Barkelona

Barkelona is a special video game designed for Spanish learners. As you play this game, you will find yourself acquiring Spanish conversationally. This is different than traditional Spanish learning you might do in a classroom or in a workbook.

FAQ

How do I interact with the game? While exploring the world of Barkelona, you will see many people and dogs marked with a '!' symbol. Click on the symbol or the sprite to interact with the character. You may also see some objects marked with a '?' symbol. Click on the symbol to view the Spanish term for that object. Your friend Carlos Segundo will also talk to you. To interact with him, choose the appropriate dialogue option or click anywhere on the dialogue box to continue.

What if I don’t know what a word means/what if I can’t understand what the characters say to me? Barklona has a built-in dictionary with the words you will see in the game. To access this dictionary, press the 2 key. The dictionary will update each day to reflect new words you have encountered. You may also be able to use context clues and cognates (words similar in English and Spanish) to pick up new words without using the dictionary. Give it a try! Your brain is built to acquire languages, so let it do what it does best! As you play the game, you will notice that you encounter the same words over and over in new contexts and conversations. This allows you to “acquire” this vocabulary without actively studying.

What is practice mode? In practice mode, you can access several mini games designed to help you review the words you have encountered in your interactions with the Barkelona world and its inhabitants. It is designed for extra practice, not to learn words for the first time.

Is Barkelona based on a real place? Barkelona is very, very loosely based on the city of Barcelona, Spain. While it shares some of the same landmarks, we don’t claim to present an accurate portrayal of the city and the map should not be used to navigate there. As far as we know, there are no talking dogs in Barcelona (yet). To see the real-life versions of the places in the game, check out Casa Batlló (your apartment) Park Guell (the dog park), el Mercado de la Boquería (the market), la Playa de la Barceloneta (the beach), la Basílica de la Sagrada Familia (the church), and Montjuic (where the art museum and magic fountain are both located).

How do I go places in Barkelona? To access your world map, simply leave a location. Once viewing the map, simply click the location you wish to visit. You will not be able to access all locations on Day 1, as the game unfolds slowly over time. Sometimes, Carlos Segundo will take you straight to a location without using the map.