Localization testing for games: the bugs I find most often
A game can be perfect in English and still feel unfinished in another language. Localization testing is not about translating: it checks that translated text works inside the product. Here are the problems I meet most often and how to find them.
1. Text that does not fit
Translations are rarely the same length as the original. German and Russian words are often much longer than English, while some Asian languages are shorter but taller.
- Buttons, menu items and tooltips are cut off or overflow the frame.
- Text overlaps the icons next to it.
- Subtitles run off the bottom of the screen.
Test the longest strings in the smallest UI elements, and check every supported resolution.
2. Missing or wrong characters
A font that does not contain a certain letter shows empty squares, question marks or a fallback in a different style.
- Accented letters (é, ü, ł) and Cyrillic.
- Characters unique to a language, such as Ukrainian і, ї, є, ґ.
- Special symbols: quotation marks, em dash, currency signs.
- Names typed by the player, which must support the same characters.
3. Hard-coded and untranslated strings
Every language should be tested from start to finish. Typical leftovers:
- Error messages, achievements, loading tips, tutorial prompts.
- Text embedded in images and videos.
- Store page, credits, legal text and the first-run dialogs.
- Strings that only appear after a specific action, for example "Are you sure?" dialogs.
4. Strings built from pieces
Developers sometimes assemble sentences from several parts: "You found" + number + "coins". That works in English and breaks in languages with different word order or cases. If you see odd phrases that look machine-assembled, report them with the exact spot where they appear.
5. Plurals, numbers, dates and units
- English has two plural forms; Russian and Ukrainian have three or more (1 монета, 2 монети, 5 монет).
- Decimal separators and thousands separators differ (1,000.5 versus 1 000,5).
- Date formats: day first or month first.
- Units and currencies: metric and imperial, symbol position.
6. Context errors
Translators often see a single line without knowing where it is used. The word "Close" can mean a verb ("close the window") or an adjective ("nearby"). The word "Set" may be a noun or a verb. If a translation looks correct but makes no sense in the situation, it is a context bug, and a screenshot in the report helps the translator enormously.
7. Technical details
- Language selection is saved and applied at the next launch.
- Switching language mid-game updates all visible text without a restart, or clearly asks for one.
- Sorting and search handle accented letters correctly.
- Right-to-left languages mirror the interface, when supported.
- Input method editors for Chinese, Japanese and Korean work in text fields.
A simple trick: pseudo-localization
Before real translations are available, replace strings automatically with an expanded, accented version such as "[Ŝţàŕţ Ĝàmë !!!!]". Longer text exposes layout problems, accented characters expose font problems, and anything that stays in plain English is hard-coded. It is a cheap and effective way to catch many issues early.
How I report localization issues
- Language and exact build.
- Screenshot with the problem highlighted.
- The original text and the translated text, if known.
- Where in the game it appears and how to get there.
- The type of problem: clipped, missing glyph, untranslated, context, grammar.
You can see examples of this work in my test reports, including checks of multi-language builds. If your game needs localization QA, write to me.
Need a tester for your game?
I test games manually, write clear bug reports and check localization. Tell me about your project.
Contact me