If you're looking for a game for a relaxing Christmas holiday, download it.

December of this year has been one of the most active months in the world of video games, with notable releases such as Marvel Rivals, Infinity Nikki, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. This flood of new offerings has also coincided with The Game Awards 2024, which showcased numerous innovations in the industry. Amidst this buzz, LOK Digital, a game that surprisingly reached the audience, has gone unnoticed by many.

LOK Digital stands out as an exceptional puzzle game in a year filled with great titles. This game consists of a word search set in a fictional alien language, where its cleverness shines through the way it plays with its own rules to create challenging puzzles. Ideal for enjoying in the company during the holiday season, it can be easily installed and played on a laptop while spending time with family or friends.

This proposal also invites players to step out of the realm of more conventional video games, as it is in those busy moments that true hidden gems can be found. LOK Digital is an adaptation of a word search puzzle book created by Blaž Urban Gracar, and it had its surprise launch during the presentation of The Game Awards 2024 from Day of the Devs.

To solve the puzzles, players must "black out" each cell by presenting them with fictitious words such as "lok," "tlak," "ta," and "lolo," using the letters that appear in those titles. This process requires that the letters be connected to form a word, allowing players to progress by crossing out the cells once they successfully write the word. For example, to form "lok," it is necessary to black out a specific cell; on the other hand, writing "ta" allows players to select any letter on the board and cross out all the cells that contain that letter.

LOK features a variety of levels that ingeniously add twists to its mechanics. Learning to connect letters over long distances or placing letters in empty cells after writing "be" are innovations that change the dynamics of the game. This satisfaction is comparable to what one experiences when succeeding in classic word games like Wordle or Spelling Bee. LOK Digital comes as an easy recommendation for those who enjoy such games daily.

This game transforms the simple word search, offering a fresh experience through its use of a fictional language, which provides an equal foundation for all players. From the start of the puzzle, it is clear what players need to look for, and the mind is transported to a world of problem-solving while trying to complete each challenge. The connection one feels when solving a complicated puzzle is quite notable; in fact, on one occasion, I found myself repeating out loud, “Oh, it’s Lok, Lok, Lok, Ta,” using this invented language without anyone hearing me, but it made sense to me as I quickly solved the puzzle.

With greater complexity in the puzzles and daily challenges to resolve, LOK Digital has the potential to become my next go-to game, similar to how Mini Motorways has incorporated itself into my occasional gaming sessions on my laptop. Although it may not be the biggest title of the month, it could very well be the one that lingers most in my memory among all the current releases. Moreover, it is the only game I can confidently recommend to players of any skill level; once you learn the 15 words that make up its language, you’ll have all the tools needed to progress successfully. LOK Digital is now available on Steam, and the book version can also be purchased or downloaded in PDF format online.