Kana Quest

About

Kana Quest is a single player casual puzzle game. It was developed by Not Dead Design and was released on March 11, 2020. It received positive reviews from players.

Kana Quest is a puzzle game that teaches you how to read Japanese Hiragana. Each puzzle is a grid of different Hiragana that can be moved around. Adjacent Hiragana will connect to each other if the pronunciations share a common sound. So a Ka and a Na would connect as they both have an "a" sound. The player will rearrange the Hiragana to make one continuous connection between all the Hiragana in a…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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88%

Audience ScoreBased on 24 reviews

story5 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game features beautiful pixel art and a relaxing soundtrack, enhancing the overall experience.
The puzzle mechanics are engaging and can help players memorize Hiragana and Katakana effectively.
Kana Quest is enjoyable for both beginners and puzzle enthusiasts, providing a fun way to learn Japanese.

The save system is unreliable, leading to lost progress and frustration for players.
There is no visible option to exit the game, forcing players to use Alt+F4, which also doesn't save progress.
The game is more focused on puzzles than teaching Kana, which may mislead those looking for a dedicated language learning tool.

story
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
33%
25%
Kana Quest does not feature a traditional story mode, focusing instead on providing an engaging and visually stunning puzzle experience that aids in learning the hiragana phonetic alphabet. The game successfully combines educational elements with enjoyable gameplay, making it a valuable tool for beginners in Japanese language learning. While it lacks a narrative, its design and mechanics are tailored to enhance the learning process.
- “Kana Quest is a great puzzle game that also helps beginners learn Japanese!”
- “Maybe lacks customized level mode; and no story mode.”
- “From what I could tell from the developer’s comments and store page, Kana Quest set out to do two things: (1) be a helpful tool for beginners to learn/test their kana memorization and (2) have Kana Quest be fun and worthwhile no matter what level someone may be at.”
- “I can safely say that Kana Quest succeeded at both.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The music in the game is generally praised for its relaxing and pleasant qualities, enhancing the overall experience with a variety of soundtracks that change with each world. While some players find the music repetitive during long sessions, many appreciate its calming nature and how well it complements the game's vibrant visuals. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong aspect, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere.
- “Kana Quest is visually gorgeous, and the music never gets old. I knew I was actually learning something the moment I started copying down each puzzle and labeling kana in order to solve them.”
- “I love the music and the artwork; it's very calming and chill to play.”
- “Each world features a different background to the otherwise plain grid as well as different music for each world, so you won’t be listening to the same song each time.”
- “Frustrating because you have to guess the exact combination to earn a gold rating, and some mechanics are just a pain (especially the glass tiles) and the music gets a bit repetitive after long sessions.”
- “The music is also incredibly repetitive and lacks variety, making long play sessions feel tedious.”
- “While each world features different music, the overall quality and engagement of the soundtrack leave much to be desired.”
gameplay
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
The gameplay is engaging and evolves as players progress, introducing new mechanics and puzzle elements that keep it fresh, even for those familiar with kana. However, some players find certain mechanics frustrating, particularly the need to guess exact combinations for gold ratings and the repetitive music during extended play sessions. Overall, the game offers a mix of challenge and excitement with its innovative controls and world design.
- “The gameplay remains entertaining even if you already know the kana, thanks to the engaging puzzle element.”
- “As you progress through the worlds, extra mechanics are revealed, keeping things fresh.”
- “Frustrating because you have to guess the exact combination to earn a gold rating, and some mechanics are just a pain (especially the glass tiles) and the music gets a bit repetitive after long sessions.”
- “The game uses a phonetic rhyming match mechanic with slide-puzzle controls.”
- “Each world, aside from the last, introduces a new mechanic.”
graphics
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's graphics are praised for their aesthetic appeal, featuring calming and cute artwork that enhances the overall experience. The combination of charming visuals and a pleasant soundtrack contributes to a relaxing gameplay atmosphere.
- “This is an aesthetically pleasing game, and a completely fine puzzle game.”
- “I love the music and the artwork; it's very calming and chill to play.”
- “The artwork is very kawaii, and the soundtrack is pleasant.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized as sweet and fun, with unexpected moments that add a surprising layer of comedy.
- “Sweet, fun, and also surprisingly funny.”