This document outlines the details of a game localization contest, including the schedule, game, tasks, challenges, and tips. The contest involves translating 4,000 words of a Twine game into 8 languages within 8 days. Challenges include lack of context, strings/tags, character limits, and differences between source and target cultures. Advice is given on playing the game fully, using documentation, testing translations, and getting feedback. Links to the beta practice game and other resources are also provided.

2. Jennifer Vela Valido
jvela@jennifervela.com
@JenniferVela
Curri Barceló
curri@localiseme.net
@Currixan
London
February 18, 2015
Foster Court, University College London

3.  LEVEL 1: The contest
 LEVEL 2: The schedule
 LEVEL 3: The game
 LEVEL 4: The challenges
 LEVEL 5: The tricks
 LEVEL 6: Let’s translate games!

5. Level 2: The schedule
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6. Level 3: The game
• 1 game, based on the open-source Twine
environment
• 1 localization platform built for the contest
• 4,000 words to translate in 8 days
• 2 categories, amateur and professional
• 8 languages: Brazilian Portuguese and Russian
on top of French, German, Italian, Japanese
and Spanish (European and South American).
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7. Level 4: The challenges
Creativity
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8. London
Level 4: The challenges
Source and target cultures

9. ORIGINAL:
%1$s: %2$s level %3$s to %4$s %5$s
TRANSLATION:
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???
Level 4: The challenges
Lack of context

10. ORIGINAL:
%1$s: %2$s level %3$s to %4$s %5$s
CONTEXT:
%1$s = Name of the object
%2$s and %5$s = HTML tags: «span».
%3$s %4$s = Max and min level to get
that object
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???
Level 4: The challenges
Lack of context

11. ORIGINAL 1: You have found a
%item%.
ORIGINAL 2: You have got %d star(s).
ORIGINAL 3: %s is located in the %s.
ORIGINAL 4: %, you look so hot in that!
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???
Level 4: The challenges
Strings, tags and variables

12. London
???Limit:
6 char.
Level 4: The challenges
Character limitations

13. Level 5: The tricks - Before
• Play, play, play! Play the game to make sure
you view all the text.
• Documentation: find similar games translated
in your language, look for glossaries and
dictionaries.
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14. Level 5: The tricks - During
• Make your translation stand out: use idiomatic
language, be creative, free of grammar or
spelling mistakes, consistent
• Stick to the original character number as
much as possible and test your translation on
the screen from time to time.
• Do not edit or remove variables or tags,
although you can move them around.
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15. Level 5: The tricks - After
• Play the game with your translation and check
if there are truncations, spelling mistakes, style
issues or inconsistencies.
• Get feedback: ask somebody to play it and give
their feedback.
• Upload the final file!
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17. LEVEL 6: Let’s translate games!

18. Level 6: Let’s translate games!
Beta game to practice:
http://www.localization.it/road-
locjam2-open-beta/
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EXAMPLE 1

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EXAMPLE 2

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EXAMPLE 3

27. BONUS TRACK: Links and resources

28. Website:
http://locjam.org/
Videotutorial:
http://www.localization.it/video-tutorial-game-translation/
Facebook group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/5617301247/101523621570
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Last year’s workshops: http://locjam.org/press_kit/
Beta game to practice:
http://www.localization.it/road-locjam2-open-beta/
London