Kana Quest

Kana Quest is a cute, friendly game that aims to teach you kana character recognition as you work through its numerous match-em puzzles. Some may be put off by the unfamiliar Japanese alphabet, but those who are willing to learn (or just want an additional challenge) should have fun picking up the basics of kana recognition and pronunciation.

The concept of using this tile puzzler as an opportunity for people to learn Japanese characters is an interesting one, play is still quite plain

Kana Quest feels like a great game for the right kind of gamer. If puzzle-based challenges like Sudoku are things that engage you I think this game will have a lot to offer.

Overall, this game is cute. It’s useful for anyone learning Kana. However, there are some things that I don’t love about it. Its lack of word-teaching moments and its weird hyperfocus on doing the puzzles in the least number of turns aren’t made up for entirely by its cute pixel art or Kana learning. I think one of the things that bothered me a lot is that the title of the game is written in Katakana on the cover rather than the Hiragana you are actually learning. I don’t really understand who this game is for, but it was a fun way to spend an afternoon.

If you have an interest in learning kana and are truly committed to doing so, Kana Quest will certainly aid you in your studies in a fun, memorable way.

Whether you want to learn Japanese or not, I would recommend Kana Quest. Just make sure you play with earphones for a taste of those chilled out jams.