{"id":60697,"date":"2017-03-29T19:19:33","date_gmt":"2017-03-29T23:19:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/learn-portuguese-games\/"},"modified":"2025-02-23T23:47:29","modified_gmt":"2025-02-24T04:47:29","slug":"learn-portuguese-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/portuguese\/learn-portuguese-games\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Learn Portuguese by Playing Games"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether we\u2019re talking play-and-learn educational tools, interactive activities related to languages or downright video games, there\u2019s always a way to serve learning with a side of fun. And I\u2019ve had a taste of them all.<\/p>\n

This is why I\u2019m here to give you the rundown of seven of the best gamified resources that will help step up your Portuguese.
\n[fluentu-toc]
\n<\/p>\n

Best Resources for Learning Portuguese with Games<\/h2>\n

Now that you’ve got a little insight on the matter, get ready to prove your mom wrong and play your way to fluency with these seven knockout games loaded with some serious language perks. Vamos jogar ent\u00e3o! <\/em>(Let\u2019s play!)<\/p>\n

1. Conjuguemos\u00a0<\/em><\/h3>\n

\"learn-portuguese-games\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Website<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s conjugate!\u201d is the translation of the name of this resource,\u00a0the affirmative imperative form of the Portuguese verb conjugar<\/em>. And if this sounds mind-boggling right now, then you\u2019re the right candidate for this one.<\/p>\n

Knowing your verb tenses is an important pit stop on your journey to fluency, from the ever baffling duo of ser<\/em> and estar <\/em>(both meaning \u201cto be\u201d but with different usages) down to the enigmatic personal infinitive tense which is really a wonderful peculiarity of Portuguese.<\/p>\n

The Conjuguemos<\/em> approach to tackling all these and everything in between is gamified<\/strong> to the bone, which is honestly the best way to make an intimidating terrain such as verbs somewhat attractive.<\/p>\n

On a delightfully simple platform, it manages to offer numerous printable materials (charts, flashcard cut-outs, worksheets), a timed quiz that receives a score in the end and, of course, the icing on this cake \u2014\u00a0games, with notable examples such as Verb Battleship and Frog Conjugation.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve ever played the standard board game version of Battleship then Verb Battleship<\/strong> will be a familiar concept to you. Even if you haven’t, you\u2019ll catch on very quick. Basically, your job is to sink Conjubot’s armada by correctly conjugating verbs before it does you in.<\/p>\n

The other shining star, Frog Conjugation,<\/strong> is far less elaborate but just as effective (I hope you like frogs, by the way, as it seems to be the website\u2019s mascot). For this one, you just have to feed your shortsighted frog some mosquitoes carrying correct conjugations, the speed of which is determined by the level you choose.<\/p>\n

Along with verbs, Conjuguemos<\/em> also lets you practice another important \u201cV\u201d of mastering a language: its vocabulary<\/strong>. The structure is pretty much the same and the items are listed by theme, in categories such as clothing, house or city life.<\/p>\n

The star game in this case is called Splatman<\/strong>, featuring none other than\u2013you\u2019ve guessed it\u2013the glasses-wearing frog. This time, it\u2019s not feeding he needs but getting safely to his destination, which will happen only if you correctly translate a given word while also dodging objects eager to splat you. Think retro Super Mario meets Portuguese 101.<\/p>\n

So whether you\u2019re into amphibians, battleships or just plain old flashcards, Conjuguemos<\/em> is the one-stop shop for your Portuguese language needs, verbs and nouns and all.<\/p>\n

2. FluentU<\/h3>\n
\"FluentU<\/a><\/div>\n

Website<\/a> |\u00a0iOS<\/a>\u00a0| Android<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

There are many ways to go about learning a second language, but if you’re looking for a personalized immersion\u00a0experience, then FluentU<\/strong> is for you.<\/p>\n

\r\nFluentU lets you turn authentic media into personalized language lessons, so you can learn Portuguese exactly the way native speakers use it.<\/a><\/strong>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\n\tWith FluentU\u2019s Chrome extension, you can use our interactive learning tools with any subtitled content on YouTube or Netflix<\/strong>. You can even import your favorite YouTube videos directly into your FluentU account for customized learning!<\/p>\r\n

\r\nFluentU also gives you access to a huge library of real-world Portuguese videos<\/strong>\u2014movie trailers, news clips, music videos, and more\u2014all organized by topic and level.\r\n<\/p>

\r\n\"learn-english-with-videos\"<\/a><\/p>\r\n

\r\nNo more stopping to look up words or struggling to keep up with fast speech. While you watch, FluentU\u2019s interactive captions<\/strong> let you tap on any word for an instant definition, audio, image, and example sentences.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\n\"learn-portuguese-with-fluentu\"<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nWorried you\u2019ll forget all those new words from the videos? We\u2019ve got you! Our fun, adaptive quizzes<\/strong> reinforce what you\u2019ve learned and even give you extra practice with words you find difficult, making sure they stick for the long run.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\n\t\"learn-portuguese-with-adaptive-quizzes\"<\/a><\/p>\r\n

\r\nReady to make every video a language lesson? Start using FluentU on your computer or tablet, or download the FluentU app from the App Store or Google Play. Click here to take advantage of our current sale!<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\n

3. “Influent”<\/h3>\n

\"learn-portuguese-games\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Website<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Influent is a stand-out on this list seeing as how it’s a video game designed specifically with second language learners in mind.<\/p>\n

With a 3D interactive environment<\/strong> and escape room scenario, “Influent” turns acquiring vocabulary into an adventure. You have to guide the character through a small apartment and click on the objects you see to get their name, description and related actions, as well as a sample of native pronunciation.<\/p>\n

Every 50 words discovered unlocks a test in the form of a timed object hunt that you can perform either on foot (Time Attack) or in a flying contraption that somewhat resembles a model spaceship (Fly By mode). As a result, you earn gold stars, because any job well done deserves some nice bling.<\/p>\n

I like that you can choose if you want to play “Influent” in European Portuguese<\/strong> or in the Brazilian dialect<\/strong>, a rare privilege these days when it comes to media in general.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also a decent price for a game so original and well-executed for this niche. It goes for about $10.73 on the Humble Store<\/a>\u00a0and Steam<\/a>, where you also stand a very good chance of finding it on sale in promotional seasons.<\/p>\n

As a side note, Steam is quite the goldmine for exploring game-based language learning, since it makes it easy for you to find games with full audio or at least the interface available in your target language. Instructions with pictures on how to do so can be found here<\/a>, as well as a guide to changing the language of your client and downloaded games.<\/p>\n

For all its virtues that deserve full praise, “Influent” does have a few shortcomings, the main one being that throughout the entire game, you\u2019re confined to the space of the tiny apartment, which becomes cluttered with all the objects (420 in total) and takes on quite the claustrophobic vibe.<\/p>\n

A great improvement would be if you could somehow teleport the character outdoors and have him go to everyday places like caf\u00e9s or supermarkets.<\/p>\n

4. “The Sims 4”\"\"<\/a><\/h3>\n

Website<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Enter “The Sims”, a game that needs no introduction and that incorporates what Influent is lacking, sans <\/em>the grammar notes.<\/p>\n

The reason why it’s a valuable supplement to language learners is because it\u2019s a real life simulation game where you experience everything from choosing the color of your toaster to major life events like having a baby.<\/p>\n

Since all the characters speak the Sims unique brand of gibberish, the entire\u00a0action is text-based<\/strong>, which means you get to see written words and get extensive exposure to them through repeated encounters.<\/p>\n

Unlike previous versions of the game, this game\u00a0exclusively supports Portuguese from Brazil<\/strong>, which caused quite a bit of discontent\u00a0among those looking to play in continental PT.<\/p>\n

This little inconvenience aside, “The Sims 4” is great for acquiring vocabulary for day-to-day objects and actions, especially for visual learners who can make some educated guesswork based on image-text associations.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It’s also rich in emotions, so you can add some depth to your characters’ storylines and subsequently grasp some abstract concepts<\/strong>. Check out the game-play video<\/a> of a Brazilian player in an episode that has everything: romance, betrayal, fistfights and the inevitable triumph of true love. Basically, you have the chance to direct your own Brazilian telenovela<\/em> in the Sims universe.<\/p>\n

“The Sims 4” is available for purchase on Origin<\/a> in standard or digital deluxe editions, going for around $65 and $75 respectively. The full game is also available as a free trial for 48 hours, just enough to build your dream house and find love.<\/p>\n

So get yourself immersed in this virtual world of Portuguese and before you know it, you\u2019ll be ready for the real deal!<\/p>\n

5. Festa Estranha<\/h3>\n

\"learn-portuguese-games\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Website<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Unlike this list so far, this one\u2019s not a learning game but an actual game <\/em>game. Nevertheless, there is learning to be had here.<\/p>\n

The action of “Festa Estranha”\u00a0<\/em>(Weird Party) takes place, as the name so accurately predicts, at a party\u2014a Brazilian student party, to be precise. It\u2019s set up to be a point of view (POV) escape-type game, which means that you, the player, are a participant at a party who’s feeling\u00a0just about ready to call it a night. The only problem is that your friend has your keys and he\u2019s nowhere to be found.<\/p>\n

The rest of the game consists of your efforts to find him amidst all the party people on campus while trying to get some useful information from them along the way.<\/p>\n

The characters are very diverse and the exchanges you have with them will be influenced by their personalities, but you also have some major input since you get to choose what to say to them from a short list of phrases.<\/p>\n

Aside from being an introvert\u2019s worst nightmare, this game script is also a terrific opportunity for immersion<\/strong>, giving you\u00a0a first-person experience<\/strong> in the midst of a Brazilian student party.<\/p>\n

Being text-based (no audible dialogue involved) and heavy on human interactions means you\u2019ll get a chance to polish up your conversation flow with some real, non-forced exchanges<\/strong>, which will at the same time give you a better grasp on context and conveying moods verbally.<\/p>\n

And because you have a clear mission and setting determined from the get-go, you’ll find it easy to narrow down the style register and derive meaning.<\/p>\n

Keep in mind, however, that to make the most of this game, your reading comprehension needs to be at least at a B1 level<\/a>.<\/strong>\u00a0Although since Festa Estranha<\/em> isn\u2019t really a race against time, you can always rely on a dictionary to translate unknown words while playing.<\/p>\n

You can download and install this game for free on a PC, Mac or Linux operating system. There\u2019s also the option of making a contribution towards the developers starting from as little as $1 and while in no way mandatory for accessing the game, I\u2019d say their great work on this is well worth a modest donation.<\/p>\n

What Is the Gamified Approach to Learning?<\/h2>\n

The term \u201cgamification\u201d and its derivatives have now become something of a buzzword, incessantly tossed around all over the internet. In reality, the term has been around for a good 15 years now<\/a>\u00a0but its rise to fame came via the language-acquisition giant Duolingo<\/a>, arguably the most famous incarnation of the concept.<\/p>\n

Gamification<\/strong> is, in a nutshell, applying the elements that make games attractive to non-gaming contexts, in this case the process of learning a foreign language. Once constricted to the somber milieu of a classroom, this experience can now be enhanced by features such as instant rewarding of progress, advancing in levels and immediate feedback, all hailing from traditional game mechanisms.<\/p>\n

Gamification is often put in the same pot as game-based learning<\/strong>, although there’s a significant difference between the two. Game-based learning is, quite literally, learning via playing actual games which weren\u2019t necessarily created with this function in mind. Both approaches to learning share a distinct set of advantages, such as improving attention and persistence<\/strong>, keeping up motivation<\/strong> and a sense of control<\/strong> and initiative<\/strong> over the whole experience.<\/p>\n

Introducing gamified elements ensures that the learners develop not just language skills, but also problem-solving abilities in the process, and the competitive side of it all makes for great intrinsic incentive<\/strong> (widely considered to be the most beneficial<\/a>).<\/p>\n

With game-based learning, there\u2019s the added bonus of integrating different skills<\/strong>, like reading, listening (role-playing games [RPGs] and story-heavy games especially), but also writing and speaking in the case of online multiplayer games where you can interact with other players. These games\u00a0offer a wide variety of styles<\/strong> and language registers, from polishing up your street slang with “Grand Theft Auto” to learning the formal lingo of the olden days with “Assassin\u2019s Creed.”<\/p>\n

But at the end of the day, they’re both a godsend for people who love to learn but hate studying and a great way to make activities once considered\u00a0\u201ca waste of time\u201d into something productive.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Well, boys and girls, that concludes our little run-through of gaming your way to Portuguese prowess (with no cheat codes!).<\/p>\n

In hopes you found this material informative if not mildly entertaining, I encourage you to get your learn on and take your Portuguese to the next level by following this guide and adding to it any form of play you can think of.<\/p>\n

Because trust me, there\u2019s no better secret ingredient to improvement than the fun factor. So bye-bye, rookie and hello, god mode!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Whether we\u2019re talking play-and-learn educational tools, interactive activities related to languages or downright video games, there\u2019s always a way to serve learning with a side of fun. And I\u2019ve had…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":434,"featured_media":251835,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"How to Learn Portuguese by Playing Games | FluentU Portuguese Blog","description":"Toss the textbook because we've got games that'll take your Portuguese to the next level! Plus, we discuss the gamified approach to learning and how it can help your Portuguese. Who said learning a language had to be dull? Click here to learn more."},"footnotes":""},"categories":[373,374],"tags":[],"coauthors":[391],"class_list":["post-60697","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-portuguese","category-portuguese-learning-resources"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60697","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\/434"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60697"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60697\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":251836,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60697\/revisions\/251836"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/251835"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60697"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60697"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60697"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=60697"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}