Mastermind
Japanese N5
Beta

Recent updates

  1. Version 0.9.6Apr 17, 2026

    Mastermind goes live — Bookmarks, a lighter look, and small fixes

    Mastermind is now online for real learners for the first time. You can also save items to a Bookmarks list, the default look is lighter, and clicking a node on the Mind Map is easier.

    Learning impact

    • Mastermind is open for real use — you can sign in, study, and give feedback.
    • Save sentences, words, and kanji to a personal Bookmarks list, and practice them on your own time.
    • The Legal page now explains the beta, terms of use, and privacy clearly before you sign up.
    • The default theme is now light. If you picked dark before, your choice is kept.
    • On the Mind Map, clicking the node itself now selects it — not only the text label.

    What changed

    • New Bookmarks + Practice mode.
    • Clearer Legal page: Beta notice, Terms of Use, Privacy Policy.
    • Default theme is now light.
    • Mind Map node clicks are easier.
    • Various other small tweaks and adjustments.
  2. Version 0.9.0Apr 1, 2026

    Mind Map upgrade and better examples

    The Mind Map is easier to read. Example sentences load faster and feel more consistent. Study sessions recover better after problems.

    Learning impact

    • The Mind Map is cleaner and easier to read, with clearer concept spots and relationship lines.
    • Example sentences are faster and come from a single source with wider N5 coverage.
    • Study sessions recover better if your login expires or the app is interrupted.

    What changed

    • Mind Map redesigned for clearer reading.
    • Example sentences come from one fast, larger source (10,000+ N5 sentences).
    • Safer magic-link sign-in flow.
    • Better session recovery and retry behavior.
    • Beta-launch polish across Home, navigation, and updates pages.
    • Various other small tweaks and adjustments.
  3. Version 0.8.0Mar 12, 2026

    New study modes and mobile polish

    Two new study modes — Verb Focus and Kanji Foundations — and a smoother experience on mobile.

    Learning impact

    • Study verbs on their own with Verb Focus mode.
    • Study kanji on their own with Kanji Foundations mode.
    • The mobile header and menus are simpler and faster to use.

    What changed

    • New Verb Focus study mode.
    • New Kanji Foundations study mode.
    • Better cloze-style question timing.
    • Cleaner mobile header and menus.
    • Various other small tweaks and adjustments.
  4. Version 0.7.0Feb 28, 2026

    Smarter pacing during study

    When your accuracy drops, study sessions slow down automatically so new concepts do not pile up.

    Learning impact

    • If you get many answers wrong, the app stops adding new concepts for a while.
    • Easier to catch up when a session gets hard.

    What changed

    • New safety-brake for low-accuracy sessions.
    • Various other small tweaks and adjustments.
  5. Version 0.6.0Feb 27, 2026

    Easier feedback

    Sending feedback is faster and clearer. You can now attach a screenshot.

    Learning impact

    • Attach one screenshot when you send feedback.
    • The feedback form gives clearer rules and limits.

    What changed

    • Screenshot attachment in feedback.
    • Clearer validation messages.
    • Various other small tweaks and adjustments.
  6. Version 0.5.0Dec 21, 2025

    Adaptive study loop — the Brain begins

    A big step for Mastermind. The app now uses a learning model — we call it the Brain — to choose what you should study next.

    Learning impact

    • Study questions are chosen based on what you already know and what you need next.
    • The app remembers how you did and adjusts over time.

    What changed

    • New Brain engine for choosing the next study item.
    • Knowledge graph for N5 grammar and vocabulary.
    • First full study loop with curated Japanese content.
    • Major internal refactor to prepare for adaptive learning.
  7. Version 0.4.0Oct 5, 2025

    First Japanese lessons

    The first Japanese lesson content arrives. Early practice modes let you try out the basic idea of the app.

    Learning impact

    • Try an early N5 practice mode with real Japanese questions.
    • See the first shape of the learning app for Japanese.

    What changed

    • First N5 dataset added.
    • Multi-mode practice engine for basic question styles.
    • Internal tooling to grow content over time.
  8. Version 0.3.0Sep 15, 2025

    Site made safer and more stable

    Behind-the-scenes work to make the site safer and more stable. No new learner features in this version.

    Learning impact

    • The site became safer and more stable.

    What changed

    • Stronger security for web pages.
    • More reliable monitoring and site tooling.
    • Various other small tweaks and adjustments.
  9. Version 0.2.0May 15, 2025

    Email sign-in and the first pages

    You can now sign in by email — no password needed. The first landing page and basic site layout are in place.

    Learning impact

    • Sign in by clicking a link sent to your email.
    • See the first version of the site.

    What changed

    • Magic-link email sign-in.
    • Token-based sign-in behind the scenes.
    • First landing page and layout.
  10. Version 0.1.0Apr 20, 2025

    Project start

    The first working version of the project. This was an early, developer-only setup — not Mastermind yet. The site was not open to learners at this point.

    Learning impact

    • Groundwork for what would later become Mastermind.

    What changed

    • First deployment of the API.
    • Basic database, logging, and hosting set up.