We’re looking at some of gaming’s most famous cover art to see if any design lessons can be found in their fonts. Please take a look at what we found.
The Last of Us
The lesson from The Last of Us is letting the game speak for itself. There is nothing too flashy in The Last of Us font. It’s standard solid capitals, perhaps a little disjointed in its spacing. But the real mark of The Last of Us is its little detail. Something is infringing on the last line of lettering. It almost looks like germs in a petri dish. Perhaps like a fungus, like the one taking over the world in the game. Of all the easy graphic design projects one might undertake, this is one lesson to take forward: simplicity with a subtle change. It evokes the same dread that the game does.
Fallout: New Vegas
The Fallout franchise, no matter where you start, has always had the same title card. Despite going through three developers, the distinctive “Fallout” across a metal plate like a discarded license plate has always stayed the same, going back to the first point and click Fallout of 1997. Unlike The Last of Us, Fallout doesn’t imagine that nature has reclaimed the world, but instead that the only things to survive the nuclear, ahem, fallout, are the unnatural metal and concrete. That is clear in its title card that is shiny and yet rusted, its letters stamped into it, and with its signature lightning bolt going through the O.
Additionally, each take on the franchise adds its spin. Our favorite is Fallout: New Vegas, which, as you can guess, is set in a rebuilt Las Vegas. So, the typical Fallout font is spelled out in retro bulb lights. No neon here. This isn’t Cyberpunk 2077.
Doom
Doom is a franchise that stands out from the many first-person shooters on the market. In cover art that sees your player overrun with monsters, barely scraping an escape, the word “Doom” is the most memorable aspect. Later releases, like the 2016 version, have simplified the Doom logo, but our favorite is the original, which sees the letters split in half. The upper half is mechanical, all steel and wires, whereas the bottom is organic, all concrete and cracks. This shows the duality of the creatures you face in Hell, which is depicted as both depending on your level. For example, the Cyberdemon is a minotaur mixing the two with a cannon for an arm and a metal leg.
The lettering has gone through a few iterations, some with fire, some reduced to simple white lettering, but it always retains its distinctive shape, which could depict teeth or mountains, depending on how you see it. The lesson is that when you have a recognizable element, don’t change it.
Stardew Valley
Stepping away from the high adrenaline of Doom to the complete opposite, the epitome of cozy games: Stardew Valley.
Arguably, Stardew Valley’s title screen is its most recognizable asset. Its first photo on mobile and game shops is the title, depicting rolling hills and starry skies and the name, Stardew Valley, spelled out in wood. It’s simple, it’s minimalist, and it’s calm, much like the game itself. The game has you taking over a farm in a rural town, so an emphasis on nature is a given.
