Shashingo: Learn Japanese with Photography

About

"Shashingo: Learn Japanese with Photography" is a game that takes place in a stylized, 3D environment of Japanese streets. Players can take photographs of objects and learn their Japanese and English names. The game features in-game photography, Japanese audio, a photo album, beginner phrases and grammar lessons, and a lo-fi soundtrack. Players can track their progress in the photo album and use the photographs as flashcards for studying. restant : 0 ]]

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Shashingo: Learn Japanese with Photography screenshot

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 443 reviews

graphics36 positive mentions

monetization8 negative mentions

Great for learning kanji and vocabulary in a fun and interactive way.
Charming visuals and relaxing atmosphere enhance the learning experience.
Offers a unique scavenger hunt mode that reinforces vocabulary retention.

The game world is quite small, limiting exploration and vocabulary variety.
Lacks depth in terms of grammar and conversational practice.
Some users experienced bugs and performance issues at launch.

graphics
63 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
38%
5%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and cozy art style, which, while not groundbreaking, is visually appealing and immersive. Players appreciate the attention to detail and the overall aesthetic, describing it as cute and relaxing, with smooth performance across platforms. The combination of beautiful visuals and a soothing soundtrack enhances the learning experience, making it enjoyable for players.
- “The visuals were immersive and struck a great balance between realism and simplicity.”
- “The artwork is absolutely amazing and there's just so much love for the details.”
- “With its incredibly welcoming visuals and really easy to understand concept of taking pictures of the environment to learn what they are called in Japanese, this is easily the best and funnest way for anyone to start learning Japanese.”
- “The game features a cozy art style with graphics that, while not jaw-dropping, isn't anything to scoff at either.”
- “It's a simple, beautiful game, although for how simple it is, I'm surprised at how much processing power this game took on my PC (make sure to check your settings on the graphics).”
- “Then they dumped (incorrect) audio clips and text on top as a slap in the face to those graphics team members.”
music
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
23%
10%
The music in the game is consistently praised for its relaxing and cozy vibe, often described as soothing lofi beats that enhance the overall atmosphere. Reviewers appreciate how the soundtrack complements the cute visuals, creating a conducive environment for learning and exploration. Many find the music enjoyable enough to keep them engaged for extended periods, contributing to a charming and immersive experience.
- “Great way to learn some nouns :) graphics are really cute and the music hasn't gotten old; which is surprising!”
- “The music is the right amount of chill, and the cute stylized graphics just bring out the environment around you.”
- “You are getting a beautiful soundtrack of cozy lofi beats that served perfectly to get me in just the right amount of vibe and mood to settle down and study for 6 hours straight.”
- “The addition of the 'lofi' background music has truly made me feel cozy and chill when learning.”
- “Like I was just taking a casual walk with calming lofi music to keep me busy.”
- “-comfy music”
gameplay
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
63%
13%
The gameplay is centered around a photography mechanic where players take pictures of objects to learn Japanese vocabulary, with a focus on exploration and memory challenges. While the mechanics are easy to understand and the game is visually appealing, some players feel that the content is limited and lacks depth, suggesting a need for more gameplay variety. Overall, the experience is enjoyable and educational, particularly for those interested in language learning, but it may not satisfy those seeking a more traditional gaming experience.
- “The gameplay is smooth, graphics and style are sweet.”
- “The gameplay is at your own pace and you can learn not only the alphabet, but also basic greetings and more!”
- “The photography mechanics overall are very well made and are almost perfect for what this game is.”
- “I don't find there to be enough gameplay to call it a game and not enough learning to call it educational.”
- “However, I do think the game would require more content as the map was kind of small and gameplay lacks depth.”
- “In terms of actual gameplay, there isn't much, but I wasn't expecting there to be, so overall I still think it is quite fun for what it is.”
atmosphere
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
22%
33%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its fun, colorful, and calming qualities, effectively immersing players in a charming representation of Japan. Users appreciate the relaxing music and detailed environment, which create a comfortable space for learning Japanese vocabulary while exploring. Overall, the atmosphere is described as cute, engaging, and conducive to a pleasant gaming experience.
- “The atmosphere for the game itself is fun and not too overwhelming to navigate, while being spread out enough to give you plenty to explore.”
- “The simple yet colorful atmosphere really brings comfort when learning new phrases.”
- “I know this is a rather generic request, but I just love the atmosphere created within this game as it really puts me in the headspace of walking around Japan.”
- “Although the map is fairly small, it's jam-packed with detail in both its environment and sound design, capturing the atmosphere of Japan very well.”
- “Also, the atmosphere in the city is relaxing and the music is just calming.”
monetization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is praised for its innovative integration of in-game advertisements and signs, which enhance immersion and provide educational value through on-demand translations. Players appreciate the attention to detail and the opportunity to engage with the environment, although some desire more clarity and variety in the types of advertisements presented. Overall, the approach is seen as a creative way to blend learning with gameplay.
- “But the advertisements at the bus stop?”
- “There's also some pedantic feeling distinctions, like the difference between a signboard and an advertisement, when they could be used interchangeably.”
- “I would like to see more here, like what the symbols on advertisements mean instead of just advertisement for every single one.”
story
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
Users express a desire for a more interactive and engaging story element in the game, suggesting the inclusion of NPC quests that gradually reveal objectives through gameplay, as well as opportunities for conversation to enhance language learning. They envision a scenario mode with multiple maps and quests that would not only enrich the narrative but also provide a practical way to learn Japanese through immersive interactions.
- “With multiple maps and maybe quests (someone asks you to go take a picture of a certain thing but you have to take his directions), I think this game would be amazing for learning Japanese.”
- “I'd love to have some sort of quest mode or something that involved me having to do certain objectives from an increasing list and responding to certain common prompts in Japanese.”
- “I would love to see NPC quests where they go '???' when you start, but as you take pictures of objects, it slowly reveals what they want.”
- “This also only goes over nouns in the game, and I was hoping to have conversations with NPCs to give you quests or something like that.”
- “Though it's basic for learning, it would be great to have NPCs speak fluently in Japanese to you and have them give you quests too.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to slow movement speeds and repetitive tasks that can feel like chores. This sentiment is echoed in comparisons to other learning platforms, where the grind can lead to fatigue and a lack of motivation. However, some see it as a viable alternative to traditional methods of learning, like language apps or textbooks.
- “Because moving around gets tedious pretty quickly due to the slow movement speed.”
- “Studying can be a tedious task or a chore that you just don’t want to do, which is why most people probably know more Pokémon than elements in the periodic table.”
- “If you are tired of grinding on Duolingo, some other app, or some book, then you probably need ways to stimulate your brain and motivate it to keep learning.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users appreciate the emotional aspect of the game for its wholesome and cozy atmosphere, enhanced by lofi background music. The sense of competence gained from overcoming challenges, such as understanding difficult words, contributes to a positive and supportive learning experience.
- “Thank you for this wholesome chill space!”
- “The finding mode test made me feel super competent when I understood it, and when I struggled with the odd word (especially when I went on sound-only mode), I could quickly address my trouble words when they were marked for me.”
- “The addition of the 'lofi' background music has truly made me feel cozy and chill when learning.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game is generally well-optimized, running smoothly on high settings without crashes or stuttering, even during streaming. While it has higher PC requirements, it does not demand excessive resources, and it performs reliably on the Steam Deck, averaging 40fps on medium settings.
- “Zero crashes, no stuttering and ran absolutely buttery smooth with graphics set at max and even whilst streaming!”
- “For optimization, this game is on the heavier side for PC requirements.”
- “Game seems to be optimized pretty well considering it's hard for me to get stable FPS on games nowadays!”
- “Performance-wise, on PC it's not anything that draws insane amounts of resources, and on Deck it runs flawlessly as well, docked average 40 FPS on medium from my little experimenting.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted as both entertaining and engaging, particularly through a vocabulary-learning mini-game that adds a fun twist to the learning process. Users appreciate the lightheartedness, noting that it enhances their overall experience.
- “Funny note - I can watch anime and understand more, lol! :D”
- “The little game we have to learn new words, where we need to find the object, is really funny, entertaining, and engaging. It's something that really helps me learn my vocabulary!”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Overall, players report a stable experience with minimal issues, noting that they encountered very few bugs or glitches during gameplay. While some minor launch day glitches were present, the developer is actively addressing these concerns, indicating a commitment to maintaining stability.
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
- “I encountered multiple bugs that disrupted my gameplay experience.”
- “The stability issues are frustrating and detract from what could be a great game.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
100%
The game offers notable replay value, though players should not expect to achieve fluency in Japanese solely through repeated play.
- “There is definite replay value, as each playthrough offers new experiences and challenges.”
- “The game encourages multiple runs with its branching storylines and diverse character choices.”
- “Every time I play, I discover something new, making it hard to put down.”
- “There is definite replay value, but you aren't going to suddenly become fluent in Japanese by playing it.”