Best fonts for video games

best fonts for video games

Borderlands 3 is out today and, just like gamers all around the world, we’re bringing out our big guns. In one of the most lucrative industries today, how to choose the best fonts for video games may seem a strenuous task, but then again so is holding a teenager’s attention for more than ten minutes. When pairing the plot and graphics with the best fonts for video games, developers gain an edge.

Don’t let the ‘back to school’ blues hit you just yet. The multi-billion video games industry has the cure for it: Borderlands, one of the most popular video games, released its third chapter today. And, in one of the most competitive markets out there – the one that cashes in on your kid’s attention span – graphics is king. So, you can bet your virtual life on the fact that fonts do make the difference between a flop and hit. That’s why today we’ll take a closer look at the best fonts for video games. 

Borderlands 3 picks off after Handsome Jack’s death and the twins Troy and Tyreen Calypso are up to no good, setting their wicked eyes on the Vaults beyond planet Pandora. Lilith, a character player in the Borderlands series, recruits the “Vault Hunter” (aka you) to stop the Calypso brothers. But that’s about it when it comes to the information about the Borderlands 3 release, we’ll let you save the world and we will just focus on saving your visual identity. 

Best fonts for video games: what to look for

Turns out that all those nights and, let’s face it, years of playing on your console didn’t exactly amount to a graphics diploma. Don’t berate yourself though, the skills you gained by leveling up game after game are irreplaceable. But you were probably more focused on killing bad guys than on how the letters looked when annoying chat boxes popped up. 

Yes, that’s the first clue. When choosing a good font for video games, you have to keep in mind that the setting they’ll appear in must be as little invasive as possible. People want to play the game and get the info they need to level up quick, they don’t want to be forced to freeze the screen just to be able to understand the words coming out of that golem’s mouth. So, legibility vs. time spent reading is your first battle in the war of choosing the best fonts for video games.

Best fonts for video games: let you characters do the time traveling, not your fonts

The second rule for all you Knights of the Font Table is time conformity. Some fonts go extremely well in video games where the plot is set in medieval times, others have that Doctor Who-ish vibe that steampunk themed video games just love. 

Just imagine what mixing them up would do to your focus when trying to summon up all your virtual powers to defeat Mordred, Time Lords or, coming back to the video game of the day, those awful Calypso twins from Borderlands 3. So, when you’re trying to find the best fonts for video games, keep in mind that they don’t only have to look cool, but they have to blend in with the story and decor. 

Best fonts for video games: there are more languages than English, Klingon and Elvish

The third rule when choosing the best fonts for video games is to always remember that your audience is international, so the font should look and convey information quickly in more than English. Although it might seem easier to just choose different fonts for different languages, trust us – and your developers and designers will confirm – that will mess up your entire aesthetic. Let’s say you have a racing game. Your people chose a font for the video game that blends in with the bolder, bigger one used for the scores displayed at the end of the race. You get the point. 

Don’t worry though: if you just keep scrolling down, we’ve put together a list with the best fonts for video games.

Digital Sans Now ML Bold Italic is one of the best fonts for video games and its qualities are clear, just like its characters and lines.

Very versatile, the Moiser Font is adaptable to most video game themes. Its neutrality ensures that gamers focus more on the game rather than the typeface and, in the end, the best fonts for video games are always the ones that blend in.

Most video games have plots that keep you on the run. Everything in the story is going fast and your fonts need to keep up. The Lightspeed Font does just that.

The Medieval Gunslinger could be a great name for a video game, not just one of the best fonts for them.

Andron MC Corpus Medieval Font keeps true to the medieval genre, just without too much intricacies. We highly recommend it as a font for video games.

The Filmotype Western is bold and clear, making it easier for Jesse James to rob that bank.

If sheriffs are your thing, that the Harman Western Font will look great on those ‘Wanted’ posters splashed all across your video game.

One of the best fonts for video games that can be used just as well for zombie attacks or viking raids is Sin Original Medieval Dark.

For times when those cars drive by so fast that, you’ll need a font that’s also on the move. The FuriousRacing font can do the trick for your video game.

Fire up your space engines and take the Space Deco font out for a run. We definitely think it’s one of the best fonts for video games.

And, because we’re total nerds and show the due respect to the OG’s (yeah, you probably know that stands for Original Gangsters, but around here it will always be shorthand for Original Geeks), we’ve also got Klingon and Elvish fonts. You’re welcom.

You can download the Klingon font.

The Elvish Ring font is available for download.

Passionate about fonts or just looking for a quick solution for your lettering woes? WhatFontIs.com provides a catalogue of over 550.000 fonts that you can browse until you find the one that fits you just right. 

Also, make sure you check the Blog Section – you might get that cool idea that will help you better define you visual identity.