That is good to know. Two more things that could help the investigation.
1. What happens on Windows if you force Arial (I assume by removing Microsoft Sans Serif)? * If also broken, it indicates that the game just does not work with Arial. * If it works, it indicates something in wine (besides font selection) is not behaving like native, and that finding how it differs is what remains. 2. What happens on Wine if Microsoft Sans Serif is available?