New Steam Game is Like Balatro Meets Scrabble
Traditional tabletop gaming is getting another action-packed roguelike with Beyond Words, a new Scrabble meets Balatro game that blends the traditional family word game with powerful upgrades, insane combos, and masterful challenges. Beyond Words is now offering a free demo via Steam, giving interested players a chance to try their wordsmithing skills in this refreshing take on a tabletop classic.
The undeniable success and popularity of Balatro has noticeably influenced a number of newer releases, with the likes of horror roguelike slot machine game Cloverpit and now the ultimate Scrabble remix Beyond Words grabbing the attention of both video game fans and broader board game audiences. Balatro‘s blend of traditional poker gameplay with addictive deck-building made it a powerhouse indie launch that deservedly earned a number of Game of the Year nominations and various awards. Looking to follow in Balatro‘s footsteps, Beyond Words also draws from old-school tabletop gameplay while introducing fast-paced mechanics from the realm of video games.
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Beyond Words Blends Scrabble Wordplay with Balatro Challenges
Touted as a “genre-defining fusion” of strategic roguelike gameplay and familiar Scrabble word-crafting, Beyond Words tests players’ ability to create as many unique letter combinations as possible while forming legitimate words within the English language but with an added twist. In order to maximize their scores, players will need to unlock huge point combos and implement game modifiers that upgrade their scoring capabilities and help them to reshape the game board with every decision. Beyond Words features over 300 unique modifiers and abilities that will supercharge players’ scores, while each new run expands the accessible toolbox of rewards and upgrades. Every board is different with shifting rules, layouts, and objectives, pressuring players to adapt and strategize on the fly. Additional boss battles and time-attack modes give fans of challenging roguelike video games the perfect chance to hone their wits in Beyond Words.
Surprisingly, Beyond Words doesn’t come from a new name in the video game industry, as teased in the game’s latest trailer. In fact, many gaming fans are likely familiar with the previous works of developers Steve Ellis and David Doak. The two have worked on some of the biggest names in gaming history, including 007 GoldenEye, TimeSplitters, and even Perfect Dark. Ellis and Doak’s work on Beyond Words is said to be their “latest experiment in smart, systems-driven design,” so longtime fans of their previous projects may want to take a closer at Beyond Words with the new demo, available exclusively for PC via Steam.
Despite an unconfirmed release date at the time of writing, Beyond Words is promoted as “coming soon” and is slated to launch for PC, PlayStation 5, Switch, and Xbox Series X|S. It remains to be seen if Beyond Words will be able to live up to the already prolific modern-era legacy of Balatro and other tabletop games with roguelike mechanics, but there certainly seems to be a significant audience for this recently popularized subgenre. Of course, Beyond Words‘ biggest limitation is that it is only available in English, so any non-native speakers of the language may not be as inclined to partake in the wordy challenges when there are other more accessible options in the form of playing cards.
That said, even word-based games have found their niche. The playable demo for the word-typing battle royale Final Sentence has been a hit among competitive gamers, and many fans of content creators have enjoyed the interactive Words On Stream browser title. Considering Beyond Words is coming from industry veterans and not up-and-coming creatives, it would serve to reason that the Scrabble roguelike should be able to draw at least some level of curiosity, and early responses to the new demo may be worth keeping a close eye on.
- Released
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February 20, 2024
- ESRB
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E10+ For Everyone 10+ // Gambling Themes
- Developer(s)
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LocalThunk
- Publisher(s)
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Playstack