I’ve seen people use educational games to learn a lot of things, from Math to Science to History. But can it be used to help in the pursuit of language learning?
As far as the area of vocabulary building goes, I think games are one of the most effective learning tools. Compared to using various mnemonic and memory techniques, I find this medium to be one of particular note, because playing games is fun. Provided that the game is well-made and engaging (apart from actually being educational), this is one particular method you should look to pursue.
Beyond vocabulary building, I’ve found some games that help develop grammar and composition skills, provided you’ve already had the background lessons necessary for them. What I haven’t seen is a full game implementation that teaches all the basic aspects of a language, allowing you to acquire working skills. For what it’s worth, I don’t think it’s an ideal platform for that kind of learning either.
If you find the accompanying practice exercises in your language learning software less than exciting, you can occasionally use games as a substitute. Some of the better ones I’ve seen online look to help reinforce certain aspects of the language and you may be able to use them as additional practice.