From the Developer
This week has been focused on finishing a project I've been quietly working on for a while.
A lot of Japanese learning systems and content are currently in development, but before moving on to those larger features, I wanted to finish polishing this new mini-game and make sure it felt fun to play.
As usual, my son was the first playtester. He spent plenty of time shooting bugs before school, which is always a good sign. 😅
There are also several larger systems continuing development behind the scenes, including:
JLPT Grammar systems (UI implementation already completed)
JLPT N1 Q&A content
Anki Decks for JLPT N5-N1
And, as always, a very long list of notes filled with future features and improvements.
If there's a feature / content you've been waiting for, please let me know. Community feedback continues to play a huge role in deciding what gets prioritized next.
NEW: Bug House: Nihongo Hunt 🐛
New mini-game added to the Game Center!
Shoot bugs. Answer Japanese Quiz. Survive.
Bug House: Nihongo Hunt, a wave-based survival game that combines action gameplay with Japanese language practice.
Whether you're looking to improve your Hiragana, Katakana, or JLPT vocabulary, or simply want to survive increasingly chaotic bug invasions, this game offers a little bit of both.
What Is It?
You're trapped inside a house that has been completely overrun by bugs.
Every bug carries Japanese text on its back. Depending on your selected difficulty, this could be:
Hiragana
Katakana
JLPT N5–N1 Vocabulary
Shoot or spray a bug and you'll be challenged with a quick quiz question.
Answer correctly and earn your 円.
Answer incorrectly, no 円 and you'll see the correct answer, helping turn every mistake into a learning opportunity.
Features
🎯 Wave-Based Survival Combat
Fight through increasingly difficult waves of bugs while defending your house.
Earn money, upgrade your equipment, and see how long you can survive.
🈴 Japanese Learning Modes. Choose between:
Hiragana, Katakana, JLPT N5-N1
🔫 Weapon & Equipment Progression
Purchase and upgrade:
Guns
Nets (Shields)
Bug sprays
Creams
Healing items (food)
Once you've unlocked a weapon, you can switch back to it anytime without repurchasing it.
🧍 Character Creation
Create your own survivor by customizing:
Gender, Character size, Pajama colors, One of eight hairstyles, Name.
🌐 English & Japanese Interface
Menus, prompts, interface elements, and character names all update to match your selected language.
🔊 New Sound Effects: Added a large collection of sound effects.
Music Room 🎵
New Main Menu Theme Song
無限 = むげん = Infinity (JLPT N1)
New song has been added as the main menu theme.
Previous and current menu songs will also be added to the Music Room in an upcoming update.
A few songs didn't quite make this week's build but are scheduled for implementation soon.
New Music Room Song
ピッピッ = Beep Beep (JLPT N5)
Added to the Music Room
Can also be unlocked through the JukeBox and added to your personal playlist
Fixes & Improvements 🔧
Thanks to クルミ for reporting:
Fixed JLPT N5 Quiz #55 furigana for:
京都
Correct reading: きょうと
Jet Fighter Improvements
Removed 3 incorrect Hiragana questions that were mistakenly appearing inside Katakana mode
Coming...
JLPT Grammar systems
The Bible translations & Anki Idle N4-N1 screen cards
JLPT N1 Q&A content
Anki Deck support
More Japanese learning activities
Additional mini-games
More music
Plenty more...
よろしくおねがいします！
Thank you again for supporting PLAYNESE during Early Access.
Every review, bug report, suggestion, and piece of feedback helps shape the direction of the project.
I hope you enjoy exploring Bug House: Nihongo Hunt.
See you again in next week's update!
よろしくお願いします！
ライト = Light 🎮