Babelum - Linux Edition

Babelum - Linux Edition

The 90s snake rush returns in 3D, and every run teaches you real words.

Babelum is inspired by Montessori-style learning principles and grounded in academic work, but it never forgets the point. You are here to play. The tower is here to challenge you. Collect the words, climb higher, and turn "I should learn a language" into "one more level".

Why a Linux Edition?

The open-source community has been giving a lot to humankind for free: they deserve some love back! This game itself was created with many open-source tools, without them it would not exist today. For that reason we decided to release a Babelum Linux Edition 100% free! The game was simultaneous released on Steam (here), with Windows and Linux/Steam Deck versions, both paid, if you wish to support us or to experience it via Steam you have that option too. This version, only on itch.io, is the exact same version, compiled and available only for Linux. The only difference, is that the Steam version supports various Rankings systems via Steam Leaderboards (and soon Achievements): supporting that in a free release for Linux, would require us to setup a custom server and pay for it, we cannot afford that right now. This game was created by one single person, without budget, a Nerd Batman: father (most important mission), worker (Software Engineer) and student (PhD on how can tech support democracy) during the day, but a Game Dev lover (childhood passion) during the late night hours (#realindie , like in the Cave Story era, for love and no glory). I say this, only to justify why the leaderboards were not ported (Steam Leaderboards are free to developers, but independent ones would have real costs, cannot support that myself alone right now).

The plan is to keep this version up to date with the same patches released on steam, including future expansions (Arcade and Online/Lan modes incoming), 1:1 exact version, except the leaderboards/multiplayer (if the community grows and the game gets some sales [no illusions, educational games sell very bad] maybe one day we can add it). The plan is to release new language packs/words in the future, I am targeting 300 words minimum: in average, research show that if someone knows 200-500 words for one language, they know the minimum required for general day to day understanding and contextual learning from that point onward (this games aims that minimum).

I created this game for myself (academic purposes, child of past research; also to teach myself Japanese, to be able to watch Anime/Manga/Videogames without translations), and for my daughter (she is trying to learn English, maybe this can help with vocabulary; I also wanted her to experience some games from my past, I already introduced her to SMB 1, with Babelum I am curious to see her experience hard games, that do not take us by the hand, aiming for Snake high scores and speedrunning, like we children of the 80's did in the 90's. now it is an opportunity to try the Snake mechanics from the 90's). As a father, I am also worried about the impact of smartphones and AI on kids (everything is too easy and casino/gamification-like nowadays, no struggle = no growth), so I wished that my first video game could be something to contribute positively to that (from my past research, I know pedagogical games are awful to sell, kids hate "educational" tags, and parents are not the ones that choose which game to buy, but I am happy with the result, that is what matters most).

Trailer

Old-School Pressure. Modern Twist

Remember chasing high scores in classic snake games?

Babelum brings that same "just one more run" tension into 3D diorama levels, then adds a twist: every pickup is a letter, and every clear is a real word in your target language.

Fun and challenge are the focus. You can enjoy it even without the pedagogical side: just pick a language you already know and enjoy it; learning is secondary. We tried to build, above all, a good snake-like game. Each level adds a twist, and challenge is part of the game's identity.

The Hook

• Arcade first: tight movement, risky routes, and score-chasing momentum.

• Nostalgia energy: classic snake-style pressure, rebuilt for modern 3D gameplay.

• Learning that feels like play: spelling, pronunciation, and recall happen while you’re having fun. Forget being passive in Duolingo, test your real language skills!

The Core Loop

Move fast.

Collect letters in order.

Manage a growing tail in shrinking space.

Complete the word before enemies and hazards shut you down.

Climb higher. Beat your best score.

Real Challenge, Real Variety

• Each level incrementally introduces a new twist (never the same formula).

• Four main level types: action, exploration, runner, story.

• Three themes, three cute characters. 30 levels at launch plus 10 different languages each.

• Snake-inspired gameplay in compact 3D maps with shortcuts and traps.

• Enemies and hazards that force quick decisions, not autopilot.

• Power tools like Nitro, Jump, and Shot (by level setup).

• Different movement styles: Free, Lane, or Grid-style control.

• Game difficulty is identity: we pack a challenge. Bronze score is the easy mode, but gold awaits the brave old-school players.

Learn While You Play (Without Killing the Fun)

Babelum is designed so learning is part of the action loop:

• Build words by collecting letters in the correct order.

• Hear pronunciation when words are completed.

• Track progress in your Word Book: you gotta catch them all!

• Practice across 10 languages: English, Portuguese, Japanese, Italian, German, French, Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Hindi.

• Japanese supports both Romaji (Latin) and Kana-focused play.

Multiple Play Styles

• Regular: classic letter-collection pressure and route mastery.

• Runner: listening + fast-reaction gameplay.

• Story challenges: context-based language tasks through interactive play.

• Exploration: free mode, discover the level's secrets.

For 90s Competitors and Modern Learners

Whether you want to:

• Relive the old-school score-chasing feeling,

• Compete for cleaner runs and better times,

• Or level up your language skills through gameplay,

Babelum is built for that exact overlap.

Future Plans

• For those who just want pure snake gameplay, we will release an Arcade mode (no language acquisition, old-school formula with a twist).

• Multiplayer mode is in testing. We will soon release a free patch with some online level types.

• Extra themes incoming. We will release a special DLC, with colossal hard-mode challenges (Babelum: The Lost Levels), for retro lovers.

• We will soon release a 100% free full version of the game for Linux OS. Open-source communities have been helping mankind for free, and Linux deserves extra love. Stay tuned on our homepage.

• After two years of the commercial cycle, we will publish the game's source code as open source, for the community to mod and expand.

One More Run!

Climb the tower. Beat your score. Build your vocabulary.

Babelum makes all three part of the same addiction.

Real indie game (#realindie): father and Software Engineer during the day; solo game dev and writer during the night (I am the nerd version of Batman). This game was built with love over 2 years to teach new languages to my daughter (and myself) while showcasing the old-school arcade-like games I loved to play when I was younger. To live is to learn!