Game Localization · Glossary
What is a Translation Glossary?
A translation glossary (also called a termbase or terminology database) is a curated list of project-specific terms with their approved translations into each target language — including character names, location names, skill and spell names, item categories, UI labels, and brand-specific vocabulary. It is a mandatory reference document for any localization project with recurring terminology.
What Goes in a Translation Glossary
A game localization glossary typically contains: proper nouns (character names, location names, faction names), gameplay terminology (skill names, item types, status effects, currency names), UI labels (tab names, button labels, system message templates), brand-specific terms (game title variants, DLC names, in-universe proper nouns), and do-not-translate terms (names to keep in English regardless of target language). Each entry includes the source term, approved target-language translation, context notes, and usage examples.
Why Glossaries Are Essential at Scale
Without a glossary, different translators on the same project will translate the same term differently — producing visible inconsistencies in the final product. A character named ‘Kael’ might have their associated ability ‘Shadow Strike’ translated as three different phrases across dialog, UI, and tutorial content. In MMORPGs and large RPGs, where hundreds of thousands of strings reference the same terms, uncontrolled terminology drift is one of the most common and visible localization quality failures.
Glossary vs. Style Guide vs. Translation Memory
A glossary controls what specific terms are called. A style guide controls how to translate overall — tone, register, formality, cultural adaptation rules. A translation memory (TM) stores previously translated segments for reuse. These three tools work together: the glossary prevents term inconsistency, the style guide ensures tonal consistency, and the TM ensures segment-level reuse efficiency. All three are recommended for any professional game localization project.
Building and Maintaining a Glossary
A glossary is most valuable when built before translation begins and maintained throughout the project’s lifecycle. For ongoing live-service games, the glossary grows with each content update. SandVox maintains per-client termbases that persist across projects, meaning new content updates benefit from the accumulated terminology decisions of all previous work.
SandVox and Translation Glossary
SandVox builds and maintains per-client translation glossaries that persist across projects and update cycles. For long-term clients with live-service content, this means consistent terminology across years of updates — no term drift, no inconsistent character name translations.
Related terms: Translation Memory · Localization Kit · Game Localization · Localization Qa
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is responsible for building the translation glossary?
Ideally, the game developer provides source-language terminology (character names, skill names, etc.) and the localization partner builds the target-language entries. SandVox builds glossaries during project kickoff by reviewing all source content, identifying recurring terms, and establishing approved translations before large-scale translation begins.
How large is a typical game localization glossary?
It varies by genre and scope. A hyper-casual game might need 50–100 entries. An indie RPG might need 200–500. A large MMORPG at launch might have 2,000–5,000+ entries covering a full world’s worth of lore terms, item names, and proper nouns. The glossary grows throughout the project.
What happens if a term in the glossary needs to change mid-project?
Term changes mid-project require a retroactive update sweep — finding all existing translations of the changed term and updating them. This is manageable with CAT tools that track glossary usage but adds time and cost. We flag high-impact term decisions early to minimize mid-project changes.
Should character names be translated or kept in English?
It depends on the name type and target language. Names with meaning (like ‘Shadow’, ‘Dawn’, ‘Stone’) may be translated if the meaning matters to the player. Names that are proper nouns (like ‘Kael’, ‘Zara’) are typically kept as-is or phonetically adapted for languages with non-Latin scripts. We advise on a name-by-name basis during glossary setup.
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SandVox provides end-to-end game localization including translation glossary — for narrative games, mobile titles, webtoons, and interactive fiction.