Japanese learning game Shashingo met with rave reviews and requests for more 

Shashingo: Learn Japanese with Photography was only released on PC (Steam) last week, yet it has already gained rave reviews. It currently has a Very Positive rating on Steam, with players praising it as a fun way to learn the language and to test your knowledge in a realistic setting. The game is due to get a Nintendo Switch release too. 

As explained in our previous article, Shashingo is a Kickstarter funded indie game in which you walk around a fictional Japanese city taking photos in order to learn Japanese words and phrases. Your collected Polaroids can then be used like flashcards, helping you to memorize everyday vocab that would be useful for visiting or living in Japan. The game also has a “Find Mode” that tests your memory by having you run around the city to snap pictures of things you have already learned. 

Since its release on February 28, 196 reviews have been posted to Steam with only 6 of those being negative. Common praise for the title centers on it being a fun and relaxed way to pick up the language, as well as learn common kanji. Users recommend it for beginners but advise them to get the hang of the hiragana and katakana scripts first (even though the game does feature reference charts).  Many also said it would be a good way for learners to refresh and test their memory of basic vocab and phrases.

People were also impressed by the game’s visuals and environment- citing how the posters, characters and shops that they came across while wandering the city felt authentic and well designed. Many referred to all the “immersive detail in the world,” which makes it “so fun to explore.” 

Reviewers also praised the small indie developer, Autumn Pioneer, for their hard work on the game, as well as their efforts to listen to and incorporate feedback from the community. Many of the positive reviews showed that Shashingo players are hungry for expansions to the game, with suggestions including the addition of new places to learn words (such as a train station, zoo, supermarket or apartment). Others want a new mode for testing your knowledge, as well as more advanced topics and grammar. 

As one reviewer concluded: “I hope that the author expands this program. It’s a very clever idea and beautifully rendered, and I want more of it.” 

Shashingo: Learn Japanese with Photography is out now on PC (Steam). It is also due to be released on Nintendo Switch in the near future.