{"id":106956,"date":"2023-10-02T13:58:15","date_gmt":"2023-10-02T17:58:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/japanese-word-games\/"},"modified":"2025-04-02T07:14:35","modified_gmt":"2025-04-02T11:14:35","slug":"japanese-word-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/japanese\/japanese-word-games\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Websites for Free Japanese Games Online"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Believe it or not, games can also be great teachers. Learning with games\u2014especially word games\u2014is an amazing way to learn Japanese.<\/p>\n<p>I have put together a list of some seriously awesome, super useful and free Japanese games online to help you increase your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/japanese\/easy-japanese-words-phrases\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">vocabulary<\/a>, sharpen your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/japanese\/how-to-learn-to-read-write-japanese-hiragana-katakana-fast\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Japanese alphabet<\/a> knowledge and improve your overall Japanese fluency.<\/p>\n<p>[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>1. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.shiritori.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u3057\u308a\u3068\u308a\u00a0\u2014 Taking the End a.k.a. &#8220;Shiritori&#8221;<\/a><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.shiritori.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-38661\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/shirtori.jpg\" alt=\"Shirtori\" width=\"500\" height=\"291\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u3057\u308a\u3068\u308a is a <strong>classic Japanese word game <\/strong>that is super popular in Japan.\u00a0To play, you must<strong>\u00a0come up with a word that begins with the last character of the previous word. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Before you begin, you are required to choose your learning level, ensuring the vocabulary that appears will be geared towards your level.<\/p>\n<p>Every word is shown with its hiragana\/katakana and kanji,\u00a0JLPT level and definitions.<\/p>\n<p>If you fail to write in the next word on time, the game presents you with possible words you could have used, along with their definitions. It is a <strong>fantastic way to build your vocabulary!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The game even allows you to log in with your Gmail account for <strong>detailed records<\/strong> of your past games if you want to visualize your progress.<\/p>\n<p>Since you may need to type in Japanese, it would be wise to have <a href=\"https:\/\/lexilogos.com\/keyboard\/hiragana_conversion.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a romaji-to-hiragana converter<\/a> handy as well as <a href=\"https:\/\/lexilogos.com\/keyboard\/japanese.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a digital Japanese keyboard<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>If you have the chance to play the game analog-style with a native speaker, do it!<\/p>\n<p>When you play with two or more people, take turns saying words. If someone cannot figure out a new word, they are automatically booted from the game.<\/p>\n<p>The premise and rules of the game are simple, whether you are playing against a computer or a real person:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 12px\">Only nouns are allowed.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 12px\">The character \u3093 is not permitted, as no Japanese word starts with it, making it impossible to continue the game. In some variations of \u3057\u308a\u3068\u308a, accidentally using a word with\u00a0\u3093 means forfeiture of the game.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 12px\">No words can be repeated during a single game.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 12px\"><em>Optional:<\/em> Pronouns and names of places may be permitted.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 12px\"><em>Optional:<\/em> Words can only be part of a particular genre, such as nature or science.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>2. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lexisrex.com\/Japanese\/Word-Bingo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Japanese Word Bingo<\/a><\/h2>\n<p data-wp-editing=\"1\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.lexisrex.com\/Japanese\/Word-Bingo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-11380\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/japanese-word-games-1.png\" alt=\"japanese-word-games\" width=\"500\" height=\"291\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Everybody has played Bingo before, right?<\/p>\n<p>In case you have not, the rules are simple: When a word is called out, you mark the corresponding space on your Bingo sheet. When you have five spaces in a row marked, you win!<\/p>\n<p>This Japanese word game is a simple version of Bingo, in which you must <strong>match the spoken Japanese word with its image at increasing speeds.<\/strong> Just click on the audio button and listen up!<\/p>\n<p>Stay sharp, though: Once you start the game, the audio will read words at short intervals. If you have an image to match the word, click on it. If you do not, wait for the next.<\/p>\n<p>No alphabets or written Japanese is used in this game. It is<strong> all audio and imagery,<\/strong> which is ideal for perfecting listening skills. You will also be improving\u00a0vocabulary recognition by associating spoken words with images.<\/p>\n<p>Any level of learner can play this game, but complete beginners may find it a bit too difficult since there is no writing to rely on.<\/p>\n<p>There is also no way to check what the words mean, so if you find yourself struggling, I recommend that you spend one round simply writing down words you are unfamiliar with and looking them up.<\/p>\n<h2>3. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tanoshiijapanese.com\/practice\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tanoshii Japanese Word Games<\/a><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tanoshiijapanese.com\/practice\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-38660\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/tanoshii-word-game.jpg\" alt=\"Tanoshii word game\" width=\"500\" height=\"291\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Are you a fan of options? So am I! That is why I love this <strong>multi-level option-packed resource<\/strong> from Tanoshii Japanese.<\/p>\n<p>On top of offering a Japanese online dictionary, lessons, forums and additional Japanese language-learning resources, this site also has some seriously fun practice games available to play for free.<\/p>\n<p>You can easily improve your reading, listening, writing and speaking skills all in one place. You also have the option to focus on hiragana, katakana, kanji or vocabulary words in either multi-game or single-game levels.<\/p>\n<p>To play, select which alphabet you want to focus on, or choose vocabulary. Then, choose between reading, writing or speaking practice and select your game.<\/p>\n<p>There are <strong>matching games, stroke order games, flashcards and more.<\/strong> For most of the alphabet games, you can choose to play based on characters you already know or characters you are currently learning.<\/p>\n<p>To top it all off, you can also select how long you want the game to last.<\/p>\n<p>Beginner, intermediate and advanced students can all gain something from this interesting lesson-based word game.<\/p>\n<h2>4. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.digitaldialects.com\/Japanese.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Digital Dialect&#8217;s Japanese Word Games<\/a><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.digitaldialects.com\/Japanese.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-38662\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/digital-dialect.jpg\" alt=\"Digital Dialect word game\" width=\"500\" height=\"291\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Tanoshii Japanese sure had a lot of options, but this massive flash game section from Digital Dialects really takes the cake when it comes to variety.<\/p>\n<p>This site offers <strong>over 20 different word games<\/strong> that focus on improving Japanese <strong>listening, reading and speaking skills.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The options are rich in variety and include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 12px\">Katakana, hiragana and kanji games<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 12px\">Matching and memory games<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 12px\">Scrabble-like games that focus on vocabulary<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 12px\">Grammar- and phrase-association games<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 12px\">Audio and visual options<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 12px\">After-game quizzes for proficiency<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The animations are a little low-budget and cheesy, but if you can get past the corniness you will certainly benefit from these games.<\/p>\n<p>While all levels of Japanese learners can use this site, you may have to search around for a game that fits your particular level.<\/p>\n<p>Like what you see? Digital Dialects also offers weekly parallel text e-books with audio to try out for free.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>How rad are these Japanese word games?<\/p>\n<p>To keep growing your vocabulary, make sure you add some authentic content to your studies. You might learn new words with these Japanese games online, but you&#8217;ll also want to know how to actually use them when the time arises.<\/p>\n<p>Use a program like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/japanese\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FluentU<\/a> to help you retain new vocabulary through immersive content. <p><strong>FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<p>You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/fluentu-learn-language-videos\/id917892175\">the iOS app<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.fluentflix.fluentu&amp;hl=en&amp;gl=US\">Android app.<\/a><\/p>\r\n<p><i><a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a><\/i>\r\n<\/p>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\r\n  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/NativeAd-Japanese.jpg\" alt=\"FluentU Ad\" \/>\r\n  <p style=\"text-align: center\">\r\n    <button class=\"btn-blue\" style=\"border: none;font-size: 18px;text-align: center;padding: 0.75rem 1.5rem;cursor: pointer\">\r\n      Try FluentU for FREE!\r\n  <\/button>\r\n  <\/p>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\n<p>Spicing things up with word games will push you forward on your Japanese language-learning journey\u2014in a fun and engaging way.<\/p>\n<p>Good luck with your fluent future!<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"aomtjapan\"> \r\n<p>\r\n<h2>And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n<p>\r\nIf you love learning Japanese with authentic materials, then I should also tell you <strong><a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">more about FluentU<\/a>.<\/strong>\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nFluentU naturally and gradually eases you into learning Japanese language and culture. You'll learn real Japanese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nFluentU has a broad range of contemporary videos as you'll see below:\r\n<\/p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2474\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/Japnaese-5.png\" alt=\"learn-japanese-with-videos\" width=\"307\" height=\"546\" \/><\/a>\r\n<p>\r\n<strong>FluentU makes these native Japanese videos approachable through interactive transcripts.<\/strong> Tap on any word to look it up instantly.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2477\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/Japanese-2.png\" alt=\"learn-japanese-with-songs\" width=\"307\" height=\"546\" \/><\/a>\r\n<p>\r\nAll definitions have multiple examples, and they're written for Japanese learners like you. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2476\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/Japanese-6.png\" alt=\"learn-japanese-with-movies\" width=\"307\" height=\"546\" \/><\/a>\r\n<p>\r\nAnd FluentU has a learn mode which turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2478\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/Japanese-7.png\" alt=\"practice-japanese-with-adaptive-quizzes\" width=\"307\" height=\"546\" \/><\/a>\r\n<p>\r\nThe best part? FluentU keeps track of your vocabulary, and gives you extra practice with difficult words. It'll even remind you when it\u2019s time to review what you\u2019ve learned.<strong> You'll have a 100% personalized experience. <\/strong>\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nStart using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. <a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a>\r\n<\/p> <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Believe it or not, games can also be great teachers. Learning with games\u2014especially word games\u2014is an amazing way to learn Japanese. I have put together a list of some seriously&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":558,"featured_media":248837,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"4 Websites for Free Japanese Games Online | FluentU Japanese Blog","description":"Playing Japanese games online can be a great way to improve your language skills while having fun! Read this guide to learn about four resources for Japanese word games that you can play online for free, that will help you with learning vocabulary, stroke order and more!"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[545,546],"tags":[],"coauthors":[218],"class_list":["post-106956","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-japanese","category-resources-japanese"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106956","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/558"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=106956"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106956\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":253478,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106956\/revisions\/253478"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/248837"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=106956"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=106956"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=106956"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=106956"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}