The Indie Informer

Today, I spent a few hours learning a new language. No one speaks it, I don’t know what any of the words mean, and I don’t think I’ll find many practical uses for it, but it’s been an incredibly satisfying way to start my year. Lok Digital is a game built around a made-up language, and if you like word games, it should definitely be on your radar.

The first word you learn is in the title: LOK. To play the game, all you have to do is look at the crossword-like grid and select adjacent letters to spell the words you know, which fills their boxes in. Your ultimate goal is to fill the entire board, so it’s convenient that each word allows you to clear some extra spaces. “LOK” allows you to fill one additional box, while “TLAK” lets you fill two adjacent spaces. Like many puzzle games, it’s easier to grasp once you get your hands on it, and LOK Digital does a stellar job at easing you into it.

The best puzzle games are good teachers. It’s one thing to introduce a set of interesting challenges to a player, but it’s another thing entirely to do it in a way that’s neither boring nor overwhelming. Lok Digital doesn’t just strike this balance, it does it consistently every time you reach a new world and learn a new word or mechanic. The start of world six tells the player, “There is a rule that wasn’t obvious before. Look at the hint if needed.” It’s just enough of a push to lead me in the right direction and offers more help if I want. Either way, I’m satisfied when I figure out the solution because I could still work it out on my own.

LOK Digital has wonderful quality-of-life features as well. I only know 4 words at my current spot in the game, but there’s a quick drop-down menu to remind me of them if I ever forget. Hints are readily available and don’t cause any penalties to use, so if you find yourself getting stuck, it’s nice to have a risk-free tool to find a solution. And if you’re getting annoyed at a current level, it only takes a few from each world to unlock the next area, so you can probably come back to tricky stages later. This is especially true with the last levels on each world, which are starred for their difficulty and singled out as easy to skip.

Complete with a simple, cute black-and-white aesthetic and a relaxing, floaty synth soundtrack, LOK Digital is a delight so far. I look forward to playing through the remainder of its worlds on a lazy morning with a cup of coffee.