Localisation 101
Video games have countless strengths; if we tried listing them all, we’d probably max out the character count.
But among them, one stands out as truly powerful: their ability to connect people from every corner of the world. Thousands of players from different cultures, backgrounds, or time zones unite in a shared gaming experience, often within the same virtual universe, pixel by pixel.
But if you’re on the giving side of gaming, whether you’re a publisher, developer, or QA provider, you already know that a beautifully crafted game, rich in story and style, might resonate deeply in one country… but fall flat in another. That’s where localisation steps in. It’s the magic that helps a game speak its audience’s language and culture, ensuring that it reaches and truly engages players across the globe.
So, why is localisation so important?
Simple. Because localisation is much more than just translation. It’s about cultural relevance. It’s about adapting humour, tone, terminology, and context in a way that feels native to the player. From linguistic nuance to technical constraints to cultural sensitivity, localisation presents complex challenges. But when handled by the right team, these challenges become opportunities to elevate your game, expand your audience, and create truly immersive experiences.
So, what exactly are these challenges?
One of the most critical factors in your game’s global success is culturalisation, or in simple terms, making sure your game is both relevant to and respectful of diverse cultures. Music, symbols, humor, names, clothing, colors, gestures, character design, narrative style, and portrayals of historical events are just a few examples of in-game elements that can carry very different meanings from one culture to another, and not always in a positive way.
One of the biggest challenges for developers is recognizing which aspects of a game need to be adapted to resonate with global audiences. That’s where experienced localisation specialists step in, handling this process, known as culturalisation, to ensure your game connects respectfully and authentically across markets. Within this process, we usually distinguish between:
Reactive culturalisation: removing or adapting certain content to avoid cultural insensitivity or offence.
Proactive culturalisation: adding or enhancing cultural elements to deepen engagement and enrich the player experience.
We’re passionate about this process because it’s a nuanced and rewarding area of localisation and LQA. Culturalisation goes beyond surface-level edits like removing slurs or navigating politically sensitive storylines. It pushes us to think creatively and out of the box.
From using local Andalusian slang to enrich Spanish players’ experience in an indie game to blurring a potentially offensive graffiti from the second chapter, anything can transform and significantly enhance your game’s quality and reception.
On the flip side, some elements are non-negotiable, as developers may insist on preserving them for brand consistency, narrative integrity, or simply because alternative translations just don’t land the same.
And let’s be honest: some things can’t be translated without losing meaning. Imagine playing a game where Peter Parker becomes “L’homme araignée” by night. It just doesn’t hit the same.
Then, there’s the importance of stylistic and terminological consistency. If your game is set in a gritty, post-war world, every detail, from character dialogue to visual motifs, must reflect that tone across every language. That’s why setting clear guidelines and working closely with your localisation team ensures your vision stays intact.
“Okay, all this terminology is making my head spin. What should we actually consider before starting localisation?”
Don’t stress about memorising every localisation do and don’t. That’s our job.
However, when doing localisation, we suggest you to keep in mind 3 parameters. To remember them easier, you can think of them as the three Cs of localisation:
Communication It all starts here. Before any localisation work begins, we sit with the partners to fully understand their vision. Do they want players from different areas to feel like the game mirrors their own culture and reality? Or are they intentionally creating a foreign, exotic experience, something immersive because it’s different? Clarifying this from the beginning helps us define the localisation direction and deliver precisely what they need.
Consistency. As mentioned earlier, localisation shouldn’t interfere with your game’s style or terminology. Let’s revisit our Spider-Man example. Translating the name into French as L’homme araignée might make linguistic sense, but it misses the mark for several reasons:
- the character already has a global reputation. So why dilute it?
- Spider-Man is a superhero deeply rooted in American culture. His story, setting, and struggles are tied to that identity. Changing his name to L’homme araignée would detract from the character’s authenticity and credibility.
- Let’s be honest: It just doesn’t sound right. We all know Spider-Man. It’s a name loaded with meaning. Keeping names like Spider-Man intact preserves the familiarity and integrity of the game
Contribution. Yes, teamwork really does make the dream work. While we bring expertise in QA, translation, and cultural adaptation, you hold the creative keys. That’s why we’re always ready to ask the right questions, seek clarification, and guide the process every step of the way. Sharing design documents, narrative briefs, key terminology lists, and tone/style guidelines allows us to localize with accuracy and intention. It gives us a clearer understanding of your world and lets us do what we do best with even more precision.
Need a trusted localisation partner for your next game?
Let’s talk. Whether you’re aiming for localisation QA, terminology support, glossary creation, text cosmetics or dedicated language managers, we’re here to help. Visit our website page to learn more, or reach out directly for a chat about how we can support your global launch.
