WonderLang - An RPG Quest for Language Mastery
Embark on an adventure where each dialogue, puzzle, and challenge seamlessly blends language learning into your gaming experience.
Cheaper, more engaging and way more fun than a language learning app!
Welcome to WonderLang, where language learning meets immersive adventure. This isn't just a game; it's a journey into mastering a new language through captivating quests and interactive experiences. At WonderLang, we believe that immersion is the key to language mastery, and our aims to replicate that experience. You don't just learn a language; you live it.
Embark on a Quest for Language Mastery
Experience the transformative power of a new learning approach: Role playing elements serve as a powerful motivator for language comprehension.
Interactive Language RPG
Embark on a quest-filled adventure where language learning is key to progression.
Immersive Learning
Engage with unique characters and complete quests that organically teach language through play.
Discover and Master
Explore enchanting villages, solve mysteries, and unlock new areas, all while mastering a new language.
WonderLang weaves language into the core of its adventure and compelling narrative.
Get immersed in Wonderlang: Explore, Fight, Converse and Investigate using your target language.
Planned Languages and Learning Levels
WonderLang is designed for beginner language learners, allowing you to dive into the game without any prior knowledge of the language. While the game doesn't aim to fully replace traditional language courses, it provides an immersive and enjoyable way to practice a new language gradually.
Our goal with this initial release is to cover a curriculum corresponding to level A1 and part of A2 in language learning, offering between 40 and 50 hours of combined learning and gameplay. If the game proves successful upon release, we intend to develop sequels targeting more advanced levels.
- The French learning version for English speakers is ALREADY OUT on Steam and itch.io
- The Spanish and German versions are coming out very soon in December 2024
- The Italian and Portuguese learning versions are planned for January 2025
- More languages will follow in 2025
Find WonderLang on Steam and itch.io
Available for Windows and macOS.
Android and iOS versions will be released in 2025
Inspirations
WonderLang combines immersive RPG gameplay with interactive language learning. Players engage in narrative-driven adventures, learning new languages through dialogues, quests, and combat challenges. Inspired by JRPGs like Dragon Quest and Pokémon, and life sims like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing, it also includes nods to indie games like Undertale.
Testimonials & Reviews
A 3-hour demo, showcasing the initial game hours, was distributed to language educators and linguistics experts worldwide. This allowed us to gather feedback, collect ideas, and ensure the educational content is on track.
Extracts from Reviews on Steam:
"I am pleasantly surprises by how good this game is so far. I play it with my daughter together as well are both learning french and it has been a really fun way to supplement our learning while being immersed in this fun RPG." - player on Steam
"Overall the game is really helping put context in what i'm learning. I use duolingo which barely explains anything. This game really helps fill in the gaps is vastly increasing my speed of learning. Would recommend" - player on Steam
At the core of WonderLang lies the innovative approach of Content-Based Instruction (CBI). This method integrates language learning with engaging subject matter, setting us apart from traditional language apps.
In WonderLang, players immerse in an RPG world where language mastery is key to progressing. Learning transcends mere memorization, focusing on real-world usage through adventures, puzzles, and character interactions. Each quest, dialogue, and interaction is designed to teach language in a relevant and engaging manner.
Your brother, who has been magically transformed into a beanie, takes on the role of your language mentor. He assists you by translating specific words within dialogues, hear their pronounciation, and helps you construct sentences. Additionally, he provides tips and insights into the various elements of the sentences you come across during your dialogues. However, he might not always be available to assist you.
There are no mystical potions with strange names, no scimitars or helmets. We ensure that the vocabulary you learn is practical. Feeling low on HP? Grab an apple or a sandwich. Perhaps consider shopping for a new sweater to boost your defense.
Every village you visit in WonderLang presents its own set of adventures and challenges, along with a host of charming villagers to befriend. These villages serve as unique language modules, each introducing specific vocabulary and grammar rules.
Gameplay alternates between dialogues with locals and vocabulary/grammar battles, supplemented by mini-games. A quest system encourages interactions with game characters in the target language. Dialogues feature translation, pronunciation options, and sentence composition.
When it is your character's turn to speak, you will be asked to compose a sentence by either filling in the gaps, reordering the words in the sentence, or even speaking a sentence out loud to test your pronunciation.
Spaced Repetition Combats
The combat system in WonderLang is a dynamic way to reinforce language skills. Choose from various attacks: flashcard challenges, listening comprehension, grammar-based assaults and more. The tougher the challenge, the greater the damage.
This system utilizes spaced repetition, ensuring new and challenging content appears more often, optimizing learning.
Alternatively, engage enemies in conversation to de-escalate conflicts.
During battles, leverage collected items by answering quick quizzes about them, integrating practical language use with gameplay.
Your character's level mirrors your language proficiency, and you can monitor this growth through a progress curve shown in the game menu.
WonderLang integrates mini-games into its quests, combining classic language activities with RPG elements for diverse, engaging language practice. This includes crosswords, memory games, escape rooms, storybooks, and charades, ensuring a fun, varied learning experience
In WonderLang, you step into the shoes of a young protagonist in the wake of a peculiar and life-changing event. Your younger brother, Ben, mysteriously gets his soul trapped in a magical beanie, which sets the stage for an adventure filled with intrigue, ancient magic, and familial bonds.
To lift the curse, you go a quest to unravel the mysteries of a magical island discovering a world where language holds the key to powerful magic.
Explore, Discover, and Reconnect: Travel through diverse villages, each harboring secrets linked to the ancient art of language magic. Your journey is not just about solving mysteries but also about mending the strained relationship with Ben, as you face challenges that test and strengthen your bond.
Unveil a Family Legacy: As you delve deeper, you confront a tangled web of family history and the consequences of choices made in fear. Encounter enigmatic characters, including a misunderstood witch, and reveal hidden truths that will determine the fate of the island and your family.
Over 60 unique characters bring the world to life, each with their own distinct sprite and artwork. These characters have their own personalities and secrets that you'll gradually uncover as you build friendships with them. Interacting with NPCs goes beyond language practice; it's a chance to discover their unique stories, enriching the WonderLang experience.
Crafting a Tale for Language Mastery
WonderLang originates from its creator, Jonathan, a 37-year-old French national with a background enriched by living in Sweden, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Korea. WonderLang reflects his passion for technology, languages, and gaming, with every element of the game drawing on his experiences and love for RPGs, making it a unique educational experience that goes beyond traditional learning. an educational tool; it's a window into a world where learning transcends boundaries.
The development leverages RPG Maker MZ as the game engine, known for its foundational RPG features and extensive customization options through plugins and scripts.
The game's art combines artist commissions, purchased pre-made assets, and AI-generated assets. Cheung Ngo Chau is our talented character designer.
WonderLang to learn French is available on Steam and itch.io !
Be a part of the WonderLang adventure!
I'm an solo indie developper. If you resonate WonderLang's mission to bring adventure to language learning, please share the project around you!
Help spread the word!
Your support is incredibly valuable, especially as a solo developer working on this ambitious project. You can also help WonderLang by sharing the project on social media (links below) or via email.