(D4R) DISTRAINT For Research [software files]

Abstract

DISTRAINT For Research (abbr. D4R) is a resource for research purposes (a browser video game) for user-centred game translation studies and beyond. The resource is openly available and customisable, and can be run in the browser by linking a direct URL to it. The game is a demo based on the commercial game DISTRAINT: Deluxe Edition (Jesse Makkonen 2017), whose official distribution utilises fan-made localisations into many languages. To make D4R, that commercially-available indie game was ported into HTML5 by the creator of the original game as part of a collaboration with scholars. Researchers can easily modify in-game dialogue and UI texts to use D4R in their projects. All files and instructions necessary to make a working build are available under this repository.

2026-05-14: Open the ReadMe PDF file to learn what D4R is, who made it, what it consists of, and how to setup D4R to make it work. When using a certain localisation file, the authors and post-editors of each of the localisation file used should also be acknowledged, credited, or cited. We sincerely thank the authors and post-editors for assisting in this project. When using D4R, cite this paper in any publications and talks: Hejduk, K.W., Makkonen, J., Sawa, K., Deckert, M. (2026). “DISTRAINT for Research” (D4R) – a resource in game translation studies and beyond. Translation Spaces. John Benjamins. DISTRAINT ©Jesse Makkonen – all rights reserved. https://jessemakkonen.com