December 25, 2025
APParole - How ZUNO Games Connected Montenegro and Italy Through Technology (and Turned Language Learning into a Game)
When cultural diplomacy meets digital innovation, the result is more than just another app - it becomes a tool with real educational and societal impact.
That is exactly what happened through the collaboration between ZUNO Games and the Embassy of Italy in Montenegro, resulting in APParole, a free mobile language-learning game now available on Google Play and the App Store.
This project demonstrates how technology, gamification, and culture can work together to make language learning accessible, engaging, and meaningful.
On the occasion of the 25th edition of the Week of the Italian Language in the World, the Embassy of Italy set an ambitious goal: to move beyond traditional formats and offer Italian language learning through a digital, playful, and inclusive experience.
ZUNO Games was selected as the technical and creative partner, responsible for transforming this cultural vision into a fully functional, user-friendly, and scalable mobile application.
Our role covered the entire product lifecycle - from UX and game design, through development and testing, to reward systems and analytics - ensuring that APParole delivers both educational value and long-term user engagement.
At its core, APParole is a gamified quiz-based language-learning app. Each play session consists of 12 questions, carefully designed to test and reinforce Italian vocabulary and comprehension.
In addition, users complete audio-based exercises, where they listen to Italian words and select the correct spelling - strengthening both listening and writing skills.
All linguistic content and questions were authored by Professor Maria Teresa Albano in collaboration with the Embassy of Italy, while audio recordings and visual assets were produced using ZUNO Games’ internal AI-assisted tools, ensuring consistency, quality, and mobile optimization.
To boost motivation and retention, ZUNO Games designed a digital sticker album system.
Each correct answer unlocks a new collectible sticker, encouraging users to:
This feature applies proven gamification principles - progression, rewards, and completion - to educational content, making language learning more engaging and habit-forming.
Between December 10, 2025, and March 1, 2026, users who achieve three stars in a single session qualify for a special prize draw.
ZUNO Games developed a custom reward management system that includes:
Prizes include:
These rewards serve not only as incentives, but also as a powerful extension of Italian language and culture promotion.
APParole was built on ZUNO UNO, ZUNO Games’ proprietary game development platform, enhanced with custom-built modules for:
User behavior and engagement are tracked via GameAnalytics, while all personal data is stored locally, in full compliance with EU data protection standards.
APParole is more than a mobile app. It is a digital cultural bridge between Montenegro and Italy, proving that:
For ZUNO Games, this project reinforces our mission: to build technology that serves education, culture, and human connection, and to support institutions in creating tools that live beyond campaigns - becoming part of everyday learning.
If you are an embassy, cultural institute, language center, or educational organization looking to reach wider audiences through interactive, user-centered digital experiences, ZUNO Games can be your technical partner. Contact us -help@zunogames.me
