ODEUM, a studio based in Ann Arbor, have a stated focus on creating games and experiences that facilitate learning, and their new game Hua Mulan emphasises that perfectly.
Hua Mulan is a 3D RPG where you travel through time and learn Chinese, and just in time for the Lunar New Year, the game is to begin accepting the first beta testers very soon on Steam.
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An official description of the game reads; ‘Help protect Hua Mulan from the evil plot of the time travelling Shadows of the Past, in this story-driven episodic Chinese learning adventure. You’ll read, write pinyin, and speak Chinese all while hunting down time bandits before the time deviations become permanent.’
As it says here, the game will release episodically, and the first episode takes you back to ancient china to trace back a ‘time bubble’, all the while practising Chinese greetings by interacting with various characters in the world, gamifying the learning of the language by incentivising you to learn with the promise of a mystery solved! According to the developers, over the course of the four episodes planned to release, what you will learn follows the curriculum for the HSK 1 exam. The game also features smart AI that adjusts the content you are learning to ensure you’re getting the personally tailored help you need to be successful in the game and learn Chinese. As well as this, the game supports voice recognition, allowing you to speak your responses in Chinese.
This is a great project which seems like players will get a lot out of. If you think this game is for you you can head over to the beta sign-up page, and for updates on the game be sure to go to ODEUM’s twitter page.
