Three Great Word Games You Should Play! [Knotwords, Paperback Adventures & LOK]

[@BlazGracar]

Thank you, Tom and SUSD, and thank you all who (pre)ordered a copy, what a fantastic review, still can’t believe it. I never imagined LOK being featured on a channel that brought me into the hobby. Been jumping in the air for the past 8 hours 😊

[@culnar]

You have made one of my favorite games and you really deserve your spot in this video. Also the "figure out the mechanic on your own" is a small detail that makes the game shine even more, not at all frustrating, not even for a split second :)

[@michaelrobison7650]

Just ordered my copy!

[@mixmastermeat]

Just ordered mine as well. This seems perfect to wind my brain down away from screens before bed.

[@youhavegottobekidding]

​@@culnarthis is part of what elevates the already good experience into a great one

[@raindrinker_dev]

Im the programmer on LOK Digital, I played LOK a while ago and bothered Blaz until he agreed on working together on the digital version! :D Thanks a ton for covering the book I'm so glad other people are discovering it!

[@hughjazz5608]

The design & animation is beautiful!

[@RobertoVillegas-vincent404]

The digital game seems right up my ally in terms of puzzle games. While I like the idea of the paper one, it does seem as a digital game to work really well. I’m hopeful there will be a mobile version for iPhone as it would work perfectly, but I’ll grab a copy on Steam if that’s where it will be.

[@raindrinker_dev]

@@RobertoVillegas-vincent404 Probably in the future of it does well! We're focusing on Steam right now as we are just a two person team. Thanks a lot! 😊

[@NoPunIncluded]

Euphrates here. About that picture... you know what, nevermind.

[@UnmistakableSoundOf]

4:44 "... making your P's pack more punch and your Q's pack more... Qu-unch!" That line and delivery had me laughing, probably way more than it should have done...

[@vee-bee-a]

"Elaine & Euphrates", got a good laugh from me.

[@FinetalPies]

I went and played a bit of Lok via the free pdf (Firefox lets you draw on pdfs in-browser!) and when you mentioned that the adjacency rule isn't ever stated only implied by necessity...I didn't even realize that had happened. Like I was stuck on a puzzle and I was like, "Oh yeah, I forgot that greyed out boxes don't count for adjacency! The solution is clear" I had just invented a memory where I was told that this was a rule, since I'd used it previously without even really thinking aboot it.

[@Quitchy]

The way Lok teaches you how to play through playing is genius. It's a really special puzzle game.

[@TheMinkette]

Having not watched the video yet, I'm reading everyone saying LoK as 'Lingdom of Koathing'.

[@marcelineleiman4330]

Yesss I love Knotwords! I’m glad more people will know of it now because of this video

[@BoardGameBlitz]

Thanks so much for covering these! I had never heard of Knotwords but I've downloaded it to my phone now. I had played the PDF of LOK a while ago and loved it, and I'm super excited for the digital version to come out! The demo was so smooth and looked so neat.

[@jaffa4242]

Thanks for the weird word game suggestions. And yes the plastic scrape of those trays is absolutely ear-melting.

[@djoj20]

Paperback Adventures is a delight to play. And good news: ordering from the publisher brings you upgraded components!

[@jokerES2]

The Worm Game Special! I wish Matt would be a worm again in this video.

[@IstasPumaNevada]

Every time Worm Matt or Worm Quinns appears, it brings joy to my heart. (Tom and Ava can be worms too if they want, but I leave that up to their discretion. I'm more okay with requesting that Matt and Quinns -suffer- push the boundaries of personal artistic expression in a public video.)

[@theautisticguitarist7560]

He hasn't been the same since he discovered he wanted to be a little rat man. Legend has it, he wants be a little rat man right now.

[@StKildaish]

Tom! Awesome video, I tested knotwords after your recommendation and thought "this man knows his word games!" then went straight to the Lok shop and pre ordered a copy. Keep up the great content🎉

[@alexanderradovic2285]

Hey! Just wanted to say how much I appreciate what you add to one of my favourite channels, it's been great to see new ideas and perspectives but still in the familiar SU&SD style I love.

[@TheGuardimaster]

wow pizza tower images at the end, i wasn't expect that. What a game & ost!

[@henrikott-ebbesen9157]

Thanks for working so hard to make your videos so funny, even though it may not be relatable to cynics and other edgy people living through their “too cool for school” teen years. But to the vast, vast majority of the rest of us, it really comes of as hard work and dedication. It really works in the context of your channel (some might say it comes of as quite quirky and charming).

[@boardgamesonthemoon]

I Love word games. Thanks for the tip for Knotwords, really enjoying it. Speaking of word game apps, also still playing and loving the puzzle mode in SpellTower. Looking forward to your next post, Tom. Cheers

[@murrowmench1565]

Knotwords has been downloaded before the video is over, I’m sold. Thanks for the heads up!

[@ClimbingCat05]

I love Tom being surprised by air horns

[@TheAquaMonster]

I really like Paperback Adventures since I got it a month or so back, glad to see we're on the same page (pun partially intended)! I'm definitely going to have to give Lok a runthrough now that you recommended it, heck I might get an extra copy for my mom since it might be up her alley too. Thanks for bringing it to our attention!

[@Calvin714Hobbes]

It's a pretty simple game but everyone I play games with loves Letter Jam. Always incredibly tense, which you wouldn't expect from a cooperative spelling game.

[@dudemccool]

That moment at 14:20 when you see the puzzle you completed in an insomnia powered haze and it all comes flooding back to you.

[@clcrowley553]

Just what I needed, I laughed so many times. I'll probably buy some of these games just because of the lols you gave me. I should lay off the caffeine.

[@fy8798]

thanks, Lok immediately ordered, and I'm already annoyed I watched as much of the review as I did :D how do people hear about stuff like this, without this channel, I'd never have.

[@TheDoak22]

Space Biff

[@jackturpitt4275]

The way that LOK forces you to infer it’s puzzle mechanics reminds me of The Witness. That game has no tutorial and everything you learn about it is inferred from puzzles you’re completing.

[@jeffmcarthur5617]

Did you just... flip us off? :D (4:01)

[@Gl3n3rgy]

This video script has strong Matt vibes. KnotWords is basically KenKen for english words, thanks for the new addiction!

[@DoctorEth]

The air horn bit was the most Tom moment we've had in a long time. 10/10 would honk again

[@luigiscazzari4724]

The beginning of this video reminded me of Semicolon from the Lonely Island and I wish Tom would collaborate with them 😊

[@ryanbartlett672]

Thanks for the recommendations. Went straight out and got all three.

[@nazokashii]

Seems like a lot of fun :D thank you for the reviews :)

[@Electroporcupine]

Tom I think you'd like The Witness. Unfortunately it's a videogame and, therefore, Illegal.

[@WaterTastesLikeNo]

1:08 Yeah, bit late for that asterisk, innit? (Not british, just trying to sound cool like you guys.) I remember vividly showing my family the "how to get into RPGs" video Quinns did, because I was watching it for the the first time and was laughing quite audibly. Little did I know, Quinns was about force my channel viewing into secret, cause the next thing he said to my very protective mom and very 6 year old little brother was an analogy about how playing RPGs yourself is as to watching people play them, as s3x is to por- yeah I'm not gonna write that. Hope this little story gave you a chuckle or at least a Nose Exhale (TM) and a slight jab of light regret to spice up your day. You're welcome and all the best, Grounded at 19 years old

[@daem0nfaust]

Thanks for introducing me to Knotwords. Seems like the crossword that my brain can handle.

[@chriswebber6524]

Had no interest in word games, but clicked anyways because this guy entertains me no matter what

[@Syphonesq]

:D The online stock of Lok has sold out super fast thanks to this video

[@lexta13]

Great video there, Biffo!

[@RobertDavis-xn1nk]

Loving Knot Words. Thanks, Tom.

[@M1kaelJohansson]

watched this up to the knotwords part and the got addicted for a month before coming back to finish the video

[@georgemunro1512]

I love Knot Words, been playing since you mentioned it on the podcast.

[@JorWat25]

"Due to the Shut Up And Sit Down review, the current stock has sold out." Thanks Tom...

[@neonmoon8356]

How timely, I've been looking for a word game for the collection :)

[@Sem5626]

video has been up 8 hours and the physical version of LOK has sold out... makes me sad but nice work by SUSD

[@drakelx]

LOK looks amazing! I’ll be looking forward to getting the pdf printed! I tried Knotwords after hearing about it on the podcast! But after the first month I sort of stopped. The game itself is great, but missing dailies really ticks me off cos that’s just how I am. And having hard ones that take a long time got me really annoyed at the rabbit that was taunting me for taking so long. I had a great time with the free puzzles and then deleted the app

[@Mary-z2c2y]

I like your presentation and I love Knotwords it is now my favorite game to I never thought that I could enjoy a game so much

[@capitulation600]

Ah, what a nice and cozy review

[@DocFunky]

Knotwords *RULES*! I played tons and tons and tons of it last summer...until I had to delete it, because it was literally all I wanted to do and I was staying up way too late every night doing all the dailies. But I still love it forever.

[@DrMcFly28]

Lok is devilishly clever. I'm loving it, but I always feel like I'm one small step away from screaming in frustration.

[@brandontoh3194]

There’s a puzzle game called Understand that does the ‘figuring out mechanics’ thing well.

[@zallisgreat4196]

Loving LOK so far. Anybody got similar recommendation? I have absolutely no knowledge of "puzzle book" genre.

[@thefallenangel5190]

Love your channel, it's one of the few boardgame channels that suggest games really in my own taste and in the best entertaining way

[@JimPAX70]

Good news! The faff-y bits from Paperback Adventures have replacement parts available.

[@jeffthebiglizard8099]

Lok doesn't really feel like a word game. The puzzles are interesting but you could replace the letters with symbols, numbers or colours and it wouldn't really change anything about the game.

[@F19ish]

👁️ ❤🗣️

[@DrMcFly28]

It's not a "word" game, but letters are essential for internalising the puzzles and detecting patterns. I doubt you could achieve the same level of clarity with colours or random symbols.

[@voltcorp]

@@DrMcFly28 I've never even played it and this conversation is already getting me all philosophical thinking about when if ever are letters just symbols and how that changes the way our minds work with them

[@DrMcFly28]

@@voltcorp Well as I see it our brains are conditioned to recognize letters and connect them into words, so finding "LOK" or "BE" in a grid of letters is infinitely easier than finding "%#@" or "$÷" in a grid of random symbols. :)

[@denycast]

I am so glad I got my LOK in this week, before that SUSD Hype makes it unavailable😂 Teaching the mechanics as you go is maybe not so often seen in analog puzzles but in puzzle video games often seen. Tom if you haven't played "the witness" PLAY IT! It is a masterpiece of videogame. Don't look it up just play it. It introduces the mechanic also trough it's puzzles... And after the witness, many puzzlegames followed😀 I got Knotwords from Toms Recommendation on the Podcast, I quite like it. But it has the same problem, as why I don't play paperback adventures.... I am not a native speaker.... so my vocabulary is more limited and less flexible than of native speaker. So knotwords is fun... but not someting I am coming back daily. Sadly 😀

[@gordonsloan4332]

is it possible to get LOK in the UK?

[@Hanky.SSCorp]

Cool to see some outside the box (pun intended) games!

[@BorrisChan]

I know y’all already did it but an updated review of Blood on the Clocktower now that it’s officially released would be amazing!! One of my favorite susd reviews

[@Sihoiba]

The paperback adventures heart is clearly a slay the spire reference right? It looks nearly identical. Fun video :)

[@skyelarsen8172]

Yep! There's also a small nod to Monster Train.

[@styfen]

The electronic version of Paperback Adventures is a delight to play and a lot cheaper than the physical version.

[@fuzzirodekill]

Tom really out here consistently putting out the best board game reviews on yt

[@JD-qq8fz]

That's such a nice window view

[@Raphaelus13]

Our favorite is What's My Word (Travel edition).

[@fakajuu9519]

Lok sounds a bit like The Witness where you need to figure out the rules as well.

[@frankharr9466]

That sounds like fun.

[@jamiemoseley8327]

Love seeing some Knotwords love!

[@007bistromath]

Those trays in Paperback Adventures are retro. That's like a component you'd find in an obscure "family" board game from the 70s.

[@issa496]

As a word game connoisseur I approve. Other recommended word games that are more of the party variety: So Clover, Medium, Blank Slate, Cross Clues, and CrossTalk (I’d also recommend Phantom Ink and Glitch Squad but I’ve barely played them to test their staying power) Word games are my kinda shit and my group keeps enabling me!

[@cursivecurses]

Gotta add Hooky to the list

[@stefanplav2105]

Knot Words structurally looks a lot like the Sudoku variant "Killer", which adds fenced areas to the grid whose values must add up to particular numbers.

[@mcmizah4783]

Do you know the @Rnewelf? Does your family sell it? They're posting it soon. Super look forward to.

[@bgsam8109]

Great video

[@colingerber5319]

Just... how many Danny Devito cutouts are in your new flat?

[@Pokephantom]

asking the real questions

[@AutumnReel4444]

Gonna try Knot Words

[@groovygorgar8408]

No one talks about Trapwords. CGE struck gold in Codenames, but Trapwords is maybe the greatest embodiment of the sensation of a game show in a box. I've had to host it several times to keep teams even, like many games, but this one leaves feeling like Trebek or Sajack. The theme is a little wonky, but as far as word games go, golly it doesn't get enough love.

[@jasonsthings7212]

Once I see him I can't stop seeing him

[@OzanCan81]

Do you know the @Rnewelf cards? Does your family sell it? They're posting it soon. Super forward to # rnewelf.

[@vpocyk]

great video

[@benbryan3618]

yay words!

[@derpderpson2188]

So did anybody else's brain glance over the thumbnail and initially interpret the title as 'great gamer words'?

[@JohnGottschalk]

Oh... I was expecting multiplayer board or social word games somehow, and thought it might be a reevaluation of the genre like your card game episodes were.

[@ian84]

That's a really nice shirt, Tom.

[@THX1337]

I'm glad someone else noticed it too. I was like, damn, I really like that shirt. I would definitely like to know if anyone knows the brand.

[@johnnichols6073]

Any other puzzle videogames you'd recommend?

[@MrBernaar]

You mention the digital version of Paperback Adventure is a lighter version. What is is missing or how is it different in comparison to the physical version?

[@skyelarsen8172]

It's lighter in terms of complexity, not in content. There's actually some cool unique content with the video game. Biggest differences are that the default setting lets you activate any single card's ability in your word (instead of only the top or bottom card) and replacing the enemy vowel with a simple wild. The game also does 9 battles since the battles go a bit more quickly overall.

[@GAMER43374]

I think this one is pretty good

[@respecttheyoshi]

I really like knotwords! I really hate that the steam achievements are broken!

[@armandd5170]

Does anyone know what that game is in the closing credits? (16:15ish)

[@AyyyyyyyyyLmao]

Against the storm 👍

[@martonferenci]

I thought we were getting Great Three Word Games then I read the title again...

[@garretfischbach7800]

You should look at godfather: corleone’s empire

[@castleandkaylin3193]

I'd rather play Paperback/Hardback for a Fowers game. The other two just look like solo puzzles to play on an app while on plane. If I want word games and desire to play with others, give me Word on the Street, Big Boggle, Codenames, and Just One. No rulebook issues, no component issues. Just fun with others. Although Word on the Street is now OOP. But the video production and hosting of this video was quality as always.

[@cliffhughes6010]

"What it is are words."

[@allan8586]

BUT I WANTED WORM GAMES

[@Szeksp]

Game trays work for eclipse. Ease of set up^^

[@walterhaider869]

What's with the devetos

[@OriginalPiMan]

Paperback Adventures looked a little interesting, but it's definitely Knotwords that I've just downloaded.

[@doogong]

Now you have to make a video titled Three Great Three Word Games You Should Play where you recommend games with three words in the title

[@Kierkergaarder]

Frank from IASIP lurking in the background...

[@unrealed]

You should check out Fiction (yes a terrible name). Its a neat competitive version of Wordle

[@Rhino1186]

Did he flip us off at 4:00?

[@RedBairnMedia]

Huzzah for words and terrible green screen. Fully prepared for the weird.

[@kosterix123]

PBA will get an expansion in 2024 so wait for that.

[@kosterix123]

Derived from splay the splire.