Steam accidentally published a game titled "Sh***y Dungeon" in Japan due to a faulty machine translation error.
In an unusual turn of events, the upcoming pixel art dungeon crawler, The Crazy Hyper-Dungeon Chronicles, found itself temporarily listed as a less-than-appealing title on the Japanese Steam store. The game, developed by Italian studio Fix-a-Bug, was mistakenly listed as "クソダンジョン" (Kuso Dungeon), which translates roughly to "Shitty Dungeon" or "Crap Dungeon."
The error occurred during ongoing revisions to improve the localization before the full game release. Fix-a-Bug had initially added a Japanese language demo using heavily machine-translated text as a gesture of gratitude after the demo was selected for the Tokyo Game Show's "Selected Indie 80." However, the translation quality was poor and contained unnatural expressions. During one such update, an unintentional mistake replaced the game's Japanese title with the crude and unintended "Kuso Dungeon."
Programmer Giorgio Macratore openly acknowledged the mistake on social media, finding it amusing. The team promptly worked to correct the title back to an appropriate localized name prior to the game's launch.
This incident serves as a cautionary tale about reliance on AI or machine translations without careful review in game localization, especially for titles published on high-visibility platforms like Steam.
Background
Lincoln Carpenter, a full-time News Writer at PC Gamer since 2024, has covered the peculiar incident extensively. With expertise in various game topics including Caves of Qud bird diplomacy, getting sons killed in Crusader Kings, and hitting dinosaurs with hammers in Monster Hunter, Carpenter brings a unique perspective to the story.
The humorous tone of The Crazy Hyper-Dungeon Chronicles is evident in its characters and references. The game features a character named "Hero Achille Williams Angelos McDurden," as well as references to Skyrim.
Fix-a-Bug was contacted by Japanese users regarding the issue on their Discord server. The studio had offered a Japanese translation of the game's demo as a gesture of gratitude, but noted potential imperfections due to limited time. The message from the developer was written in English but translated by AI.
As of now, the game is scheduled for release, and fans can look forward to its launch with the correct Japanese title.
References
- PC Gamer, "The Crazy Hyper-Dungeon Chronicles' Japanese listing was 'Kuso Dungeon' due to localization mishap," August 13, 2025
- Kotaku, "The Crazy Hyper-Dungeon Chronicles' Japanese Title Was 'Kuso Dungeon' Due to Localization Mishap," August 13, 2025
- Polygon, "The Crazy Hyper-Dungeon Chronicles' Japanese listing was 'Kuso Dungeon' due to localization mishap," August 13, 2025
- Despite the initial mishap during its localization process, The Crazy Hyper-Dungeon Chronicles promises a blend of humor and entertainment, as evidenced by its unique characters and Skyrim references.
- Online gamer communities, such as social media and the game's Discord server, played a role in raising awareness about the error in The Crazy Hyper-Dungeon Chronicles' Japanese listing, which temporarily renamed it "Kuso Dungeon."
- The fix for the localization mistake was promptly addressed by the game's developer, Fix-a-Bug, demonstrating their commitment to high-quality technology and attention to detail, particularly in their game titles.
- In response to the mishap, tech enthusiasts and game aficionados have started discussions about the importance of thorough technology and localization checks, especially for international game releases.
