Lost in layout: why board game localisation is more than translation

Preparing a board game for another market involves more than getting the words right. The content needs to work within the design, and the design needs to support the language.

You’ve just designed a brilliant board game. The cards look fantastic, the box turns heads, the rules are laid out beautifully and every word has been carefully chosen. Next stop: board game translation…

Suddenly, the instructions no longer fit on the page. The font doesn't support all the characters needed for the Polish version. And for the Arabic version, the layout will probably need a complete rethink. The game mechanics and theme haven’t changed, but the words have. And now the design needs to catch up.

Welcome to design localisation, where translating board game content is only one part of getting a game ready for a new market.

A little more room, bitte

Let's start with a familiar problem: text expansion. A short English instruction can become considerably longer in a different language. Suddenly, the text no longer fits on the box, and the carefully balanced layout is looking a little crowded.

This is a practical challenge for game publishers working across markets. Hasbro’s Trivial Pursuit, for example, has been translated into 17 different languages. Each language brings its own requirements, and the design needs to accommodate the translated content.

Brand guidelines can be strict. The typeface, font size and visual identity may be fixed, so changing the font or shrinking the text isn't always an option. Sometimes, the solution lies in the wording. A translator may be able to find a more concise expression in the target language without losing the meaning. Or the designer might be able to adjust spacing or rearrange elements within the approved guidelines.

This is where translators and designers can become each other's best friends. The translator understands what content can be reworded to preserve the intended meaning. The designer knows what is possible within the visual identity. Working together helps them find a solution that respects both.

Not every translation gets longer, of course. Some languages take up less space, while others use characters or writing conventions that affect how text fits. Either way, a layout designed for English won't necessarily work unchanged. And a beautifully designed box is only useful if the instructions inside it are readable.

Japanese, Arabic and the layout rethink

Some languages bring challenges that go beyond the number of words on a page. Japanese, for example, can be written horizontally or vertically. While horizontal writing is common, vertical text is still used in certain publications and designs.

If a game uses vertical text, the layout needs to account for how characters are oriented and how text is arranged on the page. Simply dropping the translated content into an English layout may not do the job.

Arabic presents a different challenge. It is written from right to left, which can affect alignment, reading order and the placement of design elements. When Arabic appears alongside Latin text or numbers, the two writing directions also need to be handled correctly.

The W3C’s Language Enablement Index is a guide used by web designers, developers and localisation specialists to understand how different languages and writing systems work in digital content. It covers considerations such as vertical writing in Japanese and right-to-left scripts, such as Arabic, which can influence how text is displayed and arranged.

Although the guide focuses on web content rather than board games, it illustrates a wider point: adapting content for another language can mean rethinking the design, not simply replacing the words.

The goal isn’t to make every version look identical, but to adapt each one for its audience while following the brand guidelines. That means preserving the brand’s visual identity and consistency, while allowing enough flexibility for the layout to work naturally in each language and market.

The font that doesn't speak the language

Fonts have personalities. Some are playful, some are elegant, and some look as though they've been designed specifically for a fantasy adventure. A font can be perfect for the brand and still be unsuitable for a particular language.

Fonts contain sets of characters called glyphs. If a typeface doesn't include the glyphs needed for the translated text, those characters may not display properly. A font designed for English, for example, might not include all the accented characters required for Portuguese. Japanese requires support for characters from several writing systems, so the font choice needs careful checking.

Why does this matter? Because a missing character doesn’t always appear as an innocent little square on the page. It can make a word difficult to read or change what the reader understands.

In Portuguese, accents distinguish words such as avó and avô, which mean grandmother and grandfather respectively. In Japanese, missing characters can make text unreadable. A small technical detail can therefore have a big impact on the finished product. That's a lot of responsibility for one tiny glyph.

Unicode explains how missing font support can result in placeholder boxes, question marks or blank spaces instead of the intended characters. Read Unicode's guidance on display problems.

For designers, the lesson is to check that a typeface supports the characters needed for every target language. For marketing teams, it's a reminder that logos and other creative assets may need a tailored approach to preserve the character of the brand.

A rulebook is not a game of Tetris

Now let's talk about the rules. A rulebook has a straightforward job: help players understand how the game works. The available space is often limited, especially when the original product has been designed around a particular number of pages or box size.

When translated text takes up more room, the translation and design teams need to find a solution that preserves the content and keeps it readable. Could the wording be made more concise in the target language? Would a different layout make the instructions easier to follow? Could a diagram communicate something more clearly? These are creative problems as much as linguistic ones.

A translator can help identify where wording can be tightened without changing the meaning. A designer can explore different ways to present the information within the constraints of the product. Both need to understand which details are essential.

After all, removing an unnecessary phrase is useful. Removing a condition that determines whether a player can take an action is rather less helpful. A shorter rulebook isn't automatically a better rulebook. It needs to be clear, complete and easy to use.

Where multilingual desktop publishing comes in

Finding the right words is one part of the solution. Making them work on the page is where multilingual desktop publishing for games comes in. It's the process of adapting translated content within the original design, whether that's a rulebook, a set of cards or a game box.

It might involve adjusting line breaks, repositioning text, checking typography or reworking a layout to accommodate a different writing system.

The aim is to make each language version feel as carefully designed as the original, rather than simply squeezing translated words into the available space.

Board game design localisation starts earlier than you think

The easiest time to solve a design problem is before the artwork is finalised.

If a game is intended to be released in several markets, it helps to consider language requirements from the beginning. That includes checking font support, allowing for differences in text length and thinking about how the layout might accommodate different writing systems.

Microsoft's globalisation and localisation checklist offers practical guidance on preparing designs for different languages, including allowing for text expansion and supporting different writing directions.

For games, it also helps to review translated content in the actual artwork rather than relying on a text document alone. A phrase can look perfectly reasonable in a spreadsheet and become a very different proposition when placed on a small card.

Linguistic quality assurance (LQA) can help identify problems once the translated content is in its final layout. This might include missing characters, awkward line breaks, truncated instructions or text that no longer matches the accompanying illustrations. It’s an important reason to bring localisation specialists into the process before the artwork is signed off.

Marketing teams have a stake in this, too. Packaging and promotional materials often make the first impression. If the localised version looks cramped or inconsistent with the brand, this can affect how people perceive the product before they've even opened the box.

Planning for localisation early can reduce last-minute artwork changes, avoid unnecessary production costs and make it easier to launch across multiple markets.

Good design and good translation go hand in hand

Preparing a board game for another market involves more than getting the words right. The content needs to work within the design, and the design needs to support the language.

Getting this right isn't just about aesthetics. Poorly planned localisation can lead to costly artwork revisions, production delays and additional rounds of proofreading. It can also compromise the quality of the finished product, affecting how players experience the game and perceive the brand.

By considering localisation early and bringing translators and designers together, publishers can reduce unnecessary costs, streamline production and maintain a consistent standard across international markets.

At Websters Games, we understand that successful board game localisation is both a creative and a commercial challenge. The aim is simple: to help publishers bring games to new markets efficiently, without compromising the quality that made them worth publishing in the first place.