I’m Building 3B, An Immersive Language Learning App

It's like Duolingo meets Dungeons & Dragons: part language learning, part world building, and all fun.

Hi there, thanks for stopping by!

I’m starting this newsletter to chronicle my journey of creating a playable prototype for an app I’ve been dreaming about for a long, long time. It’s a “choose-your-own-adventure” style game designed to help people learn languages, and have fun while they’re doing it.

Imagine a game where the dialogue is the learning. You’re not memorizing flashcards or taking grammar quizzes. Instead, you’re interacting with characters, making choices, picking up words, and navigating a world where language becomes your tool for survival, exploration, and growth.

This is the kind of experience I’m aiming to create.

Why I’m Building This

This passion project that stands at the intersection of (almost) everything I love:
🌍 languages
🎮 games
🧠 learning systems
🎨 design systems
📖 narratives

There are plenty of language learning apps out there, but I often find they miss something essential to my needs: learning in context. We remember best when we care. And what better way to care than to step into a story where you’re the main character?

With all this in mind, my near-term goal is to build a game that lets you:

• Choose the language you're learning

• Choose your character and path

• Watch your story (and vocabulary) grow together

So whether you’re learning Eastern Armenian or Old English, I want this to feel like your story. You’re the protagonist, and your actions shape the world around you.

And if you’re getting RPG vibes from this, then you’re feeling what I’m feeling.

My Plan: A Playable Prototype by the End of 2025

I’m giving myself 24 weeks to build and share a playable prototype. I’ve sketched out a roadmap for releasing early visuals, gathering feedback, posting devlogs, and within a few months, letting people try the first installment.

Here’s what you can expect along the way:

• Behind-the-scenes devlogs (UI, narrative engine, learning systems)

• Learning design challenges and solutions for teaching different languages

• Early access sneak peeks and prototype tests

• Open calls for feedback and future feature votes

I’ll be sharing major progress here on Substack, and cross-posting visuals and builds to:

• Instagram

• Itch.io

• LinkedIn

• Dribbble

Join Me on this Journey

If you're curious about language learning, game design, narrative-building, or just want to come along for the ride, I’d love to have you on board!

Thanks for reading!

Made with ❤ by dmartuk