Design and Play

Some suggest that readability is better when using a sans-serif font. Looking back at some of the classic board games, it seems that sans-serif was the more popular choice over a serif font. Perhaps the reason for this is when the text is shorter and when the demographic spans all ages, sans serif typefaces are more effective. It is believed that it is easier for children to read a serif typeface over a serif.

This gets more technical than the demographic and the feud between sans serif and serif typeface. There is another science behind using a serif typeface over sans serif when it comes to print. Typically around the age when all these games were being produced the details were in the resolution when the box went to print. Studies say that when reading a sans serif font in print it is easier to read due to the dpi. On screen we deal with pixels, but in print we deal with dots. Serif fonts require more pixels to display their extra details. When transferring this to print creating the smaller details on a serif typeface was much more difficult than creating a serif typeface. The details sometimes would get lost or blurred in the transition.