What gets localized in a game?
- The main menu and the Start and Try again buttons.
- Short instructions and level names.
- Questions and answers in quiz games.
- Win and lose messages and the score.
- Names of characters and places, if they are part of the story.
Arabic in games: wrong and right
Common mistakes
- Broken or reversed letters from a font without Arabic support.
- Menus aligned left as if they were English.
- Literal translation nobody would say.
- Numbers and text with mixed direction.
The right way
- An Arabic font that stays clear on a phone screen.
- Menus and text running right to left.
- Short natural phrases the player understands at once.
- Every screen checked by an Arabic reader.
The steps
- 1Write the description in Arabic
Describe the game in your own language and say clearly that the interface and text are Arabic.
- 2Write the content yourself
Questions, names and local jokes are what make the game feel close to your audience.
- 3Review every screen
Menu, play, win and lose. Look for clipped text or wrong alignment.
- 4Try it on a phone
Arabic text needs a slightly larger size to read comfortably on a small screen.