Since the early days of FontStruct in 2008, designers have used the Fontstructor editor to create fonts for games. Games designers have a special thirst for original typefaces to use in their interfaces and worlds. An appropriate typeface is central to defining the gaming experience and the branding of a game.

FontStruct is a great tool for realising games typefaces easily and, of course, for free. Modular, grid-based fonts typefaces are often a perfect fit for games especially where the pixel-graphic aesthetic remains important.

Fonts for games are seldom dull and conventional. They are often fun and expressive and sometimes, for example where conlangs come into play, they don’t need to worry as much about legibility as fonts intended for use in other media.

For the new FontStruct competition we’d like you to design an FontStruction on the theme of “Game”. You can interpret the theme as broadly as you’d like, as long as you can somehow relate it to the idea of a game or gameplay. You could create a font for an imaginary or existing game. Your font could be designed for text, pictograms or character sprites. The font itself could be a game! For this competition though, please no recreations of fonts or sprites from existing games.

Remember to tag your entry with “Gamecomp” before the 21st of November and don’t forget to upload a sample image.

Before starting, please read the rules below carefully, even if you are a frequent FontStructor.

Competition Time Period

Tuesday, October 28th 2014 – November 21st, 2014

Competition Rules

1. You must be a registered FontStruct user.
2. Your submission(s) must be posted and made “public” between October 28th – November 21st 2014. Although you are encouraged to share your submission(s) at any time between these dates, your FontStruction submission(s) must be public (marked “share with everyone”) no later then November 21st at 11pm PST. Additionally, your submission(s) must remain public until November 30th 2014 in order to give the judges enough time to review all qualifying entries.
3. Your submission(s) must be tagged with a “Gamecomp” tag. (For fairness, during the competition time period, no FontStruction with the “Gamecomp” tag will be awarded a Top Pick or be available for a Featured FontStruction pick.)
4. Your submission(s) must be downloadable. If your FontStruction cannot be downloaded, the submission will be disqualified.
5. Your submission must be a newly published FontStruction. Simply adding the “Gamecomp” tag to an already published font is not allowed.
6. For each submission, you must post at least one sample image in the comments of the FontStruction.
7. No letters in each submission can be MORE THAN 48 bricks high.
8. FontStruct cloning is permitted but the judges will be looking for original work.
9. You may enter up to three FontStructions to the competition.
10. This is a friendly competition. Cheering, favoriting and fun banter is encouraged but cruel and uncivil behavior will not be tolerated.
11. No rules regarding licensing. You may choose any license you like for your FontStruction.

Judging and announcing the winners

All qualifying FontStructions will by judged by the FontStruct staff and guest judges, November 22nd–28th. Three prizewinners will be chosen. One of these will be the FontStructors’ Favorite. Winners will be announced in a FontStruct Blog post on December 2nd.

Prizes

Each winner will receive

• a signed and numbered copy of the FontStruct poster

In addition, all winners will have their winning FontStructions posted as Featured FontStructions for two weeks after the winners are announced.

FontStructors’ Favorite

The valid entry with the greatest number of legitimate favorites at 11pm PST on November 28th, 2014 will be one of the three prizewinners.

Spread the Word

Tell your friends. The button floating above every FontStruction is a really quick and easy way to point your friends and followers to your work. Maybe you can drum up some more   s for your entry in that way, or entice some novice FontStructors into the game.

Questions?

If you have questions just add them as comments to this post.

Fontstructors, Game On!

Header Image, FontStruction Credits: “Yellow’s Foe” by wardaj, and “Medieval Pixel” and “Generic Video Game Font 01” both by Goatmeal.