Summary
Playing video games can be a fantastic way to get your Japanese studies in. Not only are video games entertaining, but they’re also surprisingly effective at teaching you new vocab, grammar, and even kanji.
However, picking the right game to match your skill level can be a bit of a challenge, and the whole idea of playing a video game completely in Japanese can definitely be a bit intimidating if you’ve never done it before. The exact skill level will you’ll need to enjoy these fully will vary, but if you’re confident enough to feel like you’re ready to play a full game in Japanese, these are our picks for the best games to help you study. がんばって！
Since every game’s language settings are different and nobody wants to buy a game twice, we’ve made sure to provide information on which of these games will require an imported copy of the game to be played in Japanese. Be sure to check the language options before you buy!
One Year or More
Japanese Copy Required
No on PC, Yes on Consoles
Dragon Quest 11 is one of the mosttraditional turn-based RPGscurrently available, which makes it perfect study material for gamers looking to learn Japanese. Lots of playtime in its campaign makes for lots of time to get to know RPG and video game terminology like saving, healing, and battle commands, which is important if you plan on playing more than just one game in the language.
We recommend trying out Dragon Quest 11 S over the base release because on top of it just being the best version of the game anyway, it also includes Japanese voice acting, something all previous versions of Dragon Quest in Japan have not had.
A Japanese copy is required to experience the game in full Japanese, but you’ll be able to hear the Japanese dub of the game regardless of your region. Japanese text is all you’ll need the Japanese copy for.
No
Super Mario Odyssey might not seem like a great learning opportunity at first, but that’s actually what makes it such a great choice. As long as you’ve got basic hiragana and katakana down, 90 percent of what you’ll see in Mario Odyssey will be accessible to you, and it will reaffirm those skills passively, without much extra work or confusion on your part.
If you’ve got a bit more Japanese experience under your belt, we recommend checking the travel brochures to learn more about each kingdom, and talking to as many NPCs as you’re able to to really boost your reading ability.
A delightfully cozy experience, Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley is a fantastic place to start your Japanese gaming journey if you’ve got a good grasp on the basics of the language.
Narrative puzzles will test your ability to understand and remember what you’re reading, but none of the Japanese is all that difficult or complicated, so while it might be a tad tough at first, beating Snufkin in Japanese with 100 percent completioncan be an incredibly rewarding and motivating experience.
Much like Snufkin,Animal Crossing: New Horizonswill require a bit more comprehension if you’re looking to get the most out of the experience, but it doesn’t consist of very difficult grammar and vocab, and is a fantastic way to practice basic phrases and conversations.
It’s also a fantastic way to learn the names ofbugs and fishas well as a whole slew of other good vocabulary terms, thanks to its vast catalog of collectibles, and unlike games like Dragon Quest, most of these items are things you could reasonably come across in real conversation, so learning their names is a great way to give your vocab a boost.
Two Years or More
Yes
Really, any game in the Scribblenauts series will do just fine, the first Scribblenauts game is just the one we happened to have on hand. Unfortunately, no matter which version you play, getting the game to run in Japanese isonly possible if you purchase a Japanese copyand have a Japanese system to play it on, or you resort to dubious means.
That said, you really should consider putting in the effort if you’re studying Japanese. The game sees you use a magic notebook to make written words come to life, and since you can write any noun and adjective combo you like, Scribblenauts is one of the best vocab learning tools there is, game or otherwise.
Boku No Natsuyasumi is a series of laid back Japanese adventure games tasking you, a child, with nothing more than enjoying a summer vacation spent with your relatives somewhere in Japan in the late 1970s. The entire series is Japan exclusive, but it’s worth the import if you’re looking for a good game to study both Japanese language and culture.
Because you’ll assume the role of an 8-year-old, the language you’ll find in the BokuNatsu series is relatively easy to follow and isn’t all that high stakes, soit’s alright to take the summer at your own pace, learn from your linguistic mistakes, and enjoy theinakato its fullest.
Any version of Pokemon that allows you to select the language will do the job just fine, but Scarlet & Violet are the most widely available right now and are particularly accessible to play in Japanese since they havefuriganaand the 3DS games do not.
Being a turn-based RPG most gamers are already familiar with, Pokemon is a great way to get comfortable reading and interacting with Japanese in a video game setting before moving on to something a little more demanding, so if you’re looking to learn the language, catching ‘em all isn’t a bad place to start.
Taiko no Tatsujinis a great way to practice Japanese to begin with, thanks to its reliance on Japanese pop music in its gameplay, but if you want an even better way to practice with the classic drumming series, try the Rhythmic Adventure Pack on Nintendo Switch.
The short and relatively simple storymode is great for reviewing basic phrases, and since there are two of them in the pack, you won’t find yourself running out of chances to practice anytime soon. Plus, the charming voice acting throughout the campaign is very clearly enunciated, making Taiko no Tatsujin great for listening practice even when you aren’tjamming to your favorite J-Pop hits.
Any Studio Ghibli fan worth their salt owes it to themselves to at least tryNi No Kuni. While yes, this particular RPG might be best tackled once you’ve completed at least one video game in Japanese already, it’s stillwelcoming enough to beginnersthat we can confidently recommend it if you’re looking to challenge yourself.
Theoretically, you could play Ni No Kuni 2 in Japanese for a similarly engaging study experience, but we’re recommending the first game since that’s the one we have more experience with playing in Japanese, so if you go that route, you do so at your own risk.
You will need a Japanese copy to play any of the Ni No Kuni games in Japanese, unless you’re playing on PC.
Japanese Copy Required:
Yes on Console, No on PC
Spearheaded by Kaz Ayabe, creator of the Boku no Natsuyasumi series, this licensed game featuring the popular anime character Shin-Chan is a much more accessible option if you’re looking for a Boku no Natsuyasumi type experience but are having trouble finding a copy of the PlayStation original.
You are tasked with simply enjoying summer vacation as you work to help out a mysterious professor on his quest. We can’t recommend Crayon Shin-Chan enough for those looking fora nice, relaxed wayto play video games in Japanese.
