Jack & Mani: AI-Powered Mystery Investigation Game for ESL Teachers
A narrative mystery game where students interrogate AI suspects in writing. Real-time correction in 7 languages, used in 300+ classrooms since 2023 — here's what teachers get, what it costs, and how to start.Ready to try Jack & Mani?
"Each investigation turns free-form questions into the writing task: students write to make a suspect crack, and the AI corrects spelling, grammar, conjugation, and clarity inside the same bubble, in real time."
Best for
ESL teachers who want their students to practise reading and writing without feeling like they are doing a grammar exercise. Best from A2 upward.
Pricing
From €9.99/month (14-day free trial)
Pro tip — heads up before you bookmark it
Best from A2 upward — not for absolute beginners
Free-form writing is the whole point of Jack & Mani, so students below A2 will struggle with the questions. Use a structured curriculum like Crystal Clear ESL for absolute beginners, then bring in Jack & Mani once they hit A2.
What is Jack & Mani?
Jack & Mani is a narrative investigation game where students play detectives. They read a case file, then interrogate AI-driven suspects in writing, free-form, in the language the teacher chose for the session. Each suspect answers in character, with what they know and what they want to hide. Students have to observe, ask the right questions, cross-check testimonies, and ultimately name the culprit, the weapon, and the motive.
The game is used since 2023 in schools across Europe, South America, India, and beyond, and currently holds a 4.6 out of 5 player satisfaction score. Over 10,000 students have run an investigation, and 300+ teachers use it to run their writing and speaking practice.
The Teacher Plan turns it into a turnkey ESL lesson: pick an investigation, share a QR code or link, students join from their browser in seconds, and you get a live board with progress and per-axis corrections (spelling, grammar, conjugation, clarity). No accounts, no installation, no per-student data — only class totals, kept for two school years.
How teachers use it
- Writing practice that does not feel like an exercise: students write because they need the answer from the suspect. Every question goes through AI correction in the message bubble, so spelling, grammar, conjugation, and clarity improve while the case stays the focus.
- Speaking-adjacent skills: formulating hypotheses, asking precise questions, noticing contradictions between statements, defending a theory — the soft skills that survive the move from A2 to C1.
- Multilingual classrooms: the teacher sets the interrogation language per session. You can run Monday's session in English and Thursday's in German with the same class.
- Online and hybrid teaching: everything runs in the browser, students join with a QR code or a link, and the live board tells you, at a glance, who is moving forward, who is stuck, and who has solved the case.
- End-of-term consolidation: the class totals dashboard lets you see spelling, grammar, conjugation, and clarity trends over the school year, session by session, without ever exposing per-student data.
Is it worth your time?
Use this quick test. If you answer "yes" to two or more, Jack & Mani is likely a good fit:
- You teach A2-B1+ and want a writing task that does not feel like a worksheet.
- Your students have access to a device with a browser (phone, tablet, laptop — anything works).
- You teach online or hybrid, or you want a tool that works the same way in class and at home.
- You want free-form writing practice with built-in correction that does not interrupt the flow.
If your students are absolute beginners (below A2), free writing is too demanding — pair the game with a structured curriculum like Crystal Clear ESL, or save prep time with ESL Brains for video-based lessons, then bring in Jack & Mani once they reach A2.
The honest pros and cons
What works
- Free-form writing that students actually want to do Students write because they need the next clue — corrections stay attached to the message bubble, so language work happens inside the case, not on a separate worksheet.
- Real-time correction across four axes Spelling, grammar, conjugation, and clarity are flagged in the same bubble as the student's message, with the corrected version shown inline. No grading queue.
- Zero setup for students No accounts, no email, no installation. A QR code or a link is enough — students pick a nickname and start the investigation in seconds.
- Live teacher board During the session, you see who is moving forward, who is stuck, who has solved it, and where mistakes cluster (by axis). The board is for you only, never projected as a ranking.
- Seven interrogation languages English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Dutch, and Portuguese. The teacher sets the language of the session, the student's screen language is independent.
- Privacy by design Session data is deleted when the session ends. Only class totals are kept for two school years. No per-student data is ever stored or shareable.
What doesn't
- A2 minimum for free writing Below A2, free-form questions are too demanding. Pair the game with structured grammar work for the first months.
- Paid investigations after the first free one The first investigation is free without sign-up. The rest are paid, and the Teacher Plan starts at €9.99/month after a 14-day trial.
- Class totals only, not per-student analytics By design. If you need a per-student gradebook, this is the wrong tool — but for ESL practice, the privacy trade is usually the right one.
- Internet-dependent Browser-only, no offline mode. Plan for school wifi or a hotspot.
Best alternatives
If Jack & Mani isn't a fit, these are the resources teachers actually switch to:
Crystal Clear ESL
Sequential ESL curriculum (Pre-A1 to B1) with songs, games, assessments, and integrated homework — better for absolute beginners who need structured progression.
ESL Brains
Video-based lessons built around TED talks and news — strong for adult conversation classes where authentic content matters more than free writing.
Frequently asked questions
What is Jack & Mani?
How does the in-game language correction work?
Which languages can students play in?
How much does the Teacher Plan cost?
Do students need to create an account?
What age and level is Jack & Mani suited for?
How many students can join a session?
Can teachers track progress over time?
Is Jack & Mani good for online teaching?
Ready to turn your next lesson into a mystery investigation?
14-day free trial on the Teacher Plan. No commitment, cancel in one click. Or try one investigation as a guest first — no account, real game, real corrections.
Try Jack & Mani free