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Visual Novel Localization
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Visual novels are among the most text-intensive game formats — a full-length VN can contain 500,000 words or more of narrative, dialog, and inner monologue. Visual novel localization demands literary translation quality, not just accuracy: character voices must be consistent across hundreds of thousands of words, branching dialog trees must be tracked, and the emotional register of the source must survive the translation process. SandVox specializes in visual novel and narrative game localization for global audiences.
Unique Localization Challenges
- Character voice consistency across extremely long scripts is the defining challenge — a character who sounds different in chapter 10 versus chapter 1 breaks immersion
- Branching dialog requires tracking every path and maintaining consistency across choices that affect the same character in different scenes
- Honorific systems (Japanese keigo, Korean speech levels) require documented policy that applies consistently throughout the entire script
- Literary quality matters more here than in UI localization — the writing must feel like native literature, not translated text
What We Localize
- Full Script Translation
- Character Voice Profiling
- Branching Dialog Tree Management
- Choice Text Localization
- System UI & Menu Strings
- Voice-Over Script Preparation
- LocQA
Our Process
- Script analysis: character count, branching structure, word count per route
- Character voice profiles: speech register, vocabulary range, relationship-dependent speech levels
- Translation in script order with branch tracking
- Literary editorial pass: native-language editor reviews for naturalness and voice consistency
- LocQA: display testing, encoding, font rendering, text overflow
Languages Available
English · German · Spanish · French · Portuguese (BR) · Chinese (Simplified + Traditional) · Korean
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you ensure character voice consistency across a very long visual novel script?
We create a character profile document before translation begins — covering each character’s speech register, vocabulary patterns, relationship-dependent variation, and key recurring phrases. This is used throughout translation and enforced in the editorial review pass.
Can you handle visual novel scripts with complex branching structures?
Yes. We use branch-tracking workflows that map dialog choices to outcomes, ensuring consistency across routes where the same character appears with different players or in different emotional states.
What is the turnaround for a full visual novel localization?
A 100,000-word VN typically takes 6–10 weeks with milestone delivery. Longer scripts (300,000–500,000 words) are planned over 4–6 months with route-by-route delivery. We scope per project.
Do you localize visual novel voice-over scripts as well as text?
Yes. Voice-over script preparation — adapted for natural spoken delivery in the target language — is in scope. We coordinate with your audio team on timing constraints and recording format requirements.
Start Your Visual Novel Localization Project
Tell us your word count, target languages, and timeline. We’ll send a quote within one business day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Visual novels are almost entirely text — a VN may have 500,000 to 2,000,000+ words, more than many literary novels. Text delivery format varies by engine: Ren’Py uses .rpy scripts, KiriKiri uses .ks files, Nscripter uses .nss files, and Unity-based VNs use CSV or JSON exports. Beyond the technical format, visual novels require preserving authorial voice, character speech patterns, and emotional subtlety — especially important for romance, mystery, and horror VNs where tone drives the entire experience.
Visual novel localization is priced per word at typical rates ($0.10–$0.35/word depending on target language) but total cost is high due to volume. A short VN (50,000 words) in Japanese costs approximately $9,000–$17,500. A mid-length VN (200,000 words) costs $36,000–$70,000. Epic-length VNs (500,000+ words) exceed $90,000 per language. Many doujin/indie VN studios localize into English first from Japanese — SandVox handles both JP→EN and EN→JP directions with specialist VN translators.
Yes. Each VN engine exports text in a different format and requires re-import in the same format. Ren’Py uses Python-based .rpy script files with inline dialogue tags. KiriKiri/KAG uses .ks scenario files. Unity-based VNs (with Naninovel or similar) typically use CSV or JSON. Some engines require re-compilation after text substitution. SandVox handles extraction, translation, and re-import for all major VN engines and can work directly with your engine’s native format.
If your VN was originally written in Japanese, localize into English first — it unlocks the largest international market and English reviews drive discoverability on Steam. From English, subsequent localization into Chinese (Simplified), Korean, and German reaches the next largest markets. If your VN was written in English, Japanese localization provides access to the world’s largest VN player community; JP players are highly engaged with narrative content and often champion foreign VNs that earn their trust.