Celebrating the history of video games
Game On 2.0 is an exhibition featuring the world’s largest selection of playable video games from the past 60 years alongside original artwork and memorabilia. We were commissioned by Centre for Life and Barbican to produce the graphical concept for the entire exhibition.

A graphical 8-bit pixel concept was created and used in monochrome throughout the exhibition so that the murals did not compete and become lost within all the colourful flickering screens. The graphics needed to complement the busy exhibition but not compete and the style established the murals in a context that audiences from across the gaming generations could understand, even allowing visitors to revel in different icons that related to their own unique memories of gaming.

We produced three types of animation for the Game On 2.0 exhibition to enhance different areas of the space. A mesmeric ‘Loading’ graphic was created for the queue area which nods to the original loading screens of the cassette-based games of the 1980’s. A large scrolling arcade game style projection was also created as well as a completely bespoke series of mini games which played on a loop enhancing the space and adding to the excitement of Game On 2.0.

A bespoke typeface was created, further enhancing the overall concept for the exhibition. We used an original sans serif typeface and adapted elements to show a pixel within several characters. The typeface was then used throughout the exhibition on over 400 individual information boards, hand held games instructions and other internal items.

Game On 2.0 was a huge success and with over 150,000 visitors became the second most attended exhibition in Centre for Life’s history.