Games on Michał Kaczyński

Overreacting, Part 2: Designing reactive dialogue for Polish grammar

Wed, 23 Sep 2026 21:10:06 +0200

More than a variable, actually

A typical game variable might simply return a number, a skill or item name, or another stored value. Kenshi’s variables are named word swaps, and can either be a simple number or one of several pieces of text depending on one or more in-game conditions.

This makes them considerably more interesting (and problematic) from a localization perspective.

From where I’m sitting, here’s the set of gotchas Kenshi has in store for us:

Overreacting, Part 1: Localization compromises in reactive dialogues

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 21:10:06 +0200

A game that hates you

Kenshi is jokingly described by its creators as a game that hates you. It places you in a brutal, unforgiving world, and mercilessly beats you down time and time again. If you manage to stay alive and uneaten — these are separate concerns, by the way — you can do anything you damn well please. And if it pleases you to explore, the game will reward you with deep, thoughtful lore. That freedom, and the hostility wrapped around it, have earned Kenshi a cult following.