Gaming is one of the largest entertainment segments in the world — bigger than movies and television combined, and more lucrative than them as well. Whether playing on a desktop computer, mobile device, or dedicated system, the perfect typeface will set the tone for the journey. What does that look like?
From the primary logo of the game brand, to equipment menus and mission briefings, typography is the underlying voice of a video game. If done correctly, the right font selection can bring a game to life, helping to reinforce the overall atmosphere and clearly conveying the instructions necessary to progress. Every detail matters when creating a successful gaming experience, and the chosen font is no exception.
Iskra was used in the strategy game Total War: Three Kingdoms, developed by Creative Assembly and published by Sega.
Alverata, Gerard Unger’s eclectic interpretation of the Romanesque style, was chosen for Albion Online, a medieval-based online game with millions of users. The game takes advantage not only of the extensive Latin language support of Alverata, but also its multiscript support by using Alverata Cyrillic for the Russian version.
Making information accessible to every player is a key consideration, so choosing the right font can greatly improve the game experience, especially for those with compromised vision. When dealing with letterforms, there are certain design features that can help promote legibility, such as a larger x-height for smaller text, unambiguous letter shapes which are clearly recognisable, open counters, good spacing, and a thorough approach to kerning. Of course, the actual implementation of the fonts is also very important, and developers need to carefully consider font quality, font style, font size, line length, line height, hierarchy, colour, and tonal contrast to name a few.
The video game community is not just centred on the English-speaking world or those using the Latin alphabet. Well-produced fonts which support more complex script systems allow typography within a game to maintain a consistent look and feel, whether that’s for players based in Europe, the Middle East, India, or Asia. Many contemporary typefaces now support a range of the world’s languages and are conceived from the outset to work harmoniously as a multiscript family.
Some design features to consider when selecting an accessible font for a game’s user interface. Karmina Sans (shown) is an ideal choice for carrying information, especially when put to work at text sizes.
Adelle Sans multiscript is a typeface for global brands and products, thanks to its unparalleled script and language repertoire. The Latin has pan-European, pan-African, and Vietnamese support, covering over 400 languages. In addition, designers from around the world have come together to create Arabic, Armenian, Chinese, Cyrillic, Devanagari, Georgian, Greek, Hangul, Hebrew, Lao, and Thai counterparts of Adelle Sans.
Variable fonts (or formally, OpenType Font Variations) are a relatively new format which allows for multiple weights and styles to be contained in a single font file as predefined instances. The resulting file is considerably smaller than the equivalent static font files and means easier installation and access to almost-infinite styles between those predefined instances.
From an accessibility point of view, a variable font can respond dynamically to the context in which it is used, with many practical applications for user interface design. For example, if the design space supports a width or optical axis, it could become narrower when there is less horizontal space to set the text, or switch to a version with a larger x-height and slightly more weight for smaller text.
Whether there’s a requirement for a single style or an entire family with additional language support, a custom font that’s developed in collaboration with a type foundry can offer complete typographic control within a game. From a branding perspective, a bespoke font can help to make the typography instantly recognisable across a range of game titles and facilitate a unified brand experience.
With a history of gaming typefaces — from Spore or Burly Men at Sea to Three Kingdoms: Total War or Sneaky Sasquatch — we at TypeTogether are expert partners in developing custom fonts for gaming environments. In this way, each font choice can be dialled in precisely to create the best experience, make the best use of aesthetic tone, be functionally adept, and tell the game’s story effectively. Whether the font is a completely new, tailor-made design or a modification based on one of our existing library fonts, find out more about licensing, consultancy, or custom font creation by contacting [email protected].
Cinco Design was hired by Electronic Arts to develop an integrated identity system for Spore. As part of this project a new custom typeface was commissioned. TypeTogether partnered with Pete McCracken (The Portland Type Company) on the development of Spore’s three-weight tailored type family.
Soleil in use in the adventure game Mutazione by Akupara Games.
TypeTogether is an indie type foundry committed to excellence in type design with a focus on editorial use. Additionally, TypeTogether creates custom type design for corporate use. We invite you to browse our library of retail fonts or contact us to discuss custom type design projects.
