through shared problem-solving. If you prefer playing solo, the game leans heavy into co-op and is best enjoyed with a friend: the interpersonal comedy and occasional heartfelt beats really land when two people are negotiating the same sticky platform. Out of Words also throws in environmental storytelling like it's confetti. The world of Vokabulantis is full of symbolic set pieces that comment on language, identity, and relationships. You won't just be solving a puzzle; you'll be unspooling a metaphor. The pacing keeps things varied - platforming segments have you nailing timing and rhythm, while puzzle rooms slow the tempo and let you soak in the tactile art direction. There's enough meat here for several hours of two-player exploration without overstaying its welcome.

Graphics

The most striking thing about Out of Words is its look. The developers leaned into stop-motion and handcrafted aesthetics, building character models and environments that feel like they were sculpted in a cozy Danish studio and then animated with the patience of a thousand exasperated animators. On PS5 the game has a pleasing tactile fidelity; clay textures, paper-and-cardboard backdrops, and tiny imperfections that would normally be considered flaws in a hyper-realistic game become charming signatures of intentional design here. Lighting plays warmly across surfaces, creating depth in spaces that might otherwise have felt flat, and the physical puppetry vibe means every jump and stumble has a comedic lilt. Animation is deliberately tactile rather than smooth-as-butter. Characters move with a slightly staccato rhythm that reinforces the stop-motion feel and suits the game's identity. That might annoy players who want buttery 60fps realism, but for everyone else it's part of the personality: Kurt and Karla's flailing limb is comedic, their pauses are meaningful, and the world reacts like a real, living diorama. Environments are varied and imaginative - from echoing catacombs with dripping stalactites to clay-built skylines that creak and sigh under your weight - and the team's use of practical-looking materials gives each location a storybook quality that's hard to duplicate with pure polygons. On the technical side, PS5 benefits like crisp textures and short load times help the experience, and cross-platform online play is a smooth inclusion. There are little touches that make the handcrafted vision feel grounded: dust motes, fingerprints in clay, and the occasional sticky-out bit that reminds you someone physically handcrafted this world - or at least a very determined art team digitally imitated that aesthetic. If you're into games that look like someone built them in their kitchen and then filmed the results from multiple angles, Out of Words will likely tickle you in all the right nostalgic spots.

Conclusion

Out of Words is a warm, inventive co-op platformer that trades bombast for intimacy and spectacle for careful craft. It's best played with a friend - preferably one who's willing to be both patient and theatrical - because the game's emotional and mechanical highs hinge on shared communication. The stop-motion aesthetic and tactile environments make it feel like a physical object you can pick up and flip through, and the puzzles combine charm with satisfying mechanical interplay. It's not the most punishing platformer on the market, nor does it aim to be; its strengths lie in mood, cooperative storytelling, and delightful set-pieces. If you're craving a title that treats teamwork as both a game mechanic and a narrative motor, Out of Words is a lovely stop on the PS5's 2026 lineup. Play it for the puppets, stay for the metaphors, and call your co-op buddy - you'll need them to get past the clay skyscraper that looks suspiciously like a sentient muffin.

See Latest Prices for Out of Words on PS5 on Amazon

See Prices for Out of Words on PS5 on Ebay