La localizzazione dei giochi da tavolo: proposta di traduzione del gioco "Misantropia Express"

The market of tabletop games is continuously growing, fostered by online distribution and new ways of fundraising such as crowdfunding platforms. However, the translation and localization of these products remains an obscure process, as giants such as videogames and television outshine them in the world of entertainment. This thesis will discuss my English localization of the Italian board game “Misantropia Express”, published by Cosplayou. After an introduction which briefly summarizes the history of tabletop games and their current market, the second chapter explores the experience of Francesco Stefanacci, game designer who made his project into reality thanks to an online promotional campaign, managing to publish his remarkably successful board game, whose first print is out of stock and with a second version with prospects just as rosy. In the third chapter, after analyzing an academic article about board game localization, we shall first– handedly consult with experts of the sector from two different game publishers, who were asked how translating a board game works. The first game publisher has exported various games abroad, which are now the best– selling Italian board games worldwide, while the second distributes many foreign games with great results. Using their collected knowledge, the fourth chapter includes the English translation of the game and details its difficulties. In the last part, after playtesting this new version with non– Italian mother tongue players, we shall evaluate its effectiveness and the interest sparked in players, projecting them on an eventual proposal for foreign publication.