Independent studio

Small apps and games with big heart.

ChiboStudio makes small apps and games you can enjoy a few minutes at a time. Try Lantern Alley, a game that teaches Japanese by running a lantern-lit inn.

Kon, the fox who runs the inn, waving hello Scroll
Apps

Our apps

Everything ChiboStudio has made so far. New ones will show up here.

Lantern Alley言葉の路地 · KOTOBA NO ROJI

Learn Japanese by working in a lantern-lit alley. Kon the fox needs a hand at the inn tonight — and every guest speaks Japanese. You hear it, you act on it, and Kon tells you how you did.

Free betaJLPT N2 wordsWorks offlinePlay on phone or PC
The alley map in Lantern Alley Working at the inn A shift at the front desk Your home in the alley
The game

Learn the words by using them

Three training days at the Moonview Inn take the support away step by step, from romaji to the written request. Then the real evenings begin.

The shift board with guests waiting and the evening clock running
Beat the clock

Work the shift board

Four busy evenings, guests waiting on the board, and the clock running. Hear the Japanese, pick the right job and get it done before time runs out.

Four busy eveningsGuests waitingTime limit
Your own home

Build a cozy home, with a pet

Your wages furnish a little house: a kotatsu, lanterns, a garden that grows, and a cat or a Shiba to keep you company.

The inside of your home with a kotatsu and lanterns
Step inside

Warm light, a kotatsu, and company

Your wages furnish the rooms too. Swap the scene, decorate, and visit your pets any time.

The studio

One person. Lots of care.

ChiboStudio is a one-person studio. Feedback from players shapes what gets built next.

Learn by doing

Each word is taught through a job you actually do at the inn, not a flashcard.

Made to be played

Works in your browser and offline, so it fits on your commute.

Built with you

A public feedback board where players tell me what to fix and add.

Step into the alley.

Kon has a table that needs setting. It takes a minute to start, and it's free.