Training Games vs. Testing Games

Almost all the companies out there that are developing educational games at the moment have been focusing on creating test-based games. These games present the player with numerous questions, just like a standardized test would, using the format of multiple choice answers or a fill in the blank box. Although these games are easy to make, and hence comprise most of the market, they can only be successfully played if the user has previously studied and learned the proper methods to solve the contents of the test questions.

When Eduflo began developing Hanjamaru it decided to create a training-based game so that users wouldn't need to have previously studied Chinese characters or need to spend vast amounts of time outside playing the game in order to master the subject. Instead of a test-based game, Eduflo studied training games and looked at how to incorporate Chinese character study into an RPG game format. Since over 90% of RPG games include battle contents, Eduflo determined that the optimal game design to teach Chinese character recognition would utilize this battling feature of RPGs. As a result, Hanjamaru uses battling monsters, unlocking items and special missions in order to incorporate character learning into the design of the game. In this way, Hanjamaru insures that players master character recognition without needing to spend hours of study outside of playing the game.