Urchins & Ink

Urchins & Ink is a twin shooter with a twist! Learn how to properly read and pronounce Japanese while fighting off pesky sea urchins. Help Sumi learn the language and unlock new levels to challenge fluency. Swim quick and think, but don't lose your Ink to prove practice makes perfect!
This game aims to challenge how educational games are approached. Many educational games can feel like glorified multiple-choice tests or homework with progress bars, missing out on what makes games fun. We started with fun gameplay and worked to integrate language learning in a way that doesn't distract from play or discourage trial & error. Learning a new alphabet can be intimidating (especially with symbols unlike your native script), but Urchins & Ink hopes to bridge the gap without feeling like homework. The free-flowing gameplay welcomes absolute beginners and even those familiar with kanji to practice their knowledge and shoot cute sea creatures along the way.
Urchins & Ink focuses on only Japanese for now (we support weeb literacy) but sets the groundwork for future ventures into other logographic languages!