The Biggest Challenges in Mobile Game Translation and How to Solve Them

Launching a mobile game internationally means preparing it for players who speak different languages and come from different cultural backgrounds. Your dialogues and in-game features should make sense to each audience. Dialogue and instructions need to make sense, and players need to be able to identify what features are in the game. Any issues with mobile game translation can cause problems when players leave reviews on the app stores. When trying to make your mobile game available globally, there can be some challenges with the translations. Below are some of the most common problems and how to avoid them.

Translate Game Dialogue

Mobile games use short dialogue, character names, instructions, and wordplay. These elements can be difficult to translate without understanding what’s happening in the game. 

Ten Square Games created Fishing Clash, and they have had some interesting issues with translations. For example, the word CAST (throwing your fishing line) became Besetzung (acting cast) in German. MISS (missed) became señorita.

To avoid this issue:

• Provide video evidence and screenshots of the game.
• Explain any unusual phrases and game-related words.
• Use a glossary of character names and repeated words.
• Have native speakers proofread the translation.
• Check short dialogue.
• Translators should be aware of the context to make sure they use the correct phrasing.

Cultural Issues

Humor, gestures, outfits, and religion can all be interpreted differently. Humor that is appropriate in one country may not be in another. For example, Happy Farm had pigs removed from visuals in the Middle East. This can be an issue with the dialogue, character design, celebrations, and background images.

Solutions:

• Do some research into cultural expectations.
• Ensure your character design, symbols, and outfits are appropriate.
• Check the humor and references to local traditions.
• Have native speakers proofread the translation.
• Ensure anything sensitive is adapted but retains the core of the game.
• A game translator should proofread everything the player sees/hears.

Space for Translations

Sometimes short English phrases can become longer in other languages. German has long compound words, which can cause issues. If you don’t plan, you may run into issues with the translations overlapping the buttons and not fitting into the dialogue boxes. Arabic and Hebrew need specific formatting.

Solutions:

• Ensure there is space for the translations.
• Use the correct fonts for the languages.
• Formatting should be correct for right-to-left.
• Don’t have any important words in images.
• Test the menus and notifications on various screen sizes.
• Consider what language requirements you need.

Consistent Terminology

Mobile games are always being updated with new missions, characters, rewards, and seasonal events. Every time you update your game, you will have more content to translate. Without having a common reference, different translators may use different names for weapons, abilities, and rewards.

Solutions:

• Have an approved glossary per language.
• Use a translation memory to reuse content.
• Keep track of terminology.
• Provide previous translations.
• Check feedback from players once a major release has been made.
• Having consistent terminology will help players identify what features they know.

Voice & Audio Translation

Characters often have their own personality shown through their language, humor, emotions, and voices. Direct translations may not capture the personality/emotions of the character. You need to ensure the audio is natural with the timing, pronunciation, subtitles, and voices.

Solutions:

• Create character profiles to show personality.
• Decide whether subtitles, dubbing, or adapted audio are best.
• Subtitles should be easy to read whilst playing.
• Voices should match the emotions.
• Timing of subtitles.
• Characters should sound natural in the language but still have their original personality.

Identify Translation & Technical Issues

Whilst translating your game, it can look good on paper but cause issues in the game. You may find that buttons don’t have full text, character names are incorrect, and the dialogue boxes are covering important visuals. These issues cannot be solved with proofreading.

Solutions:

• Test translations within the game.
• Test menus, missions, rewards, and dialogue.
• Check names, numbers, and special characters.
• Test on various devices and screen sizes.
• Get native speakers to do key actions within the game.
• Linguistic testing will ensure the language is accurate, and localization testing will ensure the language works well within the game. Both are required before release.

App Store Visibility

Once your game has been translated, you may find it hard to attract players from other countries if you haven’t adapted your App Store page. People will search for games using certain phrases. If you do a direct translation of your title and description, it may not match what local players are searching for. You should also think about promotional images and videos.

Solutions:

• Do some research into what people are searching for.
• Ensure titles and descriptions are naturally translated.
• Translate promotional images and videos.
• Use keywords people in the area search for.
• Check how your app is performing once published.
• You should consider App Store Optimization (ASO) to help potential players understand what your game is about.

Price & Payment Methods

Many mobile games earn money through in-game purchases. Players can buy coins, extra lives, subscriptions, and character upgrades. The method and amount people will pay will vary depending on the country. Some countries may favor UPI (India), Pix (Brazil), and Alipay (China).

Solutions:

• Do some research into what people like to pay with.
• Prices should be in local currency.
• Check the wording of the promotions.
• Translate payment instructions and confirmation.
• Test the entire payment process.
• Players should know exactly what they’re paying, what they’re getting, and how they’re paying.

Time Constraints

Games have deadlines and regular updates. This can cause issues with translators, as they may not have full dialogue or updates to files close to the deadline. If you need multiple languages, this can add extra pressure. If you don’t have enough time to proofread, you may miss any missing text or inconsistent terminology.

Solutions:

• Ensure translation is planned in the original timeline.
• Ensure source files are ready to send.
• Provide screenshots and explanations to linguists.
• Set deadlines for translation.
• Allow time for final testing.
• By planning your translations, you will reduce any unwanted changes, and translators will have enough time to fully understand the content.

Choosing the Right Mobile Game Localization Partner

It’s important to choose a localization partner who knows how games work. Ensure your provider has experience in game terminology, cultural adaptations, technical testing, and regular content updates. Native speakers can help adapt the dialogue, and localization testers can identify issues with menus, fonts, and on-screen text. If you are a smaller studio, you may want to think about your budget. You may only want to target a few promising markets to start with and add more languages as your player base increases. Professional mobile game localization solutions will ensure the translations connect with the culture and meet the technical requirements for each language. This makes your game more reliable for international players.

Final Thoughts

Careful planning is required to take your mobile game to a new country. The dialogue of your characters, menu items, and payment messages can all affect how players experience your game. Many of these issues can be avoided if you work with translators early on, provide the correct context, and test each language. Proper localization of your game will make it feel natural to the new audience.