Look, we've all been on the internet and around video games long enough that you don't need me to explain Twitter, and you don't need me to explain how disastrous Elon Musk's tenure as the site's owner has been during its first--and hopefully final--year.
With racists not just let back in but given prominence, vital security tools gutted and a once-useful verification system transformed into a boot-licking revenue stream it's no surprise that loads of people are using the site less, and many others have left altogether.
Yet there is still good on Twitter, in places its emerging rivals like Bluesky can't quite match (or at least not yet). Sports Twitter, for one, but also the few remaining accounts that spare us from all the shitheads and dunk QTs in favour of just...showing us cool shit. And my absolute favourite among those is Game+Logo.
Started and run by designer Dan Clarke, it does one thing and does it very well: it shares images of "logos, wordmarks and monograms from the video game industry". That's it! Just the logo, nothing else! Some are modern but most are classics, some are Western, many Japanese. The one thing they all have in common is that they make me feel good when I look at them, and those tiny little dopamine hits can be all I need to help get me through an otherwise bleak day on a failing social media platform.
Anyway, because I love the account so much I thought I'd have a chat with Dan and see what goes into making our lives happier, one carefully-curated logo at a time.
Luke Plunkett: Hey Dan! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Dan Clarke: I'm a designer based in the North West of the UK, and my professional life is pretty varied. My education was in graphic design and digital media design, and I'm definitely someone from the generation who's got a love for both 'conventional' design practice (print/branding and tangible design) but also designing for screen.
My day job is *somewhat* related. I don't really broadcast much of it on social media, but after working in design agencies for over a decade, I now own my own business and operate as a contact Digital Product Designer, which is essentially someone who shapes and designs experiences for platforms and applications; everything from user testing through to user interface design and design systems for digital products. I typically gravitate towards projects that have interesting or challenging problems to solve, so even in a digital space I like working on projects that require the simplification of complex outcomes that work for users.
Additionally, I have a project called Arkotype which I use as an 'outlet' for design related projects around video games. I've had a life-long passion for both games and graphic design, so it's always been about scratching different itches in terms of a career and my own interests. Most recently, the UI work on C-Smash VRS is hopefully one of the first steps towards combining my Product/UX Design experience with my passion for video games too.
I love design that's minimal, structured but also playful. Hopefully that comes across in my own work.
LP: What was the inspiration behind creating the account?
DC: I can't recall the exact inspiration but I do remember it being quite reactive. I'd had a few informal discussions with someone I know who publishes archival zines that document logos with a certain theme or country of origin; I thought it'd be cool to propose a volume dedicated to game logos as it's such a treasure trove, but ultimately it would probably be quite difficult to get the copyright/usage for all the different logos and marks. It was easier for me to create an account and do some curation on Twitter just to get things up and running without the licensing headaches. I'd still love to explore some kind of printed version of the project some day (even if it's just for me).
LP: You've posted so many logos; how do you even remember them all? Where are you getting them from? Are people submitting them, or are you just going "ah, yeah, I remember these guys"?
DC: I *definitely* don't remember them all [laughs]. In terms of sourcing it was a mix of me writing lists of the ones I knew of that I liked, then during the time when the project was more active I found myself going down rabbit holes, looking at high resolution scans of obscure PC-Engine box art, etc. Once the project got going I did have folks submitting, which helped, but I also was mindful that it was quite a personal project so I didn't want to post anything that I didn't feel drawn to personally. By the time I was getting close to 1000 I definitely had scenarios where I'd prepare a logo to share only to find I'd already done it months ago! One of the important things for me was never to let it be too objective; everything I posted was something that I liked personally.
LP: Do you have an all-time favourite logo? Or at least a top 5?
DC: I definitely couldn't pick one - but here's my top 5 in no particular order
LP: Where do you get all the logos? And do any of the more obscure ones need any major work to get them looking presentable enough for the account?
DC: Luckily there are a lot of resources online where this stuff can be found either in high resolution or as a vector file, but there was a few scenarios where I had to do some clean up in Photoshop, particularly anything old or obscure that you might find on the back of a box or something. I have a master Photoshop file that I used during the project to ensure the scale and composition etc. was consistent before I posted them.
LP: You're also on Instagram, but what do you think the future holds for the account now that Twitter is seemingly in its death throes? Any plans to shift it over to other places like Bluesky, or is running 3-4 platforms at a time just too much work?
DC: You're absolutely right, that was definitely the thought behind the Instagram account. I'm spending less and less time on Twitter/X for obvious reasons, so it felt prudent to try and preserve the project elsewhere. As of the time of writing the Instagram account is still relatively 'early' and there's a lot of logos to post but I've gotten into the habit of adding one new post every morning. I wouldn't discount other platforms, but this was very much personal for me and I wouldn't want to turn it into work just for the sake of more likes, etc.
LP: The logos you share skew pretty heavily towards Japanese studios/games, is that for nostalgic reasons, or just because you (correctly) think their designs are nicer?
DC: It's probably both of those things. To me, the Japanese variants of pretty much everything gaming related (box art etc.) just seem more considered, and as a kid who grew up with a lot of imported consoles that's where my head goes when I think about the titles that I remember most fondly. I'd also add that I find it a bit of a shame that games are marketed much more 'globally' now, and I feel that we've lost out on some of the more interesting and distinctive variations that you'd see in different regions.
LP: Less of a question but more of a statement: thanks for running the account man, it's a little bit of joy sprinkled into my day every time I see one of its tweets
DC: No problem at all, I've personally found it very therapeutic as an exercise so I'm glad that it's been enjoyed by others. Thank you!
You can have a very long scroll through all the logos Dan has posted at the account's Twitter and Instagram pages.
