BONUS STAGE: START
Japanese ↔ English Game Localization from Start to Finish
We specialize in Voice Recording, Linguistic Consultation, and Translation & Transcreation services that bring clarity, creativity, and cultural fluency to your game.
SNAPSHOT: CLIENTS
Behind the world’s biggest titles, you’ll find Bonus Stage!
We’ve helped indie gems and AAA blockbusters alike cross borders with native-quality translation, authentic voice casting, and sharp, market-savvy consulting. For global releases and launches in Japan, we stay behind the scenes and make sure the game still feels like itself when it reaches a new audience.
You only get one launch.
How Great Games
Get Lost in Translation
Dead Dialogue,
Broken Worldbuilding
Bad game localization happens when scripts are rushed through burned-out freelancers or machine translation just to hit the word count. What comes back? Flat dialogue. Tone-deaf lines. Inconsistent terms that wreck your lore and confuse your players.
Radio Silence
When You Need Answers
Trying to explain your creative vision through two project managers and a timezone gap? Good luck. Miscommunication leads to late changes, bad calls, and localization that feels bolted on, not built in.
Audio Says One Thing,
Text Says Another
Your VO team rewrites in the booth. The script team’s out of the loop. Suddenly, the boss fight has a speech that doesn’t match the subtitles… Or worse, the quest text contradicts the cutscene. Players notice. And they post screenshots.
HOW WE HELP
Clear Communication,
Start to Finish
Our entire team is fluent in both English and Japanese, so nothing gets lost along the way! You get quick answers, smooth handoffs, and zero back-and-forth confusion. No delays. No guesswork. Just localization done right, by actual gamers!
Because great game localization starts with great communication.
You’ll never be handed off to a junior PM or buried in our workflow. Your project is managed by the owners themselves, the same people who built this agency and stand behind every word we deliver.
Game Localization by Actual Creatives
We don’t just swap words.
Our translators have written scripts, scored cutscenes, and worked on games from development through launch. That creative background means we capture your tone, rewrite jokes that actually land, and localize your world with the same emotional punch, and never watering it down. It’s not just about accuracy. It’s about making your game feel right, and that’s what great game localization does.
WHY BONUS STAGE
A localization partner chosen by dev teams who demand more than just translation
English or Japanese, your game localization is led by native translators, voice actors, and narrative strategists who know Japanese game culture inside and out. We adapt to your team’s pace, tone, and creative vision, so the localization feels like part of the game from the start, not something added later because the language changed.
0₊
years of combined experience0₊
AAA titles Completed0₊
AA & indie titles CompletedThousands of lines recorded in both Japanese and English!
OUR SERVICES
Built to Help Your Game Cross Borders and Succeed!
Because players notice when localization is done right... and when it isn’t. We make sure yours never have to think twice.
JP↔EN Game Translation
Our bilingual writers handle UI, dialogue, branching narrative, store copy, and everything in between. We keep the language natural, consistent, and easy for players to follow without flattening the tone or personality.
JP↔EN Casting & Voicework
We’ll help you cast the right talent and manage the entire recording process, from character briefs to final delivery. From tight indie budgets to AAA polish, we’ve got the network to make it happen!
Cultural Consulting
Working on something that includes references to Japan or Japanese culture? In the social media age, ignorance isn’t going to get you off the hook for something being inaccurate or offensive. We’ll help make sure that doesn’t happen!
THE PROCESS
Turning Words
Into Worlds
Game localization requires a balance between speed and accuracy. The Bonus Stage system that ensures translation quality while also fitting smoothly into the pace and workflow of your team.
1
Consultation
We want to know as much about your project as we can to better reflect your vision in the localized language.
2
Translation & Review
Our localization producers get to work on the translation, then a second producer reviews it with fresh eyes. If something needs another pass, we discuss the rewrite before it moves forward.
3
Script Prep & Audio
If your project requires a voice over, we’ll prepare the translated script, cast the necessary roles, and work with our studio partners to give your project its voice.
4
Delivery & Follow-Up
Even when the work is done, we’re still happy to help. We can provide LQA, facilitate and conduct follow-up recordings, and even assist with acquiring an age rating via the Japanese ratings board, CERO.
VOICE
A Word From Our Clients
FAQ
Your Questions, Answered
Because players notice when localization is done right... and when it isn’t. We make sure yours never have to think twice.
Bonus Stage is a bilingual game localization agency helping developers bring their stories to new players.