In the bustling world of indie games on Steam, making a title stand out can be a formidable challenge. Yet, Italian developer Fix-a-Bug managed to achieve unexpected fame for its 2D dungeon crawler in Japan, thanks to an amusing naming mishap. The game, The Crazy Hyper-Dungeon Chronicles, inadvertently captured attention when its Japanese title translated to “Shitty Dungeon.”
The Accidental Sensation
While its English name remained unchanged, the Japanese Steam Store displayed it as Kuso Danjon, which humorously translates to “Shitty Dungeon” or “Crap Dungeon.” Developer Paolo Nicoletti, in a conversation highlighted by reports, shared that the incident occurred in August during the demo release, prior to securing a professional Japanese translation.
Nicoletti recounted, “Everyone was cracking up, and honestly, I also laughed a lot about it. It was completely unintentional.” This blunder, however, did not derail the game; instead, it fueled a surge in attention and Wishlist additions. The unexpected name change turned out to be a marketing boon, drawing interest from curious gamers.
From Mistake to Marketing Marvel
Reports note the game’s Japanese language page was listed as Shitty Dungeon on August 8, with discussions erupting on social media and the official Discord by August 13. Despite this amusing translation error, the game was chosen for Tokyo Game Show’s ‘Selected Indie 80’ in September, further increasing its exposure. Although initially mired in awkward machine translations, the developers promised polished translations for the full release, coinciding with the ‘shitty dungeon incident’ timeframe.
This quirky naming misstep quickly sparked interest across Japanese social media, boosting the game’s visibility. As curiosity grew, so did the Wishlist numbers, with many intrigued by the seemingly self-deprecating title.
A Surprising Twist
Despite its initial comedic title, The Crazy Hyper-Dungeon Chronicles has proven its mettle, earning a ‘Mostly Positive’ rating on Steam. Players have lauded its witty dialogue, engaging gameplay, and the evident care in its development. Japanese users on social media platform X have expressed surprise at the quality, noting that the game exceeded expectations suggested by its former title. Descriptions of “humor that lives up to the name” and “great, detailed pixel art” highlight the game’s appeal. One reviewer, surprised by the depth of the combat system, remarked on the balance between humor and intense action.
Translation errors, while often unfortunate, have occasionally gifted the gaming world with memorably quirky dialogue. Classic lines like Zero Wing’s “All your base are belong to us,” and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night’s “What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets,” owe their fame to such blunders, transcending their original contexts to become iconic memes.