I’m interested in improving my German through games, but I often struggle to commit to playing games in another language because I don’t want to miss out on things like story and dialogue. So I’d be interested in any suggestions for games which I can enjoy playing in another language.
So far my best success is Civilization 6. It ticks a lot of boxes because there is no story other than what you make. I’ve played it before in English, so I alreadly broadly know what things do, but it’s complicated enough that I still need to read and understand things. There is spoken audio and a lot to read, so I feel like I am always encountering new vocabulary. It is turn based, so there is always unlimited time to read and translate - Google Lens is a lifesaver here, because there are a lot of rules to understand, and sometimes I get the meaning completely wrong when I read it, but then I can check the translation.
Play the games you know. If you know when a character is supposed to say “Get to the helicopter now we are leaving!” When you hear them say “Kommen Sie zum Helikopter, jetzt fahren wir los.” you’re more likely to have that 10-20% you wouldn’t otherwise understand click.in your head.
Also I recommend any games set in a region where the language you want to learn is set. This is because all the signs will be in that language.
You might consider checking out Humongous games’ catalog. They’re point-and-click adventure games aimed at kids, so the vocabulary level may be a bit below you if you’re able to play a game like Civ6, but they can still be fun for adults despite being kids edutainment games.
I think a trading card game, where you have to be vigilant about everything printed on the cards, would be helpful. There are plenty of options. Slay the Spire, Monster Train, etc. there are some that mix rpg play with card play. Source: me, a language teacher that uses card games in class.
