Shashingo: Learn Japanese with Photography
- February 27, 2024
- Autumn Pioneer
- 10h median play time
Get on Steam"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 ]]
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Charming graphics and relaxing music create an enjoyable atmosphere for learning.
- The game effectively combines vocabulary learning with interactive gameplay, making it fun to explore and discover new words.
- Great for beginners, as it provides a visual context for vocabulary and includes additional related words on flashcards.
- The game is relatively short, with a limited number of words and a small map, leading to quick mastery of content.
- Lacks depth in terms of grammar and conversational practice, making it less suitable for advanced learners.
- Many players desire additional content, such as new areas to explore and more interactive elements like NPCs.
- graphics31 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charm and detail, featuring a cute art style that enhances the immersive experience. Many users appreciate the balance between realism and simplicity, noting the impressive visual elements and the relaxing atmosphere they create. Overall, the visuals contribute significantly to the game's appeal, making it a delightful tool for language learning.
“The visuals were immersive and struck a great balance between realism and simplicity.”
“The art style, the layout of the city, the little hidden things and details, really make it come to life.”
“The game looks amazing; the art style is adorable, and you can tell it's been a passion project from the developer!”
“Then they dumped incorrect audio clips and text on top as a slap in the face to those graphics team members.”
“There are zip ties holding a banner to a railing for God's sake, that's an insane detail for such a game some people might never notice and yet the graphic designers were clearly the only ones who took this project seriously.”
“- the visuals are ok for this kind of game”
- music18 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The music in the game is consistently praised for its calming and relaxing qualities, often described as "chill" and reminiscent of lofi vibes. Reviewers appreciate how the soundtrack enhances the overall atmosphere, making the learning experience enjoyable and immersive. The combination of pleasant visuals and soothing music contributes to a delightful and engaging environment for players.
“Highly recommend it as it is fun to test myself while also getting to take pictures with cool filters, great music in the background, and an overall very lofi vibe to the game.”
“Wonderful beautiful graphics, cute relaxing music, I can spend hours and hours just relaxing and looking around while also learning Japanese!”
“The music is the right amount of chill, and the cute stylized graphics just brings out the environment around you.”
“The music is the right amount of chill, and the cute stylized graphics just bring out the environment around you.”
“Like I was just taking a casual walk with calming lo-fi music to keep me busy.”
“Also, the atmosphere in the city is relaxing and the music is just calming.”
- gameplay10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily focused on vocabulary acquisition through a photography mechanic, allowing players to learn at their own pace with lessons on greetings and basic conversations. While the game is enjoyable and free of significant bugs, many users feel it lacks depth and content, making it more of a learning tool than a fully-fledged game. Overall, it offers a unique experience but could benefit from additional features and expanded gameplay elements.
“I've never run into any bugs (though I'm sure some exist), but the game is still being updated to add new features and improve gameplay, which is always great to hear.”
“Has a similar feel to the first time I played a fighting game, like I'm learning a whole new kind of gameplay for the first time in a while.”
“The gameplay is at your own pace and you can learn not only the alphabet, but also basic greetings and more!”
“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.”
- monetization7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is enhanced by immersive in-game advertisements and signs that offer on-demand translations, enriching the player's experience and vocabulary. While some players appreciate the attention to detail and the educational value, there are calls for clearer distinctions and explanations regarding the various types of advertisements. Overall, the approach to monetization is seen as innovative and engaging, with potential for further development.
“But the advertisements at the bus stop?”
“I would like to see more here, like what the symbols on advertisements mean instead of just 'advertisement' for every single one, but it is interesting and fairly new. I'd like to see where they go with this.”
“There's also some pedantic feeling distinctions, like the difference between a signboard and an advertisement, when they could be used interchangeably.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its charming and relaxing qualities, effectively immersing players in a delightful representation of Japan. The combination of cute visuals, detailed environments, and calming music creates a unique and enjoyable edutainment experience that enhances vocabulary learning. Overall, the atmosphere is described as both lovely and engaging, making it a standout feature of the game.
“But also, it's just so cute and the atmosphere is so lovely!”
“Also, the atmosphere in the city is relaxing and the music is just calming.”
“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.”
- story6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Users express a desire for a more interactive and engaging story element, suggesting the inclusion of NPC quests that gradually reveal objectives through gameplay, such as taking pictures of specific objects. They envision a scenario mode where players can engage in conversations with NPCs to receive quests, enhancing the learning experience of Japanese through immersive dialogue and tasks. Overall, the feedback highlights a longing for a deeper narrative structure that could enrich the game's educational value.
“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.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users find grinding in games to be tedious and often frustrating, particularly due to slow movement speeds and repetitive tasks that can feel like chores. This sentiment extends to various learning platforms, where the monotony of grinding can diminish motivation and engagement.
“Because moving around gets tedious pretty quickly due to the slow movement speed.”
“Grinding can feel like a tedious task or chore that players just don't want to engage in.”
“If you are tired of grinding in Duolingo or other learning apps, it may indicate a need for more stimulating and motivating ways to keep learning.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users appreciate the emotional aspect of the game for its supportive and wholesome environment, which fosters a sense of competence and accomplishment. The ability to identify and address challenges enhances the overall positive experience, making players feel understood and capable.
“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.”
“This is so wholesome.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 200 % positive mentions
- -400 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game has demanding PC requirements, indicating that it may not run optimally on lower-end systems.
“The game runs smoothly on high settings, but it does require a powerful system to fully enjoy the experience.”
“I appreciate the detailed graphics, but it does mean that players need to invest in good hardware for optimal performance.”
“For optimization, this game is on the heavier side for PC requirements.”
“The game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate, even on high-end systems.”
“I experienced frequent stuttering and long loading times, which really detracted from the overall experience.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users find the humor in the game particularly engaging, noting that the word-learning activities are both funny and entertaining, which enhances their vocabulary acquisition experience.
“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!”
“The humor in this game is top-notch! I found myself laughing out loud at the witty dialogue and clever puns.”
“I love how the game incorporates humor into its challenges. It makes the experience so much more enjoyable and light-hearted!”
- replayability1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
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, but you won't suddenly become fluent in Japanese by playing it.”
“There is definite replay value, but you aren't going to suddenly become fluent in Japanese by playing it.”
“Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back and play it again.”
“The lack of meaningful choices and consequences makes replaying feel redundant.”
