2023 Game Project
Particle Savior 2023 - Download on Itch.io
This is a game I developed for undergraduate research at my university. The goal was to create a game that aided Japanese foreign language students in learning some aspect of the Japanese language. I chose the grammatical principle of particles (に, と, から, etc. — to/at, and, from, etc.)
I spent about 4-5 months planning, writing, building, and fleshing out this game. It was published on itch.io at the end of summer '23 with availability on Steam coming soon.
I used RPGMaker MV as my game engine and editor, as well as the incredibly well-made and detailed Modern Exteriors world assets by Limezu on itch.io. All background music and character/enemy assets were made by me.
Research
Hypothesis:
The game needs to be simple enough to not overly strain the focus of the player, but should be engaging enough that the player enjoys playing. If the gameplay is too intense or mechanically complicated, the focus moves to the game mechanics themselves rather than the language. If the player enjoys the game (artistically, narratively, mechanically, etc.) and views the gaming medium positively, then they are more likely to have higher motivation to continue playing/learning.
Results:
Students were tested on their Japanese grammatical abilities before and after playing the game. Students were also asked their opinions on the games efficacy and their experiences playing the game. A large majority of students showed a significant increase in their test scores after playing the game and taking the test again. A majority of students also reported feeling more confident in their usage of Japanese particles and that they felt the game helped with memorizing all 12 particles. Students also gave feedback on how the game may be improved and what areas they felt were weak or strong.