As a game designer, you will definitely agree that fonts have important roles in determining the entire players’ experiences. Choosing the best font for games is therefore should be on your top priority while you are at it.
But, what exactly makes fonts ideal for game design? That’s a common question frequently asked by many starter designers. If you happen to have a similar hurdle, this article can be a beginning that will walk you to every step for mastering the skill.
So, let’s get started now!
Don’t let poor font choices negatively impact your game design. Consider the following aspects when you are choosing the ideal font for your gaming projects.
Different fonts certainly have different impacts on game design. That’s why fonts need to be aligned with the entire atmosphere and theme to set the mood. If you are designing a children’s game, for example, a font with quirky shapes and playful display might be the best one.
It would be different when you are designing a sci-fi game. A geometric shape font with a sleek aesthetic mostly has a better impression on visual style.
Games with poor readability font tend to cause disengagement and decreasing enjoyment. They will likely abandon such games because it surely makes them bored.
So, to improve users’ experience, make sure you choose the best fonts that offer great readability even on a small screen. It will help users understand game instructions faster and easily navigate the game.
When it comes to ideal games font pairing, you need to balance the choice between visual aspects and readability. Don’t overuse fonts with excessive shapes and styles. Instead, try to combine bolder styles with legible and clear types to make a balanced visual.
Practical consideration means you have to select font for games with regard to size and localization. It involves making sure the fonts perfectly perform in different resolutions and distinct language localization.
Other than these two aspects, it’s important to pay attention to licensing aspects as well. You sure have to guarantee that you have proper licensing to legally use the fonts in your design.
Visual hierarchy is another crucial element in UI game design and font selection have a great influence within this element. Proper font selection can create an easy and understandable visual hierarchy, guiding the users to catch essential information practically.
Once you have comprehended all of the essential elements in games fonts, now let’s move to learn about the different styles of games fonts. Generally, there are 6 common styles that are frequently applied in game design. Here’s the complete explanation about each style.
Serifs have a distinct characteristic of small tails at the end of each letter. The tails or strokes make serif fonts typically have a formal yet elegant appearance. As for game design, serif can enhance readability that suits both the body and headings section.
Sans serif has the opposite characteristic of serif fonts, meaning it doesn’t have tails or strokes at the end of letters.
They convey a straight and clean impression which makes them visually simple and friendly for game design. They are also best for titles, short phrases, and screens.
Display is a font for games that have totally different personalities from serif and sans serif. It’s initially designed to create an impression and attention with its bold and stand out characteristics.
When you are using a display font in a game design, you would have eye-catching and expressive presentations. But, the too-stylized look sometimes makes display fonts less suitable for small texts. They will be great when used for game logos or titles.
Scripts often mimic the look of calligraphy and handwriting. They have different types of styles, ranging from formal, casual, brush, and modern. Each type conveys a different feeling and atmosphere, so it’s suggested to align the choice with your gaming purposes.
Decorative fonts have bold and thematic styles that suit to evoke special effects in your game design. They can be paired elegantly with serif or sans serif to give a balanced impact to the visual.
Monospaced fonts are easily recognized as they have the same width letters’ characteristic.
The styles often look mechanical and clean, so it’s technically suitable for minimal or retro game design. Consider using this font style for titles or headlines, rather than long-form instructions.
Among many sources of font for games available today, you must be wondering where to get a perfect font to improve the entire visual aspects of your game design.
But, it’s not a big problem to worry about, HansCo Studio is here to be your best preferred option with numerous great font collections. Let’s start exploring what we have stored for you.
Looking for something cute, lovely, and playful for your game projects? Lover is the best fit for that. With its decorative characteristics, this font is popular for kids or cartoon-themed game design, giving a friendly impression for cute gaming projects.
Use Dinosaur to give an adventurous touch to your game design. The playful and dinosaur-inspired shapes make it also suitable for children’s gaming and artwork. But, if you want to use them for t-shirt design or book covers, Dinosaur still offers great flexibility.
Working on a horror game design, but with a slight playfulness? Here comes Nightmare for your go-to choice. This decorative font style is especially perfect to complement your creative projects under creepy and fun themes.
Different from the previous recommendations, Kora Kora has a special characteristic with its handwritten styles and rough edges. It will make your game design look playful, quirky, but also inviting. Use them for game design with fun vibes or tones.
There are certainly lots of aspects that determine a great font for games. It may involve considering the pairing, readability, and visual hierarchy. Now that you have understood the essential elements of game fonts, lose no time and start designing right away.
With our best selected fonts, you can easily create and adjust everything flawlessly. Scroll on HansCo Studio for a full awesome fonts selection!
