Choosing the right font can make all the difference in your game. A smart choice of font sets the mood for your game, builds atmosphere, and even helps to engage players. So what are some fonts that work well? And more importantly, what are some fonts that don’t work so well? Here are seven things to consider when choosing a text-based logo or UI for your next game…
- Typeface Readability Of Free Fonts
Make sure you choose a typeface known to be highly readable. Unless you’re trying to create an intentional design choice (such as with rough hand-drawn titles), poor readability will not help anyone enjoy playing your game! To decide whether or not a typeface’s readability is sufficient for your needs, take into account factors such as the font’s x-height, ascenders, and descenders.
- Serif vs Sans Serif
Serif typefaces are those that have small flourishes on the ends of their letters, while sans serif typefaces do not. Which one to choose is often a matter of personal preference, but it’s worth noting that serif fonts can be a little harder to read in smaller sizes. They also work particularly well for printed material – such as books or magazines – where bolder fonts are often used for headings and titles.
- Font Weight of Aesthetic Fonts
Font weight is how thick or thin a font appears. Most fonts have at least a light and a heavyweight, although some can also have medium and extra-bold or extra-light varieties. It’s worth thinking about how much space you want the font to fill, as well as whether you’d like it to be more striking than your other visual elements.
Creative Market
- Font Sizes Of Different Fonts
If possible, don’t go any smaller than 20pt for body copy – and 22pt is generally considered a standard size these days. As a guide, try to ensure that at least half of the letters in your chosen typeface can fit into an area measuring 200x200px. If you’re having trouble figuring out what font size will work best with your logo or UI then look for something which gives you roughly 10 words per line – keeping in mind that some lines may need to be shorter or longer to maintain readability.
- Font Styles of Cute Fonts
Font style is another important consideration, as it can affect how easily players can understand your game’s text. There are three main types to choose from normal, italic, and oblique. Italic fonts are best used sparingly, as they can be difficult to read if overused. Oblique fonts are simply a slanted version of the normal font, which can help create a sense of movement or action.
- Characteristics of Cool Fonts
When choosing a typeface it’s important to think about the characteristics of its characters. For example, some fonts have more personality than others, lending themselves well to games with light-hearted or humorous themes. Other fonts might work better for dark or serious games.
- Characteristic shapes
When you’re looking for a typeface, try to find one with easily recognizable shapes. This will help players identify important game elements such as menus, buttons, and titles from a distance. Some fonts are more versatile than others in this regard – for example, Helvetica has often been used in both web and print designs thanks to its wide range of weights, styles, and sizes.
- Line Length
Ideally, you want around 55-75 characters per line for optimum readability (including spaces). However, this can vary depending on the font size and typeface used, so it’s always worth testing different combinations until you find what looks best.
Creative Market
- Cultural Appropriateness
If you’re targeting a specific market with your game, it’s important to choose a typeface that will be culturally appropriate. For example, if you’re releasing a game in Japan then it might be worth using a Japanese-style font, or vice versa. Not every culture has its specific typefaces, but it’s something to bear in mind if you want your game to feel truly global.
If you’re looking for the perfect font for your Game Design and Planning, there are plenty of great calligraphy fonts to choose from in Creative Market. Be sure to check it out!
Conclusion
A game developer needs to know the right fonts for their project to create a professional-looking product. There are many different types of fonts, and they each have different purposes. For example, sans-serif fonts are best used for headlines or titles because they are easy to read in smaller sizes. Serifs on the other hand tend to be more readable when printed larger than 10 pt. Another thing that should be considered is how legible your font will be with certain game art styles like pixelated graphics or low-resolution textures.
