Kind Words (video game) explained

Kind Words (lo fi chill beats to write to)
Platforms:Linux, macOS, Windows
Released:6 July 2019
Genre:Casual
Modes:Multiplayer
Programmer:Ziba Scott
Designer:Ziba Scott
Artist:Luigi Guatieri
Composer:Clark Aboud

Kind Words (lo fi chill beats to write to) is a 2019 casual video game developed by American[1] indie developer Popcannibal, consisting of programmer and designer Ziba Scott and artist Luigi Guatieri. The game was first released as a Humble Bundle Original in July 2019, and was released on Steam in September 2019.[2] In the game, the player can send and request letters to and from other players anonymously over the internet, while lo-fi music plays in the background.[3] [4]

Gameplay

When first opening the game, the player is met by Ella, a mail carrier deer who is nervous of her new job. After writing a short letter to inspire the deer, the player is then asked for their name, of which only the first letter is used in the future. The player can then choose to either write an anonymous letter to someone requesting letters, request letters from other players, or send a paper airplane, with a short message attached.[5] [6]

The only view available is the player's bedroom, which may be used to display physical representations of the player's stickers.[6]

Letters

The player can anonymously request letters from other players, and can also send a letter to other players who are requesting letters. When a player chooses to write a letter, the player can choose to reply to or skip a request from their queue. Each request is a short statement on a card, and each letter is a message on a piece of paper. The player may also choose to include a sticker among a collection of stickers sent to them by previous players.

When a player receives a letter, it goes into the player's inbox. There, the player can read responses made by other players to their past requests.[7]

Paper airplanes can also be seen flying across the screen. When interacted with, the paper airplane will show the message inside. These paper airplanes can be sent or received by other players, and contain short and usually inspirational messages.[8]

Reception

The game has been praised by multiple reviewers for its positive community.[9] [10] [11] A review for Polygon describes Kind Words as "a simultaneously disarming yet intense experience." A Kotaku review mentions instances of trolling on the game which occur as an effect of livestreaming. Scott addressed this, saying that trolls "rarely hang around long" and that only 3% of most letters were reported, most of which being off-topic content. An A.V. Club writer praised the gameplay and claimed that the community behind it helps make the game "troll-proof."[12]

Following the success of Kind Words, Popcannibal announced a sequel entitled Kind Words 2 (lofi city pop). The sequel includes a much more expansive in-game world with more locations besides the player's bedroom. It is set to be released in 2024.[13]

Awards

Year Award Category Result Ref
2019The Game Awards 2019Games for Impact
202016th British Academy Games AwardsGame Beyond Entertainment[14]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ziba (@popcannibal). 2021-03-19. Twitter. en. 2021-05-07. https://web.archive.org/web/20210507202407/https://twitter.com/popcannibal?lang=en. live.
  2. Web site: July 2019 Humble Monthly. 2020-08-16. Humble Bundle. en. 2020-09-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20200924061256/https://www.humblebundle.com/monthly/p/july_2019_monthly. live.
  3. Web site: Hernandez. Patricia. 2019-08-02. Thousands of people have come together for the most moving game of the year. 2020-08-16. Polygon. en. 2020-11-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20201108001342/https://www.polygon.com/2019/8/2/20752088/kind-words-ziba-scott-steam-interview-game. live.
  4. Web site: Kind Words: A game of lo-fi beats, letters to strangers, and feeling less alone. 2020-08-16. GamesIndustry.biz. 18 July 2019 . en. 2020-09-23. https://web.archive.org/web/20200923093824/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-07-17-kind-words-a-game-of-lofi-beats-letters-to-strangers-and-feeling-less-alone. live.
  5. Web site: Brown. Ryan. 2019-09-16. Kind Words is the most heartwarming game of the year. live. 2020-08-16. Mirror UK. 2020-09-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20200920185325/https://www.mirror.co.uk/tech/kind-words-review-write-letters-20070382.
  6. Web site: The Game Awards nominee Kind Words is a shocking exercise in anonymous kindness. 2021-03-18. Digital Trends. 12 December 2019 . 2021-02-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20210228013655/https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/kind-words-game-awards-2019/. live.
  7. Web site: 'Kind Words' is the rare social network where everyone is nice. 2020-08-16. Engadget. 28 March 2020 . en. 2020-06-21. https://web.archive.org/web/20200621023050/https://www.engadget.com/2020-03-28-kind-words-social-network-nice.html. live.
  8. Web site: Brown. Fraser. 2019-09-13. Kind Words is a sweet game about supporting strangers. 2020-08-16. PC Gamer. en-US. 2020-07-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20200724045021/https://www.pcgamer.com/kind-words-is-a-sweet-game-about-supporting-strangers/. live.
  9. Web site: Kind Words Is A Game Where You Send Confessional Letters To Online Strangers. 2021-03-18. Kotaku. 13 September 2019 . en-us. 2021-05-07. https://web.archive.org/web/20210507202337/https://kotaku.com/kind-words-is-a-game-where-you-send-confessional-letter-1838098578. live.
  10. Web site: Kind Words, A Game About Sending Nice Letters To Strangers, Is Successfully Resisting Trolls. 2021-03-18. Kotaku. 19 December 2019 . en-us. 2021-03-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20210320034131/https://kotaku.com/kind-words-a-game-about-sending-nice-letters-to-strang-1840537946. live.
  11. Web site: Purchese. Robert. 2019-10-01. Kind Words is a beautiful game about helping real people by writing letters. 2021-03-18. Eurogamer. en. 2019-10-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20191002041837/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2019-09-30-kind-words-is-a-beautiful-game-about-helping-real-people-by-writing-letters. live.
  12. Web site: Kind Words is the massive multiplayer game primarily about being nice to people. 2021-03-18. The A.V. Club. 28 January 2020 . en-us. 2021-02-10. https://web.archive.org/web/20210210215027/https://games.avclub.com/kind-words-is-the-massive-multiplayer-game-primarily-ab-1841142390. live.
  13. News: Castle . Katharine . 2023-12-06 . Kind Words 2 brings a touch of Animal Crossing to its chill letter writing . 2024-05-24 . . en.
  14. Web site: 2020 Games Game Beyond Entertainment BAFTA Awards. live. 2021-03-19. BAFTA Awards. 2021-02-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20210227013554/http://awards.bafta.org/award/2020/games/game-beyond-entertainment.

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