Elssy

A mobile application for learning foreign languages with a powerful management system (CMS)

The Elssy mobile application was our trip into the world of educational video games for mobile phones. Although the main topic was learning foreign languages, the learning was done in a fun way. It is interesting that the target group of users was initially children, but we were extremely glad when it turned out that adults also like to play games and learn through the created mobile application.

After installing the mobile application, you will need to choose your avatar in the form of a teacher who will cheer you on and learn with you.

Before starting any game, it is necessary to have sets of questions and/or answers in one of the foreign languages loaded in the application. You can create your own sets of questions and answers, which is super practical for exam preparation, regardless of whether you are a primary school student or a student, or you can simply download already prepared sets. The list of ready-made sets is really long, and even extends to mathematics.

The mobile application contains a number of activities (games), each performed in a different way. So we have

  • Study cards that help us primarily with repetition because they show us the correct answer along with the question.
  • The fishing game boils down to choosing a fish and choosing whether the answer offered is correct or incorrect. The game is over when all the fish have been used.
  • The apple game is essentially similar to the fishing game, but it is graphically and points-wise different. Put the apples in the basket in as few moves as possible.
  • The ship game brings the task of placing animals on the ship. As soon as possible because the ship is leaving.
  • The paper clip requires the user of the mobile application, as the name says, to match the question and the correct answer. Paperclip, like some other games, offers the possibility for the application to read aloud both the question and the answer in audio format.
  • The memory game is what the name says, a classic memory game in which you have to find pairs in as few moves as possible.
  • The wheel of knowledge is a game that was quite challenging for us as a programmer to make because of the animation of the rotation of the wheel, which determines how many points are awarded for a correct answer.
  • Puzzles are a game in which you need to load a picture from the application’s picture gallery and, of course, arrange it in as few moves as possible.
  • Cards and dice is another very demanding game for programmers, because it contains an animation of throwing a dice. When the cube lands on a number from 1 to 6, it is necessary to give the correct answer to the question. A correct answer gives you as many points as you got by rolling the dice.
  • In the basketball game, after you answer, the ball will fly towards the basket. If the answer was correct, he will hit the basket, and if not, he will miss it. The goal is to put all the balls in the basket.
  • The pencil game is most similar to the legendary game of hangman, where you get one letter for each correct answer. You can always try to write the letters that are missing from the complete term.
  • In the balloon game, the task is to close all the clouds around the balloon by answering the questions correctly. The balloon game in the mobile app is different because you have a maximum of three wrong answers.
     

Through the management part (CMS), the client has a handful of options

From control and management of premium and non-premium users, management of activities (games), backgrounds, categorizations and set folders, reward codes and management of dynamic content of websites that we have also created. The management system of this mobile application is, in the full sense of the word, a system in itself.

Web pages are in the form of pure HTML and enriched with CSS, not overly complex constructions, but they fully satisfy the need for the presentation of the mobile application and its capabilities.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly is Elssy and who is it for?
Elssy is a mobile app for learning foreign languages through play. It was originally built with children in mind, but in practice adults use it just as happily to prepare for exams or pick up a new language. You load sets of questions and answers, pick a teacher avatar to keep you company, and then practice through games instead of staring at a textbook.
How many games does the app actually include?
There are more than 12 different activities, and each one plays differently. You get study cards for plain repetition, plus games like fishing, apples, the ship, paperclip matching, memory, the wheel of knowledge, puzzles, cards and dice, basketball, the pencil game (think hangman), and the balloon game. Some of them, like the wheel of knowledge and the dice game, were genuinely tricky to build because of the animations involved.
Can I make my own question sets or do I have to use ready-made ones?
Both. You can create your own sets of questions and answers, which is what most students do when they study for a specific exam. If you would rather not build anything, there is a long list of prepared sets you can download instead, covering languages and even subjects like mathematics.
Does the app read the questions and answers out loud?
Yes. Several games, including the paperclip matching game, can read both the question and the answer aloud in audio. That helps a lot with pronunciation and with younger users who are still learning to read.
What can the client manage through the CMS?
The admin system is a project in its own right. From there the client controls premium and non-premium users, the games themselves, backgrounds, categories and set folders, reward codes, and even the dynamic content of the websites we built alongside the app. It is a full management platform, not a simple settings screen.
What technology did you build Elssy with?
The app is built in Flutter, so it runs from a single codebase, with Hasura powering the backend and data layer. We designed the interface in Figma first. The accompanying web pages are deliberately kept simple, clean HTML with CSS, which is all they need to present the app and what it does.

Key Results

Multiple games
educational activities
12+ interactive games for learning
Custom content
user-generated sets
Create and download question/answer sets
Audio support
voice features
Read aloud questions and answers
Comprehensive CMS
admin control
Manage users, content, rewards

Technologies

Figma
Figma
Hasura
Hasura
Flutter
Flutter

"All praise to the valuable and professional Red Code team who realized our idea with their creative solutions."

Sniježana Benceković, CEO

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