2026-04-08 · 2 min read
Why we built 13 game modes
Memory has texture. Recognising a word and producing one are different cognitive tasks. Hearing a word and reading it are different again. If you only ever practise recognition — tapping the right English meaning under a Chinese word — you'll be fluent at multiple choice and silent in conversation.
So we built thirteen game modes, each one designed to stress a specific recall pathway:
- Multiple Choice — recognition. Easy mode, fast wins, good for new words.
- Hanzi Choice — given the English, pick the right hanzi from four. Forces you to recall the script, not just the sound.
- Tone Trainer — produce the tone of a known word. Audio-only.
- Tone Perception — hear two near-identical words, pick the one that matches the meaning. Trains discrimination, not production.
- Fill in the Blank — recall a word inside a real sentence. Context-dependent.
- Sentence Builder — assemble a sentence from scrambled tokens. Grammar in disguise.
- Typing Trainer — type the pinyin from memory. No multiple choice safety net.
- Pinyin Scramble — drag scrambled syllables into the right order.
- Dictation — listen, type, no visual prompt.
- Memory Pairs — flip cards to match meanings. Pure visual recall.
- Speed Round — 60 seconds, beat your own score. Fluency under pressure.
- Survival — each correct answer buys you one more second. Fluency under terror.
- Roleplay Scenarios — full conversations: restaurant, hotel, first date. Production in context.
Don't play the wrong game at the wrong time
Here's a thing we've learned: a brand-new word should never start its life in a Speed Round. You'll guess. You'll be wrong. The wrong-association will harden, and unlearning it later costs you ten times more than learning it right would have.
The right loop, roughly:
- New words → Multiple Choice or Hanzi Choice. Build the recognition.
- Familiar words → Typing or Tone Trainer. Force production.
- Confident words → Speed, Survival, or Roleplay. Build fluency under load.
Lepochi's daily review will pick the right modes for you automatically. But if you're going freestyle in the Games Hub, that order is the one to follow.
Why this beats flashcards alone
A pure flashcard app gives you one mode: see-card, judge-self. That works for a thousand words. By word ten thousand it stops working — your brain has memorised the card, not the word. Different modes break the card-shape and force the meaning out into the open.