Learn Japanese RPG: Hiragana Forbidden Speech

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"Learn Japanese RPG: Hiragana Forbidden Speech" is an educational role-playing game that teaches players the Japanese syllabary of hiragana. The game is set in a fantasy world where players must use their knowledge of hiragana to solve puzzles, communicate with characters, and progress through the story. With various minigames and study aids, players can improve their Hiragana reading and writing skills, making it a fun and interactive way to learn the Japanese language.

Genres & Tags

Role Playing

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

97%

Audience ScoreBased on 268 reviews

story73 positive mentions

grinding8 negative mentions

The game is an effective and fun learning tool for beginners, gradually introducing hiragana and vocabulary in an engaging way.
It features a customizable learning experience, allowing players to adjust battle frequency and learning pace, which enhances retention.
The story is entertaining and humorous, making the learning process enjoyable rather than tedious.

The game does not cover katakana or kanji, which limits its scope for learners looking to advance beyond basic vocabulary.
Some grammar lessons are presented as lengthy text dumps, which can detract from engagement and retention.
The resolution and UI could use improvement, as some players find the window size and text readability issues distracting.

story
117 mentions
62 % positive mentions
35 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The story of the game is generally well-received, described as fun, engaging, and often humorous, making it suitable for beginners. While some players found it a bit simplistic or repetitive, many appreciated the charming character animations and the effective integration of language learning within the narrative. Overall, the story serves as an entertaining backdrop that enhances the educational experience without overshadowing the primary goal of language acquisition.
- “The story is interesting, the comic relief is funny, and the little character animations are very charming.”
- “The story, which I sort of expected to be just a throw-away framework for the lessons, was actually totally cute and hilarious, with lots of tongue-in-cheek humor, interesting settings, and remarkably excellent voice acting.”
- “I finished the free demo and immediately bought the full version -- this game is really well designed for what it's trying to accomplish, and has absolutely hilarious story moments that brought me tons of joy.”
- “The story of this game is only what I could describe as a beautiful mess.”
- “- Not really anything interesting going on in the world apart from dialogue; the maps are mostly barren zigzags that you just walk along for a very long time from one plot point to another.”
- “It's a little hard to follow at points, but I think that's just because of the constant translating taking more of the spotlight than the story.”
humor
53 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its charm and effectiveness, with many players noting that the witty dialogue and funny character interactions enhance the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the well-written narrative, which includes amusing side plots and tongue-in-cheek humor, making the learning process enjoyable and memorable. While some find the humor a bit corny, it is generally seen as a delightful aspect that adds to the game's appeal, making it both entertaining and educational.
- “The game is very well written and a joy to go through; it has lots of funny elements and you're guaranteed to laugh here and there.”
- “The narrative is fun and the comedy always hits home, to the point I was actually laughing aloud at the 'cat girl' and parts with the bees.”
- “The story, which I sort of expected to be just a throw-away framework for the lessons, was actually totally cute and hilarious, with lots of tongue-in-cheek humor, interesting settings, and remarkably excellent voice acting.”
gameplay
29 mentions
24 % positive mentions
66 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The gameplay is straightforward, focusing on walking and interacting, which provides a relaxing RPG experience while learning Japanese. However, the reliance on random encounters for vocabulary reinforcement can be challenging for beginners, and the pacing suffers due to the integration of lessons that feel disconnected from the main gameplay. Despite some flaws, the unique mechanics, engaging story, and quality voice acting contribute to an enjoyable learning experience, making it a worthwhile title for those interested in language acquisition.
- “The RPG gameplay in between learning is a very nice way of letting your mind relax while still being somewhat entertaining.”
- “The gameplay and education mesh together well.”
- “Gameplay is super fun and I'm actually learning a lot of Japanese.”
- “The main flaw of this game is that its main gameplay loop, the random encounters, only reinforce the learning of symbols and vocabulary.”
- “These lessons are done well enough and occasionally do integrate effective visual aids, but overall they detract from the pacing of the game and don't contribute to the gameplay other than in short quizzes you can occasionally choose to engage with.”
- “Additional gameplay systems would have really helped to reinforce these lessons instead of having to go back to the 'cave of memories' to repeat the lesson.”
music
14 mentions
43 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
21 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its relaxing and nostalgic qualities, with a diverse range of genres that enhance the gameplay experience, from metal to groovy techno. However, some users noted that the soundtrack is somewhat limited and criticized certain sound effects for being compressed or unpleasant. Overall, while the soundtrack is enjoyable and fitting, there are minor issues that could be improved.
- “The music is really relaxing and nostalgic; it feels like a fun RPG mixed with language learning.”
- “This insane metal music comes in and it's like woah, or you are chilling in the caves talking with some lizards and then this super groovy techno beat rolls past and it's like ooh!”
- “So props there, there were times I just waited ages on the dialogue to hear the music!”
- “My only criticisms are the soundtrack is limited and the UI, especially on Steam Deck, could use some tweaking as some text boxes get cut off mid to endgame.”
- “Also, the music???”
- “So props there, there were times I just waited ages on the dialogue to hear the music, lol.”
graphics
12 mentions
33 % positive mentions
42 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally described as rudimentary and reminiscent of RPG Maker, which some players find unappealing, especially when stretched. However, the pixel art is noted to be well-executed, and while the visuals may not be the game's strong suit, they do not detract from the overall experience, which is enhanced by strong mechanics, writing, and particularly impressive voice acting. Overall, players acknowledge the graphics' limitations but appreciate the game's educational value and engaging storytelling.
- “The story is interesting and sometimes hilarious, and the game world is well done with excellent pixel graphics, but the real selling point of this game is how effective the word retention is.”
- “The graphics are a little bit rudimentary (which is to be expected as this isn't a AAA developer working with a team of people), but the mechanics, writing, and (in particular) voice acting compete with most other games I've played.”
- “The graphics are a little bit rudimentary (which is to be expected as this isn't a AAA developer working with a team of people) but the mechanics, writing, and (in particular) voice acting compete with most other games I've played.”
- “The voice acting is almost too good at times, feeling a little jarring when juxtaposed with the Game Boy-esque graphics.”
- “It's painful to play with the graphics stretched out.”
grinding
8 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Overall, players appreciate that the game replaces traditional grinding with engaging and enjoyable mechanics, though some express frustration with the inability to skip or cancel quizzes, which can become tedious, especially after mistakes. While pixel RPGs can often feel repetitive, this game is noted for its thoughtful design that keeps the experience fun.
- “It would be nice if you could skip/cancel quizzes from the quiz lady; sometimes I would get one wrong or accidentally input the wrong answer and then have to mash to get through it to start again, and on some of the longer ones this was a bit tedious.”
- “I've been learning Japanese for over a month now, basically grinding letters in Duolingo when I stumbled on this game in a Reddit advertisement.”
- “Pixel-y RPG games like this can get tedious.”
replayability
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game is highly recommended for beginners and is noted for its strong replayability, making it an engaging experience for new players.
- “100% recommended for beginners; it even offers great replayability.”
emotional
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its exceptional writing and emotional depth, effectively exploring themes of language as a unifying force that humanizes perceived enemies. Players report experiencing genuine moments of heartbreak and joy, highlighting the game's ability to evoke strong emotional responses.
- “I don't know if enough has been said about how well written this game is. Its theme of how learning a new language can unite divided worlds and humanize people you've been taught to think of as monsters is explored beautifully, with moments that made me feel genuine heartbreak and joy.”
monetization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is not explicitly discussed in the provided text, but it appears to be attracting users through targeted advertisements, suggesting a potential reliance on ad-based revenue or promotional strategies to draw in learners.
stability
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is generally strong, with players reporting only two minor glitches and one crash, which may be linked to custom translations. This suggests that the game performs well under normal conditions, with few issues affecting gameplay.
- “After 35 hours of gameplay, I encountered only 2 glitches and 1 bug that crashes the game, which may be due to custom translation into German with special characters.”
- “I experienced 35 hours of gameplay with just 2 glitches and 1 crash bug, possibly linked to the custom German translation with special characters.”
- “In my 35 hours of playing, I faced only 2 glitches and 1 crash bug, which might be related to the custom German translation using special characters.”