Game Strings

Overview

This document describes how to use and translate the TRX game strings. Game strings let level builders customize built-in object and level names in custom levels, and translators translate the entire game (including UI) into other languages. The configuration is structured in JSON5 format, which permits comments and supports a layering mechanism for overrides.

Audiences

This document serves two main audiences:

• Level builders: Customize object names, level titles, and UI strings for custom levels and mod packs.
• Translators: Translate the full game text (gameplay, UI, and menus) into different languages.

Quick‑start example

{
    // Override only the key_1 pickup in Level 0
    "levels": [
        {
            "title": "City of Vilcabamba",
            "objects": { "key_1": { "name": "Gold Key" } }
        }
    ]
}

Layering and Override Mechanism

TRX supports multiple layers of strings files that are loaded in a specific order. Later layers override earlier ones, allowing expansion packs and custom mods to selectively override base text. The default load order is:

1. base_strings.json5 — Common defaults for all engines and languages.

2. tr1/strings.json5 — Base strings for the main game.

3. tr1-ub/strings.json5 — Overrides for the Unfinished Business expansion pack (or other expansion packs/mods).

   Depending on which mod or pack you run, the third layer may vary:

   • tr1-ub/strings.json5 for the Unfinished Business expansion pack
   • tr2-gm/strings.json5 for the Golden Mask TR2 expansion pack
   • tr1-demo-pc/strings.json5 for the PC TR1 demo
   • tr*-level/strings.json5 for the -l/--level command line switch

For example, if the same key exists in both base_strings.json5 and tr1/strings.json5, the value tr1/strings.json5 will take precedence.

Each layer can also have a variant translated to other languages - see this section.

General structure

The document is organized as follows:

{
    "levels": {
        {
            "title": "City of Vilcabamba",
            "objects": {
                "key_1": {
                    "name": "Silver Key",
                    "description": "This shows when the player examines key1 in the inventory.",
                },
                "puzzle_1": {
                    "name": "Gold Idol",
                    "description": "You can use \n to make new lines and \f to make new pages.",
                },
                "key_2": {
                    "name": "Rusty Key",
                },
                // etc
            },
            "game_strings": {
                "STATS_TIME_TAKEN": "Time Taken",
                // etc
            },
        },
        // etc
    },
    "objects": {
        "lara": {"name": "Lara"},
        "dog": {"names": ["Dog", "Doberman"]},
        // etc
    },
    "game_strings": {
        "STATS_TIME_TAKEN": "Time Taken",
        // etc
    },
}

Common Object IDs and names

Translation Workflow

Translating each layer

To provide localized translations, place language-specific overrides alongside each base file using the naming pattern <basename>-<lang>.json5. Translation files must live in the same directory as their base (e.g. cfg/). For example, to add French translations:

cfg/base_strings-fr.json5          # common strings
cfg/tr1/strings-fr.json5           # base game strings
cfg/tr1-demo-pc/strings-fr.json5   # TR1 demo overrides
cfg/tr1-level/strings-fr.json5     # custom-level pack overrides
cfg/tr1-ub/strings-fr.json5        # Unfinished Business overrides
cfg/tr2/strings-fr.json5           # base game strings
cfg/tr2-gm/strings-fr.json5        # Golden Mask TR2 overrides
cfg/tr2-level/strings-fr.json5     # custom-level pack overrides

When the game starts, TRX will detect these files and load them in place of the default layer for that language code (fr in this example). Omit any translation file for a layer you do not need; the game will fall back to the English base for that layer by default.

Live reloading (/strings)

To apply changes to string files without restarting the game, use the /strings console command. It reloads all string layers for the current language (common, base, and mod-specific), making it easy to test translation or custom overrides on the fly.

In addition, languages can be switched at runtime without the need to use the UI with the /set language <code> console command (e.g. /set language fr).

New language files are only detected at the game launch. If you create a new layer file, you'll need to relaunch the game to see the effects.

Review system

The development team uses AI-assisted tools to create initial translations. Automated translations are tagged with a special marker \{review} indicating that the text needs human review. By default, review markers are hidden in-game. To enable review mode and display markers, run:

/set review 1

Translators should remove the \{review} tags once the translation has been reviewed and finalized.

language_name

Only supported in the common strings file (base_strings.json5), the language_name property sets the display name of the language in the options menu. For example:

{
    "language_name": "Français"
}

Custom levels

General tips

• Zero-indexed levels: Levels are zero-indexed and match the order in the game flow file.
• Minimal overrides: Only define the strings you need; the game will fall back to built-in defaults for any missing entries. For example:

  {
      "levels": [
          {
              "title": "City of Vilcabamba",
              "objects": {
                  "key_1": {"name": "Gold Key"}
              }
          }
      ]
  }
  

• Renaming any object: You can rename puzzle items, keys, enemies, or any other in-game object. For example, TR2 object #⁠39 (tiger) can be renamed to "Snow Leopard" in a winter-themed level.

Console and object IDs

All objects have names, even if they are not shown in the UI. Use these names with console commands such as /tp or /give. For example, /tp tiger teleports Lara to object #⁠39. Console commands accept partial, case-insensitive names, and will match unique substrings to objects (powered by fuzzy matching). In case the player uses languages other than English, the commands also accept builtin English names (so even though wolf is called a wilk in Polish, on top of /tp wilk the players can still /tp wolf).

For a complete list of object IDs for a specific engine, refer to the game strings files shipped with the relevant TRX builds.