---
key: mechanic/voice-audio--family-03
type: mechanic
id: voice-audio--family-03
lang: en
title: Dialogue with game characters
summary: >-
  The player speaks a line or question, listens to a character’s response and
  receives information or consequences.
updatedAt: '2026-10-22'
status: active
url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/voice-audio--family-03/'
jsonUrl: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/voice-audio--family-03.json
markdownUrl: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/voice-audio--family-03.md
aliases: []
tags:
  - Voice and sound
  - Speech as meaning
sourceIds:
  - source-db09bcb5ffcf2745
  - source-b219dfc03e4f9c79
  - source-3992177cb9c36d87
sources:
  - id: source-db09bcb5ffcf2745
    title: Earplay / Codename Cygnus
    url: 'https://earplay.com/press/'
    verifiedAt: null
  - id: source-b219dfc03e4f9c79
    title: Phasmophobia
    url: 'https://store.steampowered.com/app/739630/Phasmophobia/?l=english'
    verifiedAt: null
  - id: source-3992177cb9c36d87
    title: Duolingo
    url: 'https://blog.duolingo.com/product-highlights/'
    verifiedAt: null
relations: []
placements:
  - catalogId: voice-audio
    id: family-03
    title: Voice and sound
    url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/voice-audio/#family-03'
    categoryIds:
      - speech
supersededBy: []
attributes:
  preview:
    updatedAt: '2026-10-22'
    title: Dialogue with game characters
    description: >-
      The player speaks a line or question, listens to a character’s response
      and receives information or consequences.
    image:
      src: images/mechanics/duolingo-video-call.webp
      width: 1400
      height: 800
      crop:
        x: 525
        'y': 50
        width: 735
        height: 700
      game: Duolingo
      sourceUrl: 'https://blog.duolingo.com/product-highlights/'
      originalUrl: >-
        https://storage.ghost.io/c/7a/33/7a33d0f4-927d-4fe8-a6bf-96131b5e76d4/content/images/2025/12/EN-DuolingoProductYIR-Video-Call-1.png
      credit: 'Duolingo, Inc.; official screenshot comparison of Video Call with Lily'
      rights: >-
        Screenshots © their respective rights holders. Provided in the official
        guide or product article; all rights reserved. Excluded from MIT and CC
        BY 4.0.
      caption: A spoken reply through Tap to Speak
      alt: A spoken reply through Tap to Speak
      markers:
        - x: 77
          'y': 84
          label: The microphone receives a spoken reply
    tips:
      - Show recognized speech and allow recognition errors to be corrected.
    examples:
      - title: Duolingo
        url: 'https://blog.duolingo.com/product-highlights/'
endsAt: null
provenance: >-
  Original taxonomy adapted from user-selected design discussions; linked
  sources support specific examples, not the whole classification.
license: CC-BY-4.0
codeLicense: MIT
attribution: gamemechanics.pro contributors
catalogKey: catalog/voice-audio
---
# Dialogue with game characters

id: voice-audio--family-03
type: mechanic
key: mechanic/voice-audio--family-03
lang: en
status: active
url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/voice-audio--family-03/

The player speaks a line or question, listens to a character’s response and receives information or consequences.

## At a glance

![A spoken reply through Tap to Speak](https://gamemechanics.pro/images/mechanics/duolingo-video-call.webp)

[Duolingo](https://blog.duolingo.com/product-highlights/) · Screenshots © their respective rights holders. Provided in the official guide or product article; all rights reserved. Excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0.

1. The microphone receives a spoken reply

- Show recognized speech and allow recognition errors to be corrected.

- [Duolingo](https://blog.duolingo.com/product-highlights/)

## How it works

Choose a line or question to obtain information or consequences.

## Variants

### Obtaining information

<a id="family-03-branch-2"></a>

- Ask about objects, events and characters. <a id="family-03-branch-2-variant-1"></a>
- Request clarification, an example or an explanation. <a id="family-03-branch-2-variant-2"></a>
- Present evidence and ask about a contradiction. <a id="family-03-branch-2-variant-3"></a>
- Check what someone knows, remembers or conceals. <a id="family-03-branch-2-variant-4"></a>

### Response format

<a id="family-03-branch-1"></a>

- Speak one of the offered responses. <a id="family-03-branch-1-variant-1"></a>
- Select a topic or keyword. <a id="family-03-branch-1-variant-2"></a>
- Ask within a known set of intentions. <a id="family-03-branch-1-variant-3"></a>
- Formulate a free response interpreted against the game state. <a id="family-03-branch-1-variant-4"></a>

### Conversation control

<a id="family-03-branch-3"></a>

- Choose when to enter a conversation. <a id="family-03-branch-3-variant-1"></a>
- Interrupt, continue, change topic or end a conversation. <a id="family-03-branch-3-variant-2"></a>
- Obtain an answer through a chain of questions. <a id="family-03-branch-3-variant-3"></a>
- Revisit a previous line and use a promise or admission. <a id="family-03-branch-3-variant-4"></a>

## Context and limits

A working design-space map: 27 families, 81 branches and 324 variants. Voice control, audio-based play and communication can combine or exist separately. Released-game examples support particular techniques; supplementary combinations are design proposals.

## Connected materials


## Sources and provenance

Original taxonomy adapted from user-selected design discussions; linked sources support specific examples, not the whole classification.

- [Earplay / Codename Cygnus](https://earplay.com/press/) (id: source-db09bcb5ffcf2745)
- [Phasmophobia](https://store.steampowered.com/app/739630/Phasmophobia/?l=english) (id: source-b219dfc03e4f9c79)
- [Duolingo](https://blog.duolingo.com/product-highlights/) (id: source-3992177cb9c36d87)

CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors