Where to Buy Video Game Posters and Art Online

Key Points

  • There are key design decisions when it comes to video game posters.

  • You’ll get a list of notable sites for video game posters, prints, and artwork.

  • Support independent artists when you can.

You’ve gotten the targeted social media ads: video game posters and gaming wall art for your office or gaming space. Celebrations and expressions of what you love to play are clambering for your attention (and the money in your wallet). You might remember visiting your friends’ house, seeing your buddy’s older brother’s Super Smash Bros. Melee posters up on the wall, and thinking, “Man, I want my room to be cool like this when I’m older.”   

Video game box art isn’t in a great spot as of the early 2020s. Digital downloads and their simple thumbnails have hit physical game box sales hard. Further, an established IP address can just slap a character into the middle of the space, put a title above them, and that will be enough to get someone to buy. Even Halo is guilty of this. Not to say that modern promo art is all bad, but you love physical media – especially video game posters.

There’s something to be said for being able to look at an item that isn’t locked behind a light-up screen, something tangible that has a level of connection to the observer. Physical media is a great way to express yourself and your living or gaming space. 

Flash forward to now. You’ve got some spending cash you want to invest into some quality decoration. Maybe you want to show off your space for your friends, family, or even your audience if you’re a creator. Maybe your favorite game is Melee, Halo 3, or any other classic. 

But now you wonder, “Where do I start shopping?” Keep your eyes peeled. You’re about to read a comprehensive guide on how to recognize and where to buy great video game posters online.  

What Makes a Great Poster

Consider some important factors before delving into a shopping search for your favorite video game posters. Of course, you’ll consider the price point, size, age, and condition, but how to recognize (and perhaps even create yourself) good design elements in a poster will bring your decoration skills to the next level. You’ll form your own opinions on what constitutes “good” design or what “should” be put into a poster. However, more insight into how they’re created is never a bad thing.  

Here’s a quick breakdown of essential design elements to consider while you shop for your ideal poster:

Text and Typography

Generally speaking, posters tend to have under 1000 words, not including the title of the project. Video game posters are likely to have far less. It’s unusual to see a poster that has little more text than just the game title and maybe the developer in one of the corners. 

Game poster design doesn’t have to be complicated. You’ve seen the memes of a character standing dramatically in a power pose with the title framed just above their head. At this point, 90 percent of companies will probably just call it quits or commission a third-party artist to do a collector’s edition piece for the game. 

The reason that poster typography looks like this is that it just works both economically and in design. Your title and headings underneath should not overwhelm the viewer. Further, the amount of text in the poster should reflect the game experience as much as the image itself.

As is always the case, there are exceptions to the rule. Many award-winning games will plaster reviews throughout the entire image of “five stars,” “10/10” scores, and claims that the game is “a modern masterpiece.” These rhetorical elements can convince any gamer that this game is quality. They'll even do the same thing to a collector’s edition print they commissioned earlier.  

Layout and Flow

Three words to keep in mind: columns, contrast, and framing. 

You’ll immediately notice when a layout is bad. On the other hand, you’ll spend a good long while studying one that works and trying to understand why it works. A good design layout attracts audiences with a clear, uncluttered approach that works toward two objectives: It’s reflective of the game experience and it spurs the viewer’s imagination. It features the appropriate game title, a character, maybe a location, an in-game item, and more. The information presented is interesting. However, the most important thing is that it all flows.

Consideration of where the viewer's eyes are drawn to is referred to as “flow.” Distinctive shapes, text spacing, and color choices all contribute to this concept. Flow is the natural progression of processing information on the poster, and the design will incorporate structures for this flow. Generally, these include vertical columns, blocking, framing, and more.   

White Space and Color 

This may sound like a no-brainer, but color and white space are the details that can make or break any poster. If your colors are hard to look at – whether that’s a poor text color or the background is too bombastic or bright – it will kill the idea on arrival. 

Color is a surefire way to attract attention. Used sparingly, it can be very effective in tying the entire design together. It becomes that poster you think about long after you’ve finished the game. Great game posters naturally blend gradients — especially in environments that deceptively look like there are fewer colors featured than there actually are. 

Color theory and psychology are science. You’re likely to respond to the color blue far differently than you do the color red. Green is psychologically associated with the natural world and yellow is typically associated with sunlight and laughter. Incorporating this kind of approach, whether based on gut feeling or detailed research, knits together a much tighter work. 

With color comes the natural discussion of “white space.” This term refers to space between design elements and can be any color, texture, pattern, or even just a background image. The use of white space is essential to balancing design elements and organizing the visual message. Color and white space bring the poster to its full potential. 

Now that you understand what makes a great poster, it's time to talk about some notable options of where to acquire your own. 

Where To Shop for Posters 

Sometimes the best price for anything is free. You’ll have plenty of free stock options and even some general outlines on how to make your own posters as outlined above. Software like Canva is free to use and stock imagery is available through search engine results. There are plenty of ways to start creating for yourself. 

In terms of shopping, it's time to talk about some of the best options. 

The Independent Creator Market

Thousands of independent artists are creating Halo and other video-game-inspired posters on Etsy, Patreon, and other creator-oriented platforms. Using forums like Reddit and Amazon, you can find that perfect style and an artist who is eager to create something wonderful for you. Supporting small-time artists instead of dedicated sites has plenty of benefits, including: 

  • Higher likelihood of personalization for you — no one else has that poster

  • Varied skill sets that give art a unique feel

  • Assurance that your money goes straight to artists  

When you buy from smaller artists (and even local ones), you’re getting money into the hands of those who need it most. An art “commission” is the process of working with an artist and their specific style to create unique artwork based on your ideas – much like you do with many tattoo artists. Be sure to discuss international shipping if your artist is located abroad. You might coordinate online through Etsy, Patreon, or Instagram.

Commissioned art also offers the benefit of a piece closer to what you originally imagined rather than ordering a preselected template. Something like this Sekiro print by NoDiscIncluded has a high standard of quality by an independent artist. 

Support grassroots creators, as is Halo tradition!

Cook and Becker

Can’t find prints whose quality meets your high standards? Look no further than Cook & Becker, who partner with studios to bring studio-created posters, art, and decals into the homes of gamers like you. 

As an online art gallery, Cook and Becker works closely with studio decision-makers and artists to get the best prints, posters, and products from mega studio games and smaller indies the spotlight they deserve. Don’t let the price tag scare you off — that price point takes into consideration both quality and longevity for whatever you decide to buy. 

For reference, check out these stunning The Last of Us posters from studio Naughty Dog’s catalog. 

Fangamer

Fangamer does some solid work in the curation department and offers plenty of prints of more niche games like Stardew Valley, Deltarune, and Hollow Knight. For the retro-minded gamer, Fangamer is also an excellent option for old-timey-styled memorabilia and posters. There are plenty of retro game posters and resale options for series like The Legend of Zelda, Earthbound, and Final Fantasy. There’s no shortage of cool material on Fangamer for you to check out including little figurines to go with your video game posters. 

Redbubble

An Australian resource for artists to sell online, Redbubble offers solid print, art, and even clothing options. It operates in a similar capacity to Etsy and Patreon but is worth mentioning in this list giving you more options for decorating your game room. 

Check out this sweet Emile poster from Halo: Reach designed by AlmaFa123.

 

Displate

You’ve probably seen their Instagram ads: Displate creates magnet-mounted metal posters that offer class, customization, rearrangeable, and hallmark video game posters for your needs. Displate has plenty of licensed brands to choose from as well including Halo, Star Wars, Call of Duty, and The Witcher

Seriously though – check out this sleek Yoroi helmet collection poster from Halo Infinite

DeviantArt

Fun fact: DeviantArt sells prints and posters from individual artists who do game-inspired work. There are plenty of video game commissions available from thousands of artists for popular games like Halo, Animal Crossing, and Super Smash Bros. Support artists! 

Society6

Society6’s gaming art prints section is chock full of niche and inspired prints of original work and themed work by artists from all over the internet including some Smash Bros. Melee-inspired artwork like your buddy’s older brother’s poster. But if you’re looking to represent your Halo tribe, there are plenty of Master Chief and Installation artworks for your gamer setup. 

Halo Community Spotlight

The Halo universe has no shortage of incredible inspiration for an artist: lush and tumultuous ringworlds, ancient and hallowed halls of alien supremacy, religion-imbued imagery of the Covenant, and far-future militarization of humanity’s UNSC and their super soldiers. 

As such, Bungie and 343 Industries have highlighted fan creations and even hired some of them to work on Halo projects. The Community team regularly highlights the artworks of passionate Halo fans and provides interviews with insight into the artist’s vision for a piece. Using these resources and every option already discussed, you have plenty of toys in your sandbox to acquire some great Halo artwork for yourself, and you’re supporting grassroots creators. 

Big W!

If You Want Something Done Right – You Know the Rest

Video game posters are a great addition to any gaming or living space to express yourself and show off what you love. You recognize what goes into a poster design and what decisions are made before the pen is put to paper. Maybe you feel the need to design something yourself. Several options have been laid out for you to shop for posters online including Etsy, Amazon, Reddit, and beyond. You now have everything you need to grab something dope for yourself or as a gift for others. 

For everything Halo, gaming, and gear, stay tuned to HaloHYPE!

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