Games for learning/remembering japanese vocabulary and Kanji (not about untranslated japanese games to read)

[sarkasmus]

Since I noticed how well it works for me to learn things like that via certain games like Hiragana Warriors on Steam and the little games on yesjapan.vom, I was wondering if there are games for vocabulary and/or Kanji too. I would like to learn the most basic stuff from those 2 areas before I start learning it by reading (wich works for me too better than learning form huge lists of words/Kanji, but I know from learning english that way, it's a real pain if you start doing so with less than the basic vocabulary)

The ones for Kanji and most vocabulary on yesjapan need some kind of subscription, I'm hoping for some which you can actually buy or are even avaiable for free.

I'm thankful for every game you could recommend to me (if there are some).

PS.: the games have to be avaiable on PC since I don't have a Smartphone and purchasable via paypal or steam if they cost something.

[Nosebleed]

JRPG has a ton of vocabulary you can learn and is completely free. Mechanics are simple: destroy monsters by typing the readings of the kanji/word above their head. However, once the game determines you've learned a word, it won't show you the reading again, thus forcing you to remember. Each area has harder and harder kanji, up to JLPT N1. 

I have fun playing it when I'm bored. 

[sarkasmus]

29 minutes ago, Nosebleed said:

JRPG has a ton of vocabulary you can learn and is completely free. Mechanics are simple: destroy monsters by typing the readings of the kanji/word above their head. However, once the game determines you've learned a word, it won't show you the reading again, thus forcing you to remember. Each area has harder and harder kanji, up to JLPT N1. 

I have fun playing it when I'm bored. 

Thanks, it looks just like the kind of game I was searching for.

And it even works on Linux, great!

But what exactly is JLPT N1? Is it similar to the A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2 I know from english?

[Kaoru]

1 hour ago, sarkasmus said:

But what exactly is JLPT N1? Is it similar to the A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2 I know from english?

Yeah. It is similar to that.

JLPT N5 is the easiest and N1 is the most difficult.

I'd also recommend Rikaisama if you use Firefox. It helps me out when I want to expand my Japanese.

Edited February 11, 2017 by KaoDoroSesu

[Nosebleed]

1 hour ago, sarkasmus said:

Thanks, it looks just like the kind of game I was searching for.

And it even works on Linux, great!

But what exactly is JLPT N1? Is it similar to the A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2 I know from english?

JLPT is short for Japanese Language Proficiency Test. It has 5 levels, starting with the easiest at N5 and going up to the hardest N1. 

You can think of it as the European A1-C2 levels if you wish. The only difference here is that JLPT is about literacy more than anything and it has predetermined kanji and vocabulary for each level (you can see the list here here) whereas the European levels are a more broad evaluation of your skills in all the fields. 

[JaraM]

I like Kanji Senpai, that is not a game, but very good education program, that helps me a lot. The best in this app is that the audios are professionally audio recorded from a Japanese native teacher. But if you need a game try Kanji Battle. For the graphic is awful, but maybe you will like it, I took from the blog theappsdepot It only the one that I tried, probably you find something better.

[sarkasmus]

1 hour ago, JaraM said:

I like Kanji Senpai, that is not a game, but very good education program, that helps me a lot. The best in this app is that the audios are professionally audio recorded from a Japanese native teacher. But if you need a game try Kanji Battle. For the graphic is awful, but maybe you will like it, I took from the blog theappsdepot It only the one that I tried, probably you find something better.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but both of them seem to be Smartphone-games. It might be difficult to play them without one (my only mobile phone is so old that it doesn't even have a coloured display).

[JaraM]

To sarkasmus:

Yeap, that's the mobile games, sorry, I even didn't think about something for PC. When I'm at home I usually study-work and don't have time for any games at all. So I played on the way to home.

That's a tricky question to find a game for PC, but I saw such game on one portal dedicated to the Japan culture. I will try to find it...

 

[sarkasmus]

On 13.2.2017 at 10:15 AM, JaraM said:

To sarkasmus:

Yeap, that's the mobile games, sorry, I even didn't think about something for PC. When I'm at home I usually study-work and don't have time for any games at all. So I played on the way to home.

That's a tricky question to find a game for PC, but I saw such game on one portal dedicated to the Japan culture. I will try to find it...

 

For me it's the other way around. When I'm not at home I tend to do all the stuff I need to work on for university (I'm sitting at train and bus stations a lot everyday) and as soon as I get home I have as much time as I want (excepting the time around the exams).

Would be great if you find it, I didn't find anything useful yet aside from Nosebleeds recommendation.

[Akimoto Masato]

Over 85,000 kanji in Zhōnghuá Zìhǎi

2,136 in Jōyō

Kāngxī has over 47,000 

Hanyu Da Zidian has over 54,000

Dai Kan-Wa Jiten has over 50,000

the question is which one are you trying to learn 

 

[sarkasmus]

7 minutes ago, Akimoto Masato said:

Over 85,000 kanji in Zhōnghuá Zìhǎi

2,136 in Jōyō

Kāngxī has over 47,000 

Hanyu Da Zidian has over 54,000

Dai Kan-Wa Jiten has over 50,000

the question is which one are you trying to learn 

 

In the best case I'm searching for a game which includes all the Kanji which are used in japanese.

I'm fine with one which only includes the commonly used Kanji though, so I don't need to look up too much when playing japanese games/VNs.

[Akimoto Masato]

15 minutes ago, sarkasmus said:

In the best case I'm searching for a game which includes all the Kanji which are used in japanese.

I'm fine with one which only includes the commonly used Kanji though, so I don't need to look up too much when playing japanese games/VNs.

Then that's most likely not kanji, it's more like hiragana or katakana 

[sarkasmus]

6 minutes ago, Akimoto Masato said:

Then that's most likely not kanji, it's more like hiragana or katakana 

I can already read all the Kana. That's how I noticed how well the approach with the games work for me.

Now I'm searching for a similar way to learn the Kanji which are used in Japanese.

[Akimoto Masato]

19 minutes ago, sarkasmus said:

I can already read all the Kana. That's how I noticed how well the approach with the games work for me.

Now I'm searching for a similar way to learn the Kanji which are used in Japanese.

Ah I would try what Nosebleed suggested, that seems like the better option 

[Kaoru]

Also, a good manga to start with to learn Kanji, being that it has text hookers (at least the version I read) is To LOVEる.

I find that the Kanji are easy to grip because of the text hookers and they story is more or less the accumulation of a harem, so easy stuff.

I'm sure that Nosebleed would have a more diverse library of manga with text hookers.

[sarkasmus]

1 hour ago, KaoDoroSesu said:

Also, a good manga to start with to learn Kanji, being that it has text hookers (at least the version I read) is To LOVEる.

I find that the Kanji are easy to grip because of the text hookers and they story is more or less the accumulation of a harem, so easy stuff.

I'm sure that Nosebleed would have a more diverse library of manga with text hookers.

I don't really lack japanese text to read. That's why I added the comment in the brackets to the topic.

And things like a text hooker actually make it harder for me to remember Kanji, I tend to learn faster if I look it up myself.

I'm looking for games which are made to learn and/or practice japanese.