For many, video games gave people their first glimpse into Japanese language and culture, which would later blossom into a fondness for other aspects such as manga, anime, music, and cinema.
That's why many non-native speakers of the Japanese language combine their love of video games with language learning, as it offers several benefits like immersion, interactivity, and fun. Engaging in a real-time Japanese video game allows people to immerse fully in the characters, gameplay while picking up cultural references and expressions through the power of repetition. The best part? The entire process is not an assessment, but pure enjoyment.
🎮 Why Use Japanese Video Games to Learn the Language?
People often think Japanese is difficult to learn due to the writing systems that it employs, and the network of alien terms that a Google search throws up to any new learner, such as desu, watashi, romaji, and hiragana and katakana. That being said, anyone can learn Japanese with ease these days if they fully embrace the benefits of using video games to learn the language. Here's a glimpse of the usage of Japanese globally. 1
Source: Talkpal
🚀 Immersive Learning Environment
Firstly, Japanese video games offer language learners a natural and immersive way to learn new vocabulary and sentence structure through repeated game instructions, game menus, and even simulated conversations among the non-playing characters (NPCs). What many non-native Japanese gamers do is switch the default spoken or written language to Japanese as a good auditory and reading practice.
🚀 Engagement and Motivation
The reason why Japanese video games are considered a popular language learning method is due to the element of gamification. The games offer players challenge after challenge through different levels, boosting your sense of accomplishment after you have cleared them and received your "rewards".
Without realizing it, you're naturally more engaged and motivated throughout the games as you spend a longer time playing - you're repeatedly exposed, and you'll want to continue learning as you progress.
One of the most popular Japanese video games, Animal Crossing, is inspired by the designer's own experience of leaving his hometown for a new town, where he had to fill his empty house (literally) and blend into a new community - creating a resonance among players with similar experience.
🚀Cultural Exposure
Comprehensive language learning involves more than simply acquiring new vocabulary and using correct grammar. It also requires understanding cultural norms and etiquette, which is especially important in a country like Japan.
For instance, you'll learn about the Japanese greetings, cuisine, traditional clothes, or even weapons (like the Samurai sword used in games). Another example is you'll gradually understand the concept of Japanese honorific speech, which gives you a glimpse of how language is embedded in an everyday Japanese setting, revealing the following:
- The person's age
- The person's social standing
- Degree of closeness in a relationship 2
🕹️ Choosing the Right Games for Your Language Level
Reaping the benefits of learning Japanese through video games depends on one crucial condition: choosing games that match your Japanese skill level. You'll need to stay motivated and challenged throughout the games without feeling intimidated. Fret not, we've got you covered with some Japanese video game recommendations based on different language learning levels: beginners, intermediate, and advanced.
🌟 Beginner-friendly games
For absolute beginners, we recommend these two games as they focus on simple dialogues, everyday vocabulary, straightforward mission instructions, and engaging visual support to stay motivated.
🌟 Intermediate Games
These games are suitable for Japanese learners who know basic Japanese grammar and vocabulary and want to enhance their Japanese comprehension skills with a higher challenge level.
🌟Advanced Games
High-level Japanese learners who are comfortable in reading and speaking more complex sentences can explore the following games to aim for higher fluency and cultural understanding.
🤓 Effective Strategies for Learning Japanese with Video Games
Now, let's explore some strategies that you can apply while playing the games and preparing for the next gaming session. That way, you're able to concentrate better while playing and also retain whatever you have learnt for long-term memory.
Here's what you can do during the game.
Adjusting language settings
- Depending on your learning level (beginners to advanced) and learning goals
- Opt for Japanese audio with English subtitles to improve listening and vocabulary retention
- Opt for Japanese audio with Japanese subtitles to improve reading and comprehension
Utilizing contextual cues
- Pay attention to the characters: tone, action, and visual clues to grasp the intention and meaning behind dialogues
- Helps learners to form an association of speech patterns and sentence structure without immediate translation
- Can pause to write down unfamiliar words
Now, let's look at what you can do after the gaming session to make the whole language learning journey more effective and enjoyable. 3
Taking notes and reviewing vocabulary
- Keep a physical/ digital journal of new words or phrases by looking at the game scripts online
- Review and practice them before your next game session
- Try to identify them the next time you play again
Balancing play and study
- Balance enjoyment and challenge by setting feasible learning goals
- Applicable to reading dialogues in Japanese without translation
- Learning at least 5 new Japanese words per session
If you want to have a richer and more immersive learning experience, consider studying Japanese at a university or even going to Japan for an immersion course in Tokyo, Kyoto, or Osaka.
🔍 Recommended Japanese Video Games for Language Learning
If we have talked about choosing Japanese video games based on learning levels earlier, now let's look at some recommendations based on genres and interests.
For learners who enjoy text-heavy games and a wholesome reading challenge, visual novels are the best choice. Two examples include:
- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Master real-life vocabulary related to law and investigation (Intermediate to Advanced level)
- Steins; Gate: Immerse yourself in complex storylines and dialogues for common emotional expressions. (Advanced level)
For learners who love exploring games that are story-focused with lots of dialogue, you should opt for role-playing games (RPGs).
- Persona Series: Mostly played by teenagers who want to learn casual speech and modern slang used in schools. (Intermediate to advanced level Japanese)
- Dragon Quest XI: Well-suited for learners who love the fantasy genre (Intermediate level Japanese)
Finally, for learners who enjoy a repetitive gaming experience that mirrors real-life situations in Japan, it's best to go for simulation games.
- Harvest Moon: Learn vocabulary and conversations that are used in farming situations, like harvest, weather situations, and different plantations.
- The Sims (Japanese Version): A replica of the famous community-building game, where you enrich your "life" by performing housework, building houses, and relationships. Natural way to learn new verbs, form sentences with different tenses.
📝 Additional Resources and Tools
In an age of digital culture, video games and online resources make things easier to access Japanese language and culture. To enrich and reinforce your Japanese learning experience, you can refer to the following tools as you progress through different levels.
| Category | Resource Examples | Applications and How It Helps Japanese Learning |
|---|---|---|
| Language Learning Apps | Anki | Flashcard app using spaced repetition for in-game or custom Japanese vocabulary decks. |
| Language Learning Apps | LingoDeer | Beginner-friendly with structured grammar lessons and organized progression. |
| Language Learning Apps | WaniKani | Kanji-focused tool with spaced repetition for effective reading practice. |
| Online Communities | HelloTalk | Connect with native speakers for real-time corrections, texting, and voice practice. |
| Online Communities | Renshuu | Community-driven for kanji mastery and language components with feedback. |
| Guides and Walkthroughs | Rocket Japanese | Comprehensive audio lessons, grammar, and cultural notes with practice exercises. |
| Guides and Walkthroughs | JA Sensei | All-in-one for hiragana, kanji, grammar, vocab with quizzes and stroke order (Android). |
🎯 Common Challenges and How to Overcome Them
Language learning comes with its own set of challenges. Japanese is listed as one of the most difficult languages to master among native English speakers 4 because it consists of a trio writing system:
- Kanji 漢字: Characters borrowed from the Chinese language
- Hiragana ひらがな: Emcompasses native words, cursive-shaped characters
- Katakana カタカナ: Mainly used for foreign loanwords, angular-shaped character
Let's break down some of the common challenges of learning Japanese and ways to overcome them.
Understanding the complexity of Kanji
Keeping up with fast-paced dialogues
Maintaining consistency while learning
✨ Enhance Your Japanese Skills With Superprof
We hope you are enlightened by the list of Japanese video games recommendations so far. Let us know which game is your top choice to learn Japanese.
Which is your favorite game to learn Japanese?
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References
- TalkPal, Inc. (2024, June 25). How many people speak Japanese and where is it spoken? Talkpal. https://talkpal.ai/how-many-people-speak-japanese-and-where-is-it-spoken/
- Sabieno, M. (2025, September 23). Japanese Honorifics: What they are and how to use them correctly in the language. Doki Doki Japan. https://dokidokijapan.com/en/blog/japanese-honorifics-what-they-are-and-how-to-use-them-correctly-in-the-language/
- Vasselli, C. (2019, September 8). Using videogames to study Japanese. Nihongo Blog. https://blog.nihongo-app.com/using-videogames-to-study-japanese/
- Luo, I. (2025, April 24). Top 10 most difficult languages in the world. EC Innovations. https://www.ecinnovations.com/blog/top-10-most-difficult-languages-in-the-world/
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