How it works
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Learn Chinese language in the moment you’d actually need it, not from flashcards.
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Snap words together into a sentence, then say it out loud.
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Daily reviews from a panda, and a friend that you “hate”.
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Land in China knowing no Chinese. A week later, you’ll be ordering street food, paying by phone and making small talk with a family who invited you over for dumplings.
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Customize your look. The more Chinese you are, the more clothes you can unlock!
Try a panda review
The review from the first morning of the game. Click the right card. In the game you then say it out loud; here, click again to move on.
Questions
What is Very Chinese Time in My Life?
Very Chinese Time in My Life is a first-person game for learning spoken Mandarin Chinese. You spend a week in a present-day Chinese city and learn the Chinese for each situation as it happens: getting from the airport to your hotel, ordering breakfast, paying by phone, asking the way, buying medicine, and having dumplings with a local family. Every word shows pinyin and English. You put words together into sentences and say them out loud, or click your answer if you would rather not speak. There are no tests and no characters to write. Coming to Steam for Windows.
Who is it for?
Very Chinese Time in My Life is for anyone who wants to speak some everyday Mandarin, starting from zero: people visiting China for a holiday, a business trip, a conference or a visa-free stopover; students going on exchange; people moving to China for work; partners meeting a Chinese family for the first time; heritage speakers who understand a little but never speak; and learners who studied from apps or textbooks but freeze when they have to talk.
Do I need to know any Chinese before I start?
No. Very Chinese Time in My Life starts from zero. Every word shows pinyin above it and English below it, and the game teaches each phrase right before you need to use it.
Which Chinese does it teach?
Very Chinese Time in My Life teaches spoken Mandarin (Putonghua) with simplified characters. The pinyin is written the way the words are actually pronounced, tone changes included. It does not teach Cantonese, other dialects or handwriting.
How do you learn in the game?
In Very Chinese Time in My Life you live through ordinary situations in first person. When you need to say something, the words appear as cards. You say each word, put them together into a sentence, then say the whole sentence. People react to what you actually said, so a wrong answer changes what happens next instead of giving you a red X.
Do I need a microphone?
No. Very Chinese Time in My Life works best when you speak, and any headset or laptop microphone will do. If your computer has no microphone, you can scan a QR code and use your phone as the mic. If you would rather not speak at all, turn voice input off and click your answers instead.
How does review work?
Each day in Very Chinese Time in My Life has short reviews with a panda after the scenes, using the phrases you just learned. At night a friend back home messages you and quizzes you on the day, and teases you when you get it wrong. Anything you missed comes back the next night.
Where is it set?
Very Chinese Time in My Life is set in a present-day Chinese city: the airport, a ride-hailing car, a hotel, a breakfast stall, a shopping mall, a noodle shop, the metro, a park, a convenience store, a night market, a pharmacy, a family's flat, and a train out to a small water town. The art is soft, cel-shaded anime style.
Is it a full Chinese course? Does it prepare me for the HSK?
No. Very Chinese Time in My Life teaches the spoken Chinese for everyday situations: getting around, buying things, eating out and making small talk. It does not follow the HSK syllabus and does not teach writing. It works well next to a course or an app, as the place where you actually use what you learn.
Is there more to it than lessons?
Yes. Very Chinese Time in My Life has a character creator, and you earn points by speaking Chinese that you spend on clothes at the mall, so the more Chinese you use, the more outfits you unlock. There is also an arcade with small games and a photo mode.
How is it different from a language app or a phrasebook?
Apps and phrasebooks teach words on their own. Very Chinese Time in My Life puts you in the situation where you need them, such as a driver asking where you're from or a breakfast stall with no English menu, and you answer out loud. Because each phrase is tied to a moment, it is easier to remember when the same thing happens on a real trip.
What languages is the game in?
The interface of Very Chinese Time in My Life is in English and Simplified Chinese. Everyone in the game speaks Mandarin, with pinyin and English shown for every line.
When is it out, and on what?
Very Chinese Time in My Life is coming to Steam for Windows. Wishlisting it on Steam is the easiest way to hear when it comes out. The release date will be announced on the Steam page and on this site.
Why is it called Very Chinese Time in My Life?
The name comes from the 2025–26 meme “you met me at a very Chinese time in my life”, in which people shared habits they had picked up from Chinese daily life, like drinking hot water and wearing house slippers. The game is a week of everyday life in China, in Chinese.