TypeQuest! explores the function of typography within video games — a medium where type is essential, but rarely acknowledged as a central design element. Games are not typically viewed as typographic media in the same way posters or publications are; however, typography plays a critical role in shaping the visual language, setting the tone, and guiding player experience in games. When handled well, or handled creatively, it can become a powerful tool for storytelling, atmosphere, and worldbuilding.
As video games slowly gain recognition as a legitimate form of art and cultural expression, it is time designers start looking at game typography with the same critical eye we bring to other media. Even for those unfamiliar with gaming, typography in games can be incredibly compelling and dynamic. TypeQuest! highlights the creative potential of typography in games, and makes the case for treating these virtual spaces as fertile ground for typographic exploration and innovation — not just within the context of video games, but across digital media as a whole.
Letterform Lectures are a public aspect of the Type West postgraduate program. The series is co-presented by the San Francisco Public Library, where events are free and open to all.