Wagotabi Review: A Unique and Engaging Language Learning Game
Discover the joy of learning Japanese through gaming!
こんにちは! (Konnichiha) - Hello and welcome,
I often wonder what's worse: not understanding a language at all and relying on subtitles, or understanding a language partially and constantly being reminded of how much more there is to learn. That's precisely the situation I find myself in now, thanks to a wonderful game I recently discovered called Wagotabi!
And I'm loving it! ;)
Last week in the Kotoba of the Week, I said I recently had a great experience with a this game and that I would talk to you about it in today's post. So lets dive right in.
Note: I am not sponsored or asked in any way to promote this game. I did let the know about this post but all content is my own and not curated by any 3rd party.
All game images are from the Steam page of the game. See game links at the end of this article
What is Wagotabi!
This game is unlike anything I've used before. It's completely different and 100% more engaging than traditional language learning apps.
Unlike Duolingo or Memrise, which focus on rote memorization and repetitive exercises, Wagotabi immerses you in an interactive world that, even though it's not for everyone, is a fantastic way for casual learners to learn about the language.
Wagotabi is a gamified way of learning Japanese. It is in no way the first game to do this, but it is the first one that I've seen doing it in this way. If you saw the old Pokémon games from the Gameboy Advanced era, you would surely recognize this game. Just like at it.
You'd be forgiven for mistaking this for a Pokémon game. But trust me, it's a unique and effective way to learn Japanese.
Who is it for?
While the screenshot might give the impression that this is just for gamers, that couldn't be further from the truth. Even if you're not a fan of video games, Wagotabi can significantly enhance your language learning experience.
For years, I have played game after game, and I still do to this day. I have tried to play games with Japanese voiceovers, but it never really works. One thing that always bothers me is that when playing a game, you have to look at subtitles during fights or in cutscenes where you miss a lot of what is happening. Those who don't play video games but watch movies and TV shows will also know the feeling. When the actors speak in a language you don't understand, you have to quickly read the subtitles and hope you didn't miss anything.
Wagotabi seamlessly integrates language learning into its gameplay. As you explore the world and interact with characters, you encounter new words and grammar concepts in a natural and contextualized way. The game cleverly reinforces your learning through repetition and interactive exercises, ensuring that you retain what you've learned. For example, during a quest to find a lost item, you might learn how to ask for directions or describe objects, and the game will then present you with challenges that require you to use those newly acquired skills.
So, to answer the question 'Who is this game for?': This game is for the casual Japanese learner who wants to learn the language but doesn't want to, or have the time to, spend massive amounts of money on courses or study books. And yes, I know that those traditional methods might be faster or more efficient. But as a casual learner myself, I don't need efficiency, I need fun.
So, what is the game about?
In the game, you step into the shoes of a custom character that you name.
I was immediately amused by the developers' clever solution to the challenge of custom character names. I won't spoil it here, but it's a delightful surprise that adds to the game's charm.
As you embark on your journey to become a 'Nihongo master,' you'll visit iconic locations, interact with locals, and complete challenges to prove your language proficiency. Each prefecture offers unique challenges and cultural insights, ensuring a diverse and engaging learning experience.
But while the premise is to become a master, you'll find yourself immersed in all sorts of situations along the way that will teach, reinforce, and improve your fluency in Japanese words and sentences. There's a special repetition system in play, as well as minigames to help you remember the kana (hiragana and katakana) and kanji you've learned.
Gameplay
Those who have played the early Pokémon games will likely have already noticed the similarities.
The game mirrors the Pokémon formula in many ways: you aim to become a master, challenge other masters, and even encounter a rival along the way. The 'battles' themselves also have a familiar feel, although they function more like pop quizzes that test your knowledge of recently learned vocabulary and grammar.
As you can see in the image above, when you encounter someone in the game, there's a chance they'll challenge you to a 'battle.' These encounters often start with a conversation, where you'll need to understand and respond to the character's dialogue. If they're impressed with your skills, they might challenge you to a battle to further test your knowledge. The battles consist of questions related to the conversation or previously learned material, and you'll have a pretty generous time limit to answer them.
Outside of these battles, you're constantly challenged throughout the game. You're sometimes asked to do something for someone, but the people asking only use Japanese that you have already learned. Anything you haven't learned yet is spoken in English. This immersive approach ensures that you're constantly applying your knowledge and reinforcing your learning in a natural and engaging way.
Sidequests
Talking about sidequests, this reminds me about 1 in particular that stood out a lot.
Early in the game, you reach a city where a girl has lost her dog. You offer to help her find it, and she provides you with a description of the dog and its possible whereabouts. During your search for the lost dog, you interact with various people, asking them in Japanese if they have seen it, and they all respond in kind.
This sidequest perfectly illustrates how Wagotabi seamlessly blends language learning with engaging gameplay. By completing this quest, you not only learn new vocabulary and grammar but also practice using it in a meaningful and contextualized way.
When you first enter the city, you meet someone at the entrance who wants to teach you some Japanese. What they teach you is all relevant for the area you are arriving at. They teach you the word for dog, cat, and some more. After that conversation, you continue on and see multiple dogs playing in a park. When you walk to the people standing nearby, they will tell you about the dogs with the words you just learned.
Oh, did I tell you they use kanji from the start? Yeah, you will be taught the kanji's from the get-go. And this has been the best way for me to remember them.
After successfully reuniting the girl with her beloved dog, you're rewarded with not only a sense of accomplishment but also valuable experience points and perhaps even a new item or ability that will aid you on your journey to becoming a Nihongo master.
Repetition
The game is also very good for repeating words, sentences, and grammar points. An example is at the start of the game. You're taught how to ask where a bus is going, which bus to take, and how to get a ticket. It might sound overwhelming, but the game introduces these concepts gradually and provides ample opportunities for practice. For instance, you might be asked to help someone find the right bus to their destination, using your newly acquired knowledge to navigate the ticket office and purchase the correct ticket.
As you explore the game world, you'll encounter interactive elements that reinforce your learning. For instance, if you interact with a house, a text balloon might appear, displaying the kanji for 'house' (家, ie) along with its pronunciation. Similarly, interacting with a flowerbed might reveal the kanji for 'flower' (花, hana).
One of the best, and probably most underrated, motivational features in the game is the ability to tap on words in a sentence to see their meanings and grammatical functions. This provides valuable support while still encouraging active learning and comprehension. And the humorous "I have no idea what this means" message for unfamiliar words adds a touch of personality and relatability.
For some reason, this feature really motivates me to keep learning. It's like the game is acknowledging that we're both on this journey of discovery together, and that's a powerful feeling.
The learning of grammar.
In my opinion, Wagotabi does an excellent job of teaching Japanese grammar. The game presents new words and grammar concepts in a clear and concise manner, providing meanings, translations, and examples of usage without overwhelming the player. For instance, the particle 'ka' can be used to form questions or express uncertainty. Wagotabi introduces these different usages gradually, ensuring that you master one concept before moving on to the next.
The game also features a dictionary, a "kanjidex," and a kana review section to further support your learning.
Another fun aspect of Wagotabi is how it progressively transitions to full Japanese text as you learn more kanji. For example, once you learn the kanji characters for "kanji" (漢字), the corresponding menu item will change from English to Japanese. This immersive approach reinforces your learning and helps you familiarize yourself with authentic Japanese text.
Conclusion
This game has truly worked wonders for me. Before discovering Wagotabi, I was trapped in a cycle of repetitive exercises on Duolingo and Buusu, and my motivation was dwindling rapidly.
The game's ability to seamlessly integrate language learning into its core mechanics is what sets it apart. It helps you learn new concepts while also challenging you to apply them in a meaningful context. The UI is intuitive and easy to navigate, and the ability to look up words and grammar explanations on the fly ensures that you're never truly lost.
The style of the game is fantastic. It feels nostalgic while being effective. The icons for the things you interact with are cute and fun. The story is fun to go through and learn more as you go. The puzzles you have to solve are handcrafted and always make you use your knowledge of Kanji, Kana, or grammar.
They also force you to constantly use what you learned when talking to people. They might ask you a question that you will have to answer in Japanese. Your rival might talk to you, and after speaking Japanese with him, he will go into battle mode and fire a bunch of questions and words your way for you to decipher or write out.
Like I said at the start, I don't know what is worse. Not knowing the language at all, or understanding parts of it. This game made me understand parts of it already and I am not even past the send prefecture. The way it teaches and reinforces those teachings, is just perfect for me.
The game is developed by Wagotabi Limited and is out on Android and IOS, and it will be released on desktop on Steam this year.
I highly recommend you try this game out if you are a casual learner as well.
The game has some impressive stats as well:
## **STATISTICS (as of the writing of this post)**
- +245 carefully selected words and grammar points
- +130 Kanji
- +300 example sentences
- +950 voiced Japanese dialogues
- +225 unique NPCs in game
- +300 teachers in +60 countries reviewing the game
- All words are used in context for better retention
And all of this shows. It really does.
Play the game
For those who want to wishlist it on steam, check out this link:
STEAM LINK
Here you can get it on Android:
ANDROID
And here you can check it out on IOS:
APPLE IOS
Be sure to let me know what your thoughts are on this game.
Have you played it? What was your experience? Share it in the comments, but also be sure to share it in the review sections of the game pages as well. I know they would love to hear your stories.
That was rather long, sorry about that, but hope you are as excited about the game as I am by now.
Hope you will try it out. On desktop there is also a demo version, so check that out if you are not sure.
That's it for now!
Stay safe out there, and I will see you again on the next Kotoba of the week.
またね (matane) - See you later