We reached our main goal! So we're be fulfilling perks on the go! The same day that you pledge your contribution you'll get access to all the goodies.

We have a few more days to get to our stretch goals and collect founds for more languages so we still need your help.

Ba Ba Dum is a free HTML browser game that helps you memorize vocabulary in different languages. We've already coded the whole thing, created 1500 hand-drawn images and recorded 16 500 words read by a professional native voice actors. Actually you can even play it right now in your browser on a computer, tablet or phone.

Join thousands of people from all over the world. Compare your scores to others. Track statistics of most popular languages and games, the hardest and easiest words and check were the players are coming from.

What we want to do now is to ADD MORE LANGUAGES! That's why we need your help.

You can choose from four basic game modes plus two extra ones.

First one will check your basic word recognition.

Second is for testing reading skills:

Third is concentrating on your hearing and it's very similar to the first one but instead showing you the written word it gives you the ability to repeat the audio:

Fourth will test your spelling. This is the hardest one especially in languages that use non-Latin writing system like Greek, Japanese or Russian. Guessing is almost impossible. You just have to know the answer and for correct one you will get six points.

The fifth game is a shuffle mode that will randomly choose one of the four basic modes. This one is both the hardest and most enjoyable.

The last game is a little different and is for learning hiragana and katakana – a basic component of the Japanese writing system:

Currently you can learn words in 11 languages plus a shuffle mode that will throw at you random language after every given answer (in game just click the rainbow icon to try it yourself).

Also the interface is available in almost all of those languages except Japanese.

All of the illustrations are hand drawn on paper. We had to literally draw almost 4000 images just to select the right ones which were skaned and vectorised so they can be used as SVG files and look equally good on big and small screens and on screen with high pixel density like Retina Display on iPhones or iPads.

For most of our books we usually design dedicated typefaces. Very often we precisely know what we need. This means that if we can’t find any existing font that fits our specific idea, we have to create it.

For Ba Ba Dum we needed a narrow, sans serif, rounded and heavy letters with a very wide range of languages to support.

As usually we started with simple and fast sketches. Then we drew more precise shapes using font editor software. We did some sample prints, marked things that had to be changed, and went back to the editor.

After a few months of making constant changes asking our typographic friends for revision and advice we ended up with Mr Dum Dum. A OpenType font with two styles (one for regular shape and one for bulky shadow) that can be yours if you support this campaign.

Ba Ba Dum is a non-profit fun project. We wanted to combine our graphic design, illustration, type design and coding skills to create an educational experience that would be someplace in between our educational books and other fun project like pica-pic.com.

For building Ba Ba Dum we received a scholarship from the polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. We used it to build the game and prepare first languages. Thanks to the scholarship Ba Ba Dum is not only free but also advertisement free. We want it to stay that way and bring high quality learning experience to every one who is eager to get to know sound of different culture.

Now we need your help to add more languages.

All of the raised founds will go directly into translating and recording new language versions. A budget of $900 for single version is divided among five major costs like shown on a graph below.

By adding new language to the game we'll also add this language to the interface.

The $900 goal is to add one new language. The first one is Portuguese. But that one is already achieved! Every next $900 threshold is our next stretch goal and achieving that goal will enable adding one additional language to the game.

As you can see below we have a short list of upcoming languages. Some of them we'll be added sooner some later. But if you're a really big fan of any particular goal from that list you can become an exclusive sponsor on the whole language. You have to select one of the perks from the $900 Supporter group and voilà! Your favorite language will be added.

Special Thanks You will get ★ exclusive in game access to “My Progress” section (look below for visualization) ★ 10 wallpaper pack for variety of resolutions ★ your name in the Credits under “Special Thanks”.

Rookie Font Owner Everything from $5 reward plus Mr Dum Dum font (the one used in the game) with basic 95 characters with a commercial license for one desktop user (more about licenses below). Shadow style font is also included.

Font Owner Everything from $5 reward plus Mr Dum Dum font (the one used in the game) with over 700 characters with a commercial license for one desktop user. Shadow style font is also included.

Postcard owner Everything from $25 reward plus a hand drawn black and white postcard (A5 size) with a dedication to you, or anyone you want. This is not a print. Every postcard will be a drawing on paper. The image on the postcard can be a word from Ba Ba Dum or a character from our books.
See the example below.

Pro Font Owner Everything from $5 reward plus Mr Dum Dum font (the one used in the game) with over 700 characters with a commercial license for 5 desktop users license and unlimited pageviews webfont license plus any future update to the font (including adding new characters). Shadow style font is also included.

Word Contributor Everything from $50 reward plus we'll work with you to add one new word that will appear in all future languages and your name will appear in Credits under “Word Contributors” next to a image of a added word.

5 Words Contributor Everything from $50 reward plus we'll work with you to add five new words that will appear in all future languages and your name will appear in Credits under “Word Contributors” next to a images of a added words.

Language Supporter Everything from $150 reward plus “Language added thanks to (your name)” in the Credits section and a guarantee that your favorite language will be added to Ba Ba Dum.

My Progress

If you’re $5 or above supporter you’ll get exclusive access to “My Progress” section were you can keep track of your progress in every language/game configuration. The graphs will show the percentage of all the words in specific configuration that were answered correctly.

Wallpapers

We’ve prepared 11 wallpaper themes. Each in two versions (with and without text) and in 25 different resolutions to perfectly mach any device that you have. All supporters that pledged $5 and more will get access to a download page.

Postcards

Your postcard will be hand drawn just for you. This is not a print. Every single one will be a little black and white original made just for you. You can choose your favorite word from Ba Ba Dum or a character from one of our books (like Mamoko series or a image from Maps).

You can also decide what will be written on the postcard. Or if you don’t want to decide we’ll just choose something from Ba Ba Dum for you.

Font Licenses

Desktop font license is for use in desktop applications with a font menu and it fits most common uses both personal and professional. You can install the font on your Max OS X or Windows and use the font in Microsoft Word, Mac Pages, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop etc.

For example you can create and print documents or static images even if those images are used on the web.

The number of users is the maximum numbers of computers in which the font can be installed.

Webfont license is for use on you website or web application. It allows you to embed the font into your website so it can be displayed on browser. You can keep fonts on your server and link to them in CSS file.

Mr Dum Dum webfont can be used across multiple websites/domains with no pageviews limit as long as the websites/domains all belong to the single License Owner.

Aleksandra and Daniel Mizielińscy (Hipopotam Studio) We’re designers, writers, illustrators and programmers from Warsaw, Poland. We’re known for a variety of work that ranges from educational books for children (Maps, Mamoko series, H.O.U.S.E. series and almost twenty more) to headline typefaces to fun internet projects (Pica-pic, Bubole). Our books are published in over thirty countries.

Beside creating new project we love to share our knowledge. Daniel is teaching at Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts and we’re regular guests at design conferences.