The most common way localization fails is not mistranslation but “correct yet awkward”: truncated buttons, icons that mean the wrong thing, holiday events nobody recognizes. This is a checklist you can use as is, covering text, UI, store assets and the live-ops calendar, for games entering the United States, Canada, Europe and MENA.
Text: length, line breaks and fonts
- English runs 30% to 50% longer than Chinese, German longer still; test every button, label and dialog with the longest language.
- Never bake text into art; all visible text goes through string tables.
- Numbers, dates, currency and thousands separators follow regional settings, never hard-coded.
- Latin fonts must cover accented characters and symbols; Arabic needs its own font and right-to-left layout.
- One glossary: resources, buildings, units and skill names stay consistent across the game, the store and support.
UI and icons: what symbols and colours mean
- Red is festive in China and a warning or error in the West; do not use it for confirm buttons.
- Avoid symbols only Chinese players read: red envelopes, lucky cats, specific hand gestures.
- Currency and bundle icons should match local payment habits, with price and contents clearly shown.
- Icons must not rely on Chinese character shapes; check that each one still reads when small.
Store assets: screenshots, icon and video
- The first screenshot states the core promise; then progression, alliances, battle in order.
- A separate screenshot and copy set per market, not just a language swap.
- No text on the icon; it must read on light and dark backgrounds.
- Preview video 15 to 30 seconds, real gameplay in the first 5.
- Keywords and descriptions follow each market’s search habits (ASO), not translated Chinese keywords.
Holidays and events: the Western calendar
The Western year runs on a different rhythm: Halloween, Thanksgiving (US and Canada), Black Friday, Christmas and New Year, Valentine’s Day, Easter and the summer holidays are the main beats; in MENA, Ramadan and Eid are the core. Chinese holidays are either skipped or repackaged in a way local players understand.
The final pre-launch checklist
- Run the full onboarding flow on real devices in every language and compare screenshots.
- No truncation or overflow in the longest language (usually German).
- Number, currency and date formats correct.
- Store page reviewed per market, with localized screenshots and descriptions.
- Privacy policy and terms available in each language.
- Support scripts and FAQs localized, reply templates ready.
- First-month event calendar aligned with local holidays.
Key takeaways
- Test all UI with the longest language; never bake text into images.
- Check colour and symbol meanings per market, especially red.
- One store asset set per market; the first screenshot states the core promise.
- The ops calendar follows local holidays; Chinese holidays are repackaged or skipped.
- Go through the checklist item by item before launch; do not rely on instinct.
This checklist is part of our localization service. On partnered projects, cultural adaptation of text, art and store assets is done by our team.
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