About My Japanese Games
Kanji Cards
Kanji Cards is an interactive Japanese learning game designed to help Japanese Language Learners practice kanji recognition and vocabulary recall under time pressure. The concept is simple yet engaging: players select a difficulty level (from N5 Kid Mode to N1 Abnormal, following the JLPT proficiency scale), and kanji characters appear one by one in front of you. The challenge is to type any Japanese word containing the displayed kanji before the timer runs out—defaulted to 7 seconds but adjustable based on your preference.
How to Play:
Choose your level and configure the number of questions (10, 25, 50, or 100) and timer duration (5, 7, 10, or 12 seconds). Once you start, a 3-second countdown prepares you before the first kanji appears. Quickly type any word that contains that kanji in the input box and press Enter to submit. The idea is not to think, just react. Correct answers turn the input green, wrong answers turn it red. The game tracks your performance with live counters showing correct and wrong answers. At the end, you'll see detailed results with all the kanji you encountered—correct ones highlighted in green, mistakes in red and clickable to search on Jisho.org for further study. You can copy your results or share them directly to WhatsApp to challenge friends or track your progress over time!
How did I get the idea?
Me and my friends organized a small event for Japanese Language Games. We thought about games that tickles your mind and squeeze the Japanese you learned out of it. We made several games to assess different skills of the language, and one of them was the reaction speed to the kanji, to see how well you’re familiar with it.
The original game was 8 printed out A4 sheets that were cut into 8 cards a sheet, as a total of 64 card.
We manually flashed the cards in front of the players and had them say any word that crosses their mind that contains that Kanji. Of course, as it was physical and we had to carry the cards ourselves, we only made 64 of the common Kanjis out of Basic Kanji Book 1&2, some was so easy, so the card with marked with 1 point, and others were a little bit rare or difficult so it was marked 2 points.
So, I thought about making this game digitally so everyone can play it. While I have the ability to make it on a website, I no longer have to hold the cards in my hands! So, I’ve made 5 levels represents the 5 levels of JLPT, where the first level alone has 104 Kanjis.
早打ち言葉 Haya-Uchi Kotoba
早打ち言葉 (Hayauchi Kotoba), which translates to "The words that are written fast?," is an exciting and fast-paced vocabulary game designed to help Japanese language learners improve their reading speed and accuracy. The game challenges players to type the correct hiragana reading of Japanese words before time runs out, creating an engaging race against the clock that tests both your vocabulary knowledge and typing skills.
The game features five difficulty levels that correspond to the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) levels, from Kid Mode (JLPT N5 - beginner) all the way up to Abnormal (JLPT N1 - advanced), making it suitable for learners at every stage of their Japanese journey. Each level contains authentic Japanese vocabulary appropriate to that proficiency level, ensuring players are challenged at just the right difficulty.
How to Play:
Choose your difficulty level and the game begins with a 3-second countdown. A Japanese word appears on screen along with its English meaning. Your task is to type the correct reading in hiragana as quickly as possible and press Enter to submit. You start with 60 seconds on the clock, and here's where the strategy comes in: every correct answer adds 5 seconds to your timer, while every wrong answer deducts 5 seconds. This means skilled players can keep the game going indefinitely by maintaining accuracy! The game ends when time runs out, you complete all vocabulary in that level, or you choose to cancel. At the end, you'll see your results, including your accuracy rate and a detailed breakdown of every word you encountered, allowing you to review and learn from your mistakes.
The customizable settings let you adjust the starting time and the time bonuses/penalties to create your perfect challenge. Share your scores on social media to compete with friends and show off your Japanese vocabulary mastery!
How I Got the idea?
The inspiration for this game came from an unexpected source: Subway Surfers, the popular mobile endless runner game. It featured a mode called "Big Time Attack" where you'd start with 60 seconds on the clock and collect hourglasses along the way, each one adding precious time to keep your run going. I loved the adrenaline rush of racing against time while trying to extend it through skillful play.
I thought, "What if I could combine this addictive time-pressure mechanic with Japanese vocabulary practice?" That's when the idea clicked. I downloaded comprehensive vocabulary lists for all five JLPT levels (N5 through N1) and carefully curated them for the game. I intentionally removed words written purely in hiragana or katakana because, let's be honest, typing "ひらがな" when you see "ひらがな" isn't much of a challenge! The real excitement comes from seeing kanji compounds and having to instantly recall their readings under pressure—that's where the mental workout happens.
Don't get me wrong—hiragana and katakana-only vocabulary is absolutely important for Japanese learning. However, for the purposes of making this game engaging and challenging, I decided they wouldn't add much to the gameplay experience. The thrill of 早打ち言葉 comes from that split-second moment when kanji appears on screen and your brain has to quickly retrieve the correct reading before time runs out. That's the challenge, that's the fun, and that's what keeps you coming back for more!
And of course, as you have thought, the name of the game is a しゃれ on 早口言葉 but hey, it’s not that bad! 😁
The Odd 音 Out!
The odd 音 out" is a fast-paced educational game that challenges players to spot the one kanji that doesn't match the displayed on-yomi reading, making the memorization of Japanese kanji sounds both fun and effective
How I Got the idea?
Let's be honest: on-yomi readings are the trickiest part of learning Japanese. We all mix them up constantly—that's just part of the journey. But what if struggling with on-yomi could actually be... fun?
That's why I created "The odd 音 out." The game combines two powerful ideas: first, that similar-looking kanji often share the same readings (a principle I've written about before), and second, that the best way to learn is through active practice, not passive memorization.
I've handpicked kanji from the 常用漢字 that have at least four characters sharing the same on-yomi reading. You'll see five kanji on screen—four match the reading, one doesn't. Your job? Spot the impostor. Even when you're unsure, you can use visual patterns to make educated guesses: "These two look similar... they probably sound the same... so neither can be the odd one out!"
It's pattern recognition disguised as a game—and it works. Before you know it, you'll be recognizing on-yomi readings faster than ever.