u/MattIvory — reddlx

(first: let me know which flair to put on this since I cover a few of them)

Hey everyone,
I’m curious about how you handle localization in your development process.

At what stage do you usually start thinking about localization?

Early in development?
Once the demo is ready?
Shortly before release?
After release?
Not at all? And if not, why?

I’m a freelance English→German translator and I work mostly with small studios and solo devs. Since I do this alongside my main job, I’m flexible in terms of time and budget, which tends to work well for indies.

I recently ran a survey about localization habits and pricing. It has been seen by more than 3,000 people, but fewer than 20 actually participated, so I’m trying to get more opinions from devs themselves.

A few more things I’d love to know that are not included in the survey (in case you decide to take part):

Do you localize assets and images as well, or only text? (see Translating Vs. Localizing Game Assets, And Why Does It Even Matter? for amazing examples you wouldn't think of)
Where do you usually hang out during development? (online)
Do you have any questions for me as someone who’s been in localization for about five years (first as a volunteer, now self‑employed)?

Thanks in advance to anyone who shares their perspective, it helps me find fair and affordable service solutions.

I would also love to learn a bit more about the technical aspects from the programmers point of view.

The survey: Translation Needs Survey

When you scroll through the Steam Store, every preview text starts the same:
“Dive into this world...”
“Embark on that journey...”

Personally, I find it boring, which is why I write in a completely different style. I want to make the player feel at home, like I’m explaining my new favorite game to my best friend.

I’m only self‑employed on the side, and I do this because I care about the projects I work on and how they grow. (That said, I don't jump on every game and oportunity. I need to feel the vibe, too!)
My goal is to write store pages, ads, trailers, and in‑game text in a way that makes players wonder:
“Wait... was this made by a German studio?”

That’s my background in a nutshell.
I’ve collected my translation work in a Linktree:
https://linktr.ee/jennifer_rosebrock
Short version: I’m a genre generalist.

I’ve written for everything from USK3 titles, platformers, psychological horror and whodunits to chess games and management sims.

I love parser‑based interactive fiction and fixed‑camera horror like Song of Horror.
I’m also a big fan of fakeOS games and the whole WTTG universe.

As a player, I’ve spent thousands of hours in shooters like CoD, Overwatch, and PUBG, even more in asymmetrical games like DBD or Deceit, and I keep up with new releases pretty well.
FMV is another genre I’d love to work on someday.

But what I want isn’t the point. What I can do is:

MTPE (yes, the dreaded one)
general proofreading
full translations
demo translations
store pages, websites, marketing material
and occasionally a good piece of advice or a useful contact from the past few years

Since I already mentioned that I’m not financially dependent on this work, I always try to find a rate or payment model that feels fair for both sides. I wont do it for free either because many, many hours go into this kind of work - believe it or not.

I’m actually running a small survey about Ai and pricing right now. You’re very welcome to take part.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd57FoczcqSlSq4s7JQPgMB_3NIOwVl-MrOOmA2KaHn1sfTIg/viewform

The easiest way to reach me for an initial chat is via instant messenger on Twitter or Bluesky, but email is always the safest and fastest option.
Whichever way you prefer, I’m happy to hear from you.
I’m also glad to answer questions or offer advice.

X: https://x.com/InfoRosebrock
Bsky: https://bsky.app/profile/jenniferrosebrock.bsky.social

email: jennifer.rosebrock@gmx.de

I’m barely active on Reddit, so please forgive me if replies here take longer than on Twitter or by email.