Behind the scenes · · 4 min read
Malta Living in Maltese: help us translate the game
A game in Maltese: that's what a lot of you asked for, and today it starts. Malta Living now speaks Malti, as a beta. Pick it in Settings and the game greets you with Merħba! There's a catch, and it's the fun part: most of the game is still in English, because we're translating it with you, one line at a time.
Why players, not a translation agency
Maltese is the national language of Malta and, since 2004, one of the official languages of the European Union. It's also a living, spoken language, full of words a dictionary won't give you the right feel for. A game set on the island should sound like the people who live here, not like a machine or an agency that has never queued for pastizzi.
So we built the game to be translated by its players. Every line you suggest is read by a person before it goes live, and once it's approved, it reaches every player who plays in Maltese without an app update.
How to switch to Malti
- Open your phone in the game and tap Settings.
- Under Language, tap Malti (it says beta).
- The game welcomes you once with Merħba!
From then on you'll see Maltese wherever a line has been translated and approved, and English everywhere else. You can switch back to English at any time from the same place. Your choice stays on that device.
How to help translate
In Malti, Settings shows a switch: Help translate Malti. Turn it on, and every app gets a small Translate this screen link at the bottom. Tap it to see the lines on that screen, with the ones still in English first.
Pick a line and you can:
- Vote ▲ for an idea another player already sent, if it sounds right to you;
- Write your own words, if you'd say it better.
The game checks your line before it's sent: no links, handles or phone numbers, about the same length as the English (it has to fit a button on a phone), and any blanks in curly brackets, like {name}, kept as they are, because the game fills them in.
You can send up to 30 lines a day. To keep out throwaway accounts, an account can help once it's three days old. Until then, the switch tells you when you can start.
Who decides
Votes put the best ideas at the top of the queue, but they never approve anything by themselves. That's on purpose, so nobody can push a joke line live with a few friends. Our team and community moderators read each idea, then approve it, fix the spelling and approve it, or turn it down with a reason you can see. An approved line goes live for everyone in Maltese, and the game picks it up when it opens and every half hour after.
Settings → Your lines shows everything you've sent: waiting, live or not used, and why. Get 10 lines approved and you earn the Translator badge. There's no money in it, ever: just your words in the game, and our thanks.
Not in the mood to translate? Players in Malti who don't help still get a Suggest a better word link to flag a line that sounds wrong, so a moderator takes another look.
What's in Maltese so far
Honestly, not much yet. A handful of words on the language screens are in Maltese today, and every other line waits for you. The lines appear on screens bit by bit as we prepare each part of the game for translation, so if "Translate this screen" says there's nothing to translate, try another app.
If you've learnt a few words with our Maltese phrases for beginners, this is a good way to use them. If you're a native speaker, we'd love your ear for what sounds natural.
Spotted a problem?
Something wrong with the Maltese itself, or a screen that breaks with longer words? Post it on the community's Ideas and Bugs boards, or use Feedback on your phone. New to the game? Read Malta Living, the free Malta life simulator, then play Malta Living free in your browser and switch it to Malti.
Questions people ask
Can I play Malta Living in Maltese?
Yes, as a beta. Open the phone in the game, tap Settings, then Malti under Language. Lines nobody has translated yet stay in English.
How do I help translate Malta Living into Maltese?
Switch to Malti, then turn on Help translate in Settings. Every app gets a Translate this screen link: pick a line, then vote for another player's idea or write your own.
Who checks the translations?
Our team and community moderators. Votes only order the queue; a person approves every line before it goes live.
Do I get paid for translating?
No. It's a community effort: 10 approved lines earn you the Translator badge, and the game's thanks.
