Generation Zero
An 80s horror-inspired identity exploration for Avalanche Studios.
Identity Design
Background
Generation Zero is an open-world co-op game from Avalanche Studios, set in an alternate 1980s Sweden overrun by hostile machines. We were asked to explore what its brand could look like, aiming for something that felt as much like a lost 80s horror film as a modern game. We explored three typographic directions (sans serif, condensed and serif) and tried each one in a range of lockups.
The Treatments
Taking the condensed direction further, we tested the wordmark in a series of treatments: neon outlines, VHS glow, cracked earth, stenciled paint on concrete, and the game's own world seen through the letters.
Conclusion
A horror adventure in the Swedish countryside is an irresistible subject for a studio like ours. A tall, poster-sized wordmark gave the game a title that could have come off a dusty VHS shelf, and it proved flexible enough to carry every mood we tried.
