Game Localization · Glossary
Character Limits in Game Localization
Character limits in game localization refer to the maximum number of characters (or pixels) available for translated text in a UI element — button labels, tooltip text, menu items, notification copy, and similar short strings where localized text must fit within a fixed space.
The Text Expansion Problem
English text is compact relative to most European languages. German typically expands 30–40% over English. French and Spanish expand 15–25%. Finnish can expand 50–80%. A button labeled ‘Continue’ in English (8 characters) becomes ‘Weiter’ in German (6 — one of the few that contracts), ‘Continuer’ in French (9), ‘Continuar’ in Spanish (9), and ‘Jatka’ in Finnish (5). Where this becomes critical: ‘Settings’ (8) becomes ‘Einstellungen’ (13) in German — a 62% expansion that overflows many button designs.
When Character Limits Aren’t Documented
When translators aren’t given character limits per string, they translate accurately but without knowing whether the text fits. The first indication of overflow is often during integration into the game build — at which point the options are: truncate the translation (usually unacceptable), redesign the UI element (expensive and slow), or request a shorter translation (adding a rework cycle). All three options cost more than providing character limits upfront.
Pixel Limits vs. Character Limits
Some games specify pixel limits rather than character limits — the actual rendered width of the text at a given font size and typeface. Pixel limits are more accurate than character limits because different characters have different widths (an ‘l’ is narrower than an ‘W’), but they require more infrastructure to communicate to translators and are only meaningful at a specific font size. Character limits are the standard for most localization workflows.
Managing Character Limits in Practice
Best practice: annotate every UI string in your localization kit with its character limit. Include both the hard limit (maximum that fits without overflow) and the soft limit (recommended length for comfortable reading). Brief translators that going over the soft limit requires design team review. For strings without character limits listed, translators will assume they can use as much text as needed — because without instructions, they should.
SandVox and Character Limits in Game Localization
SandVox enforces character limits as part of our standard localization workflow — we flag every string where the translation exceeds the provided limit and negotiate the shortest acceptable translation. LocQA review includes display testing to catch any overflow before delivery.
Related terms: Localization Qa · Game Internationalization · Pseudo Localization · Localization Kit
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the typical text expansion from English to German?
German text typically expands 30–40% over English on average. Individual strings vary — some German words are more compact than English equivalents, but technical and abstract vocabulary tends to expand significantly (German compound words are often longer than English multi-word phrases). UI design should assume 40% expansion as a planning guideline.
How should I communicate character limits to my localization team?
Include a ‘Max Characters’ column in your source file alongside each string. Also note whether the limit is hard (overflow is not possible — the UI cuts text) or soft (overflow is visually undesirable but technically possible). Hard limits require prioritizing shorter translations; soft limits allow translator discretion.
What happens if translated text overflows a UI element?
Depending on the engine and UI implementation: text is truncated with ellipsis (visually acceptable but loses meaning), text overflows its container and overlaps other elements (visually broken), text is automatically scaled down (may become unreadable), or the UI element resizes dynamically (if designed to do so). Only the last option handles overflow gracefully without human review.
Does SandVox check translated text against character limits?
Yes. When character limits are provided in the source file, we flag all translations that exceed the limit and negotiate shorter alternatives before delivery. LocQA review includes display testing to verify no overflow issues remain.
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