Kanji Rush

Hello everyone!

Dorian here, along with my friend Florian. We are excited to release this little game I designed to aid in my Japanese language learning journey.

What is the goal of this game? 

The game is designed to help you memorize the meanings of the 2146 jouyou Kanji (常用漢字) required for the Japanese proficiency test N1.

This game won't enable you to read all the kanji, as that's not its purpose. It's crafted to help you grasp the core meaning of each word without knowing their exact reading. For example, even if you can't read 常用漢字, knowing that 常 suggests "Usual," 用 means "to be used," 漢 indicates "Chinese," and 字 means "Character" can help you understand the word without knowing its pronunciation.

Bonus features: We've included both Hiragana and Katakana. You can use the game to increase your recognition speed, enhancing your reading speed.

If you already speak Chinese, this app may not be useful for you—sorry!

What are the benefits? 

This approach makes discovering new words less frustrating, as you'll already have a hint of their meanings. It also makes them easier to learn because you're not forced to associate a meaning with one or several readings. You already know the composition of the kanji, which naturally speaks to your mind. All that's left to do by the end of the game is to "name them," i.e., learn how to read them, which is significantly easier than associating a new concept with an unfamiliar character.

How does it work? 

Firstly, the sequence is NOT based on the JLPT learning order. It starts with very simple components, teaches their meanings, and then becomes more complex, incorporating previously learned characters into more complex ones. This method helps you see the logical connections between characters and their meanings as you progress. I've also designed the sequence to ensure you review kanji meanings you've already learned throughout your journey.

Difficulty: 

This game is challenging to ensure that you cannot advance without sufficient familiarity with the previous characters. However, I've included an option to bypass this constraint, allowing everyone to use the app as they wish (though learning may be less efficient this way).

Unlike apps like Anki, which are based on repetition, this app emphasizes trials, errors, and output. It requires you to fail and keep going until you succeed. I don't like Anki for various reasons and couldn't find an app or game that met my needs, so we created one.

Game modes: 

The game is split into two modes, each with three difficulty levels:

Linking game: 

The first mode helps you familiarize yourself with a new set of kanji by linking a meaning to a character. The time or the number of lives (trials) increases in difficulty three times before you unlock the second game for that set of kanji. This allows for a gradual introduction to new characters, increasing the challenge as you progress.

Input game: 

A character is shown, and you must type its meaning. If you fail, you receive a small hint; fail too much, and you'll have to retry. This mode also increases in difficulty as you progress.

After completing the two games, you move on to a new set of characters.

You can redo any set of characters you've completed in the past to train as you wish.

I recommend playing the game alongside reading "Remembering the Kanji 1: A Complete Course on How Not to Forget the Meaning and Writing of Japanese Characters", or for French learners, "Les Kanjis dans la tête: Apprendre à ne pas oublier le sens et l'écriture des caractères".

I didn't plan to release it publicly since using it directly in Unity was sufficient for my needs. However, after discussing it with friends who are also learning Japanese, many requested its public release. Here we are!

Lastly, if this is very useful to you, consider taking a bit of your time to rate it, leave a comment, and most importantly, share it with your other Japanese learning friends. Hopefully, it will help you all!