Game Localization Testing: How to Perform LQA

The moment your game’s storyline, dialogue, or interface crosses cultural borders, it’s time for game localization testing. Localization testing services are crucial for ensuring your game resonates with global audiences, preserving the nuances and humor that drive player engagement. From tackling language-specific bugs to adapting cultural references, this testing is a vital step for any developer eyeing international success.

This process also involves major scrutiny of the translated content, to ensure it matches the vibe of different cultures and languages. Whether you’re identifying mistranslations or assessing the cultural relevance of games’ elements, knowing when and why to implement this testing can be the difference between a flop and a hit.

Dive into the intricacies of game localization testing, also referred to as LQA, to help your game conquer new markets without losing its essence. In this article, we’ll cover:

What Is Localization Quality Assurance?

Localization quality assurance (LQA), or l10n testing, is the final frontier in adapting your game to new markets. Unlike standard software testing, which primarily focuses on technical functionality, localization testing ensures that your game’s localized version aligns with the cultural, linguistic, legal, and technical expectations of your target audience. This isn’t just about checking if the translation makes sense; it’s about ensuring your game feels native to players everywhere.

Here’s what localization testing evaluates:

• Text and UI Display: ensuring localized text, graphics, and UI elements are properly displayed and function seamlessly
• Translation Accuracy: verifying that all translations, including primary content, system messages, and HUD elements, are spot-on
• Cultural Fit: checking that cultural references, humor, and other localized content resonate with the target audience

Why Game Localization Testing Matters

Game localization testing is more than just a quality assurance step. It’s a strategic investment that can significantly impact a company’s bottom line. That’s why gaming giants like Riot Games, behind the massive hit League of Legends, prioritize LQA. They’re not just focused on making their games accessible to players worldwide, but also on fostering a more inclusive gaming community.

MOBA, MMO, and MMORPG are among the most popular genres for localization, but the benefits apply to any game that aims to reach a global audience.

Gamers: Localization testing ensures gamers from different regions can fully dive into a game’s story, characters, and gameplay without stumbling over language barriers or cultural hiccups. It makes the game feel more personal and enjoyable by tailoring the content to fit their cultural context perfectly.

Game Developers: For game developers, localization testing is a ticket to global markets. By adapting games to different languages and cultures, developers can expand their player base and boost engagement. More players means more revenue potential, and a stronger presence in the gaming world.

Game Publishers: Game publishers can maximize their earnings by localizing their games for various markets. Localization testing ensures that each version meets the high standards and expectations of players in every target market, leading to happier gamers and increased sales.

Legal and Regulatory Compliance: Navigating the legal landscape can be tricky, but localization testing ensures games meet the regulatory requirements of each market, from age ratings to content restrictions. This compliance is key to avoiding legal headaches and ensuring smooth market entry.

Localization Service Providers: Localization testing is a golden opportunity for service providers to shine. By offering their expertise, they help game developers and publishers deliver accurate translations, cultural adaptations, and high-quality localized versions, making a significant impact in the gaming industry.

The 3 Main Levels of Game Localization Testing

To ensure a high-quality and culturally appropriate gaming experience, developers must thoroughly test at three key levels: linguistic, visual, and functional.

Linguistic Game Testing:

• Grammar and spelling: Errors here can disrupt player immersion, especially in text-heavy games like RPGs or visual novels
• Word-for-word translations: Literal translations that ignore language nuances can result in awkward phrasing
• Missing translations: Text not properly integrated into the game’s code
• Inconsistencies: Divergences from the style guide or glossary, such as inconsistent translations
• Numerical formats: Incorrect date formats or units of measurement that don’t match the target culture
• Cultural sensitivity: Ensuring no offensive or confusing references to cultural or historical elements

Visual Quality Assurance:

• Text overflow: Some languages expand text, which may cause it to get cut off or overlap with other elements
• UI errors: Text might be improperly displayed, affecting readability and interaction
• Subtitles misalignment: Subtitles that don’t sync with the voice-over timing
• Synchronization issues: Audio not matching the characters’ lip movements
• Cultural appropriateness: Graphics and colors should be adjusted for cultural sensitivity

Functional Quality Assurance:

• Keyboard mismatch: Special characters in some languages may not render correctly
• Broken links: Links leading to unavailable resources in the localized game
• Performance issues: Games freezing or running slower than expected
• Compatibility issues: Localized versions not working well across different operating systems or devices

Key Challenges in Game Localization Testing

While the benefits of localization are significant, it also presents several challenges that must be addressed to achieve success:

• Maintaining Tone and Style: translating a game’s unique tone and style can be tricky. Every language has its nuances, and a direct translation might not capture the intended sentiment. Create style guides and manage translation memories regularly. Partner with agencies that specialize in localization for efficiency.
• Consistency of Terms: games often feature specialized terms that need consistent translation across languages. Develop a comprehensive glossary for terms like character names, abilities, and UI elements to ensure coherence. Hire linguists with game industry experience to minimize terminology errors.
• Text Length Constraints: different languages can affect text length, causing issues like text overflow or truncation. Collaborate closely with localization teams to ensure UI strings are flexible and conduct thorough layout testing.
• Cultural Differences: cultural elements in games, such as historical references or social customs, must be adapted for the target audience to avoid confusion. Ensure your localization team understands both source and target cultures to replace or explain culturally specific content appropriately.
• Lack of Context: translators need context to provide accurate translations. Supply them with detailed game documents, character bios, and gameplay demos. Utilizing translation software that shows context, such as in-game screenshots, can also enhance translation quality.
• Project Management: effective management of localization projects involves coordinating multiple tasks across different languages and time zones. Establish a clear project plan, define roles, and use project management systems to track progress and address issues promptly. Consider using a turnkey solution to streamline the process.

Addressing these issues requires a well-rounded approach to testing. To enhance your localization testing strategy and tackle these challenges effectively, explore our desktop and mobile game testing checklists.

Best Practices for Effective Localization QA

Our team has curated this list of best practices based on over nine years of experience in game testing. By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your game resonates with players worldwide and delivers a high-quality, culturally appropriate experience.

1. Take Your Time: localization testing requires significant resources and can’t be rushed. For example, Google’s localization team emphasizes the importance of market research and planning to avoid costly mistakes later. Accurate translations are quick, but cultural nuances take time to navigate, especially if testers aren’t from the target culture. According to CSA Research, companies that localize experience 1.5 times more revenue growth.

2. Start Testing Early: begin localization testing early in the development cycle. Waiting until the end can result in costly fixes and delays. Nintendo starts localization during the development phase to avoid last-minute changes. Early testing allows your team to address issues like translation errors and cultural misfits without disrupting the overall process.

3. Embrace Automation: streamline the localization process by using automation tools to assist human testers. SDL Trados and MemoQ are popular tools that help automate repetitive tasks and ensure consistency, allowing human testers to focus on more complex issues.

4. Address Device Fragmentation: test your game on various devices and operating systems to ensure compatibility. For example, Fortnite ensures their game runs smoothly across different platforms, including PCs, consoles, and mobile devices. Users access games on multiple platforms, so optimization for different browsers and devices is crucial.

5. Consider Cultural Norms: respect diverse languages, beliefs, and traditions. For instance, Ubisoft consults with cultural experts to ensure their games are culturally accurate and respectful. This helps avoid faux pas and ensures the game resonates with the target audience.

6. Use Language Locales, not Flags: avoid using flags to represent languages. Instead, use language locales like en-US for American English or fr-FR for French in France to respect the diversity of language speakers worldwide. Facebook uses this approach in their user interface to avoid confusion and offense.

7. Get the Formatting Right: plan for extra space in your design to accommodate languages that take up more room than English. Ensure the design is flexible enough to handle different text formats, including right-to-left languages. For example, Google Play guidelines recommend designing for flexibility to accommodate various languages and layouts.

8. Localize for Multimedia: ensure your game works seamlessly across different devices. Test early prototypes on various devices to ensure compatibility. Candy Crush Saga ensures device compatibility to provide a consistent experience across PCs, consoles, tablets, and smartphones.

9. Be Aware of Local Regulations: ensure your game meets age ratings and content regulations for each market. For instance, The Witcher 3 had to modify certain content to comply with German regulations. Avoid symbols and content that might be illegal or offensive in certain regions, such as the swastika in Germany.

10. Design Code to Be Localization-Ready: design your game’s code to support localization from the start. Make sure all content and strings are accessible and not hard-coded. Unity recommends using internationalization best practices to ensure content can be easily localized.

11. Provide Background and Context: provide detailed information about the game’s setting, characters, and objectives to give translators the context they need for accurate translations. CD Projekt Red uses storyboards and briefs to ensure translators understand the game’s narrative.

12. Work with Native Translators: hire translators who are also gamers. They understand gaming terminology and can provide culturally relevant translations. Square Enix employs native translators with gaming experience to ensure high-quality localization.

13. Aim for Consistency: maintain consistency across all localized content by using style guides and glossaries. Microsoft uses extensive glossaries and style guides to ensure consistency in their localized content.

14. Test Before Release: conduct thorough testing on all localized versions before launch. Check for issues like overflowing text, untranslated strings, and visual inconsistencies. Capcom tests all localized versions of their games to ensure a flawless player experience.

For actionable tips on improving your overall software testing practices, check out our guide on 7 ways to improve software testing.

A Decade of Game Testing Know-How

QAwerk boasts expertise beyond LQA. We’ve proven our versatility in the game testing realm with projects like Couple Up!, an interactive mobile romance game by Native Games Studio.

For Native Games Studio, we conducted comprehensive load testing and a server configuration audit. By identifying and addressing bottlenecks, we ensured the game ran smoothly even under heavy traffic. Our detailed recommendations helped improve server response times and stability, guaranteeing an uninterrupted gaming experience.

This case study highlights our ability to prepare your game for a global audience, ensuring it meets the highest standards and delights players worldwide.

We’ve also tested hundreds of games through our Bug Crawl program. From casual titles like Simon’s Cat – Pop Time to complex strategy games like Forge of Empires, we’ve covered a wide range of genres.

Need a fresh perspective on your game’s quality? Request a free exploratory test, and we’ll get back to you with a detailed bug report.

Wrapping Up

By taking your time, starting early, embracing automation, and addressing device fragmentation, you set a strong foundation for your game’s success. Focusing on key QA areas, respecting cultural norms, and ensuring legal compliance further bolsters your game’s appeal across different regions.

Utilizing native translators and aiming for consistency will ensure that your game resonates well with international audiences. Thorough testing before release safeguards the quality of your localized game versions, paving the way for a smooth and engaging gaming experience for players worldwide.

Ready to take your game to the global stage? Book a free consultation to learn how we can help you ensure your game hits the mark in every market.