A GUIDE TO TRANSLATING HUMOR IN VIDEO GAMES: A CASE STUDY OF UNDERTALE

Abstract

Humor in video games presents unique localization challenges due to its reliance on timing, multimodal cues, player interaction, and culturally bound language. This article applies a pragmatic approach to humor translation, grounded in Chesterman’s (2016) taxonomy of strategies, to probe the attempted Polish localization of Undertale, a title rich in puns, system-driven jokes, and typographically encoded character voices. A focused case study analyzes emblematic examples such as the reinterpretation of acronyms (LOVE/EXP), UI-timed gags („too many dogs”), and persona-specific orthography (Sans/Temmie). Based on scrutinized analyses, a decision tree for humor translation is proposed, offering a repeatable method for humor-critical content. The findings demonstrate that effect-driven translation (emphasizing timing, pacing, and persona preservation) outperforms literal approaches in maintaining comedic impact. This study contributes an actionable protocol for practitioners and educators, bridging theory and localization workflows.