{"id":26761,"date":"2024-12-13T11:32:40","date_gmt":"2024-12-13T10:32:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/altagram-test.nool.studio\/?post_type=case_study&p=26761"},"modified":"2024-12-13T14:11:23","modified_gmt":"2024-12-13T13:11:23","slug":"how-to-slay-the-princess-altagrams-localization-approach-to-the-pristine-cut","status":"publish","type":"case_study","link":"https:\/\/altagram-test.nool.studio\/ko\/case-studies\/how-to-slay-the-princess-altagrams-localization-approach-to-the-pristine-cut\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Slay the Princess: Altagram\u2019s Localization Approach to the Pristine Cut\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You\u2019re on a path in the woods. And at the end of that path is a cabin. And in the basement of that cabin is a Princess. You\u2019re here to slay her. If you don\u2019t, it will be the end of the world.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Slay the Princess<\/em> is a 2023 horror adventure game developed by Black Tabby Games<\/strong> and published by Serenity Forge<\/strong>. Due to its success following its original release, an expanded edition titled The Pristine Cut<\/em><\/a> was released a year later, on October 24th<\/sup>, 2024. This edition features new content and includes translations for 12 languages.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Glimpse into the Localization Process\u202f <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Altagram's involvement in localizing Slay the Princess: The Pristine Cut<\/em> was a comprehensive effort spanning multiple departments and teams:\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Timeline<\/strong>: 60 business days for localization <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Languages<\/strong>: French, Italian, German, Spanish (Spain), Spanish (Latin America), Korean, Japanese, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, and Polish. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Text Localization<\/strong>: +2.5 million words across 12 languages\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LQA:<\/strong>\u202f1,412 edits across 12 languages <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Identifying Main Challenges <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Slay the Princess <\/em>is a visual novel that unfolds through beautifully illustrated scenes from the perspective of the protagonist who has been tasked with deciding the fate of the princess, the world, and himself. The core gameplay involves selecting dialogue options or actions, with the story evolving based on the player's choices. It features a branching, looping narrative, where each cycle centers on the player's decision to either save or kill the princess. <\/p>\n\n\n

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To Slay or not to Slay: The Art of a Killer Translation<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In Slay the Princess<\/em>, the word \u201cslay<\/strong>\u201d plays a crucial role, not only in the title but also throughout the game\u2019s narrative. While it may seem to imply the opposite of \u201csave the Princess,\u201d the term carries deeper meaning. After playing the game build and watching the walkthrough<\/strong>, our teams came to realize that \u201cslay\u201d in this context isn\u2019t about killing the Princess\u2014it might be more about a different form of salvation. The game challenges players to rethink the very idea of what it means to \u201csave\u201d or \u201cslay.\u201d <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When working with a title, there\u2019s always a marketing aspect<\/strong> to be considered, which drove the client\u2019s decision to keep the title in English for FIGS, ESLA, PTBR, and RU to retain brand recognition and to localize it for Asian markets for better accessibility. Therefore, finding the best translation for the term \u201cslay\u201d wasn\u2019t exactly an easy task for all languages. To tackle this challenge, we relied heavily on queries to the client using Alocai<\/a> Query Platform<\/strong> and internal discussions using Alocai<\/a> Team Channels<\/strong>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each language had varying degrees of difficulty when picking the right path to come to a solution. For instance, the German <\/strong>team decided after internal discussions to translate \u201cslay\u201d when it appeared in the game as \u201cerschlagen,\u201d a term commonly used in fairy tales and myths for killing monsters, dragons or mythical foes. It\u2019s thematically fitting and easily distinguishable from \u201ct\u00f6ten\u201d and \u201cumbringen,\u201d which were used interchangeably as a translation for \u201ckill.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Simplified Chinese<\/strong>, however, localizing the term proved to be more challenging. First, the ZHSI translation of \u201cslay\u201d conveys a strong sense of brutal killing, a word even harsher than just to \u201ckill.\u201d The team had to eliminate terms that were too gory, not out of self-censorship, but rather because they didn\u2019t match the tone of the game or didn\u2019t work in the game-text. Words like \u201c\u624b\u5203\u201d (to kill by knife) or \u201c\u7ed3\u679c\u201d (to finish off) either didn\u2019t fit the game\u2019s scenes and style or missed the \u201cslay\/save\u201d nuance. Eventually, \u201c<\/strong>\u518d\u89c1\u516c\u4e3b<\/strong>\u201d (Goodbye, Princess)<\/strong> was suggested for the title, and the team found that it beautifully captured the game\u2019s lore: bidding her farewell by taking her life, only to meet her again in the next cycle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While this wordplay worked for the Chinese version of the title, it didn\u2019t work so well in the main text of the game. If the narrator kept saying \u201c<\/strong>\u5feb\u8ddf\u516c\u4e3b\u8bf4\u518d\u89c1<\/strong>\u201d (Say goodbye to the princess),<\/strong> it would be distracting for players and affect the game\u2019s tone. About halfway through the localization process, and after lengthy discussions with the team and the client, the phrase \u201c<\/strong>\u9001\u516c\u4e3b\u4e0a\u8def<\/strong>\u201d (Send the princess on her way)<\/strong> was suggested as the player\u2019s choice. Not only was it softer than \u201ckill,\u201d but also evoked a folk-tale flavor closer to traditional Chinese stories.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our final challenge was the question: should we try to be consistent and use \u201c\u9001\u516c\u4e3b\u4e0a\u8def\u201d as the title? While consistency between the title and in-game choices is typically recommended, we wanted to ensure that the ZH-SI title was as appealing as the original English title. We shared our thoughts with the client, and fortunately, the client was fully supportive of our choice to have different translations for the title and the recurring player choice<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Voices in My Head: Who Are You?<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Each narrative branch in Slay the Princess<\/em> begins the same way, but the player's choices influence both the storyline and the visual style in subsequent loops, including changes to the princess\u2019 appearance and personality. In each new loop, players can choose to either save or slay the princess again. A narrator and a cast of unseen voices, each with distinct personalities, comment on and try to steer the player's decisions. Initially, only the narrator and the Voice of the Hero are present, while additional voices\u2014such as the Broken<\/strong>, the Cheated<\/strong>, the Cold<\/strong>, the Contrarian<\/strong>, the Flinching<\/strong>, the Hunted<\/strong>, the Opportunist<\/strong>, the Paranoid<\/strong>, the Skeptic<\/strong>, the Smitten<\/strong>, and the Stubborn<\/strong>\u2014are introduced in later loops based on how the game is played. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make each hero\u2019s voice, as well as the narrator\u2019s and princess\u2019s, easily identifiable, unique speaker tags<\/strong> are used in the translation files (e.g., \u201cnp\u201d for The Narrator possessed by the Princess, \u201cp\u201d for The Princess when non-threatening, and \u201cstubcont\u201d for Stubborn and Contrarian speaking in unison). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each tag had its own character limit, so that our linguistic teams had to use their characteristic creativity to ensure the translations kept to a certain length, however the real challenge lay in choosing the appropriate form of address for each line<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The choice between formal and informal <\/strong>language was determined on a per-language basis. For example, in German, the informal form was used consistently, while in French, a detailed address matrix was created to guide these decisions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Narrator > Player <\/td>Formal<\/em> <\/td><\/tr>
Princess > Player <\/td>Formal <\/em><\/td><\/tr>
Voices > Player <\/td>Informal <\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Voices <> Voices <\/td>Informal <\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Player > Narrator <\/td>Formal<\/em> <\/td><\/tr>
Voices > Narrator <\/td>Formal<\/em> <\/td><\/tr>
Player > Princess <\/td>Formal<\/em> <\/td><\/tr>
Player > Voices <\/td>Informal <\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The primary challenge was deciding between singular and plural <\/strong>forms of address. The voices and the narrator could shift mid-conversation, sometimes addressing the player as a singular entity\u2014referring either to the player as \u201cthe one in control\u201d or the body itself\u2014or as a plural, which could include some or all voices, with or without the player. The word \u201cyou\u201d could take on various meanings, from \u201cyou, the decision-maker,\u201d to \u201cyou, the collective voices in this mind,\u201d or \u201cyou, the single body made up of multiple personalities.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To tackle this challenge, we employed several strategies: <\/p>\n\n\n\n