Filed under: Utilities, Web services, Time-Wasters
Time-Waster: So you think you know Helvetica?
by Nik Fletcher Oct 1st 2009 at 1:00PM
You're shown 20 logos, each rendered in both Arial and Helvetica. All you have to do is correctly select the logo that was originally rendered in Helvetica. Of course, you shouldn't be referencing any materials during the test - though you'll have to fight temptation as there's some incredibly tricky logos in there, particularly later on when the test throws in a couple of full-capital logos that hide some of Helvetica's easily-identifiable characteristics.
If you're feeling brave, take the quiz and be sure to let us know your score in the comments!
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So, just how good at time waster games are you? Think you've got the stuff? Well, The World's Hardest Game 2.0 doesn't think you do.
Yes, amazingly, it's possible to have a sequel to a game called "The World's Hardest Game". It doesn't seem logically possible, since if the first one was actually the world's hardest, how could another one come along and share the moniker? It made me doubt the name in the first place. That is, until I tried the game.
The mechanics of the game are very simple. You are a small red square, ...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Koki said 1:10PM on 10-01-2009
I got them all right except the Mattel one. Oh so close.
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David said 8:48PM on 10-01-2009
Me too - I always knew Mattel was evil!
michas_pi said 1:11PM on 10-01-2009
I got a seventeen out of twenty.
Arial makes some of the logos just look really weird.
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Sanskrit said 2:55PM on 10-01-2009
Ditto on the 17/20.
Trentttt said 1:21PM on 10-01-2009
Only screwed up on Toyota, thing's impossible!!
The key difference to solve is in the lowercase t, c and the width of the capital A.
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yokken said 4:09PM on 10-01-2009
Yeah, that's the only one I got wrong as well. I was really pissed when I got it wrong. It's SO hard to tell the difference. I tried to remember the width difference, and how the Helvetica A is taller and skinnier, but I guess I was wrong in that case. Damn Toyota.
smurf said 6:07PM on 10-01-2009
the key here is the O helvetica's is more of a perfect circle
Level 5 said 1:31PM on 10-01-2009
I only got the Mattel one wrong. The difference is in the A there, I didn't spot it.
lower case c, e, a, s, y, t, r make it easy to spot. On all letters the serifs should all be at 90 degree angles. If it's not, it's Arial.
I love helv though. I use it in most GD projects, and most of my personal flyers, art, covers etc. I feel it's the most versatile and classic font there is.
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notatoad said 1:40PM on 10-01-2009
the mattel one is prettymuch impossible to tell the difference, all the others are easy because, as level5 says, the 'serifs' are at 90 degrees.
the 3M logo looks really screwed up in arial
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dp said 1:49PM on 10-01-2009
I got 19/20 right. It's the all upper-case ones that can be difficult.
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Hitmaker said 2:03PM on 10-01-2009
18/20 - Only missed the Staples and Mattel logos.
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Ethan said 8:58PM on 10-01-2009
Likewise!
timothyhudson said 3:01PM on 10-01-2009
I got them all right. Then again, I use Helvetica on a daily basis.
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phez said 3:23PM on 10-01-2009
Are you shitting me? All these logos are using EITHER arial or helvetica? LOL.
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Mats said 5:33PM on 10-01-2009
17/20 - could have made it a lot harder I reckon.
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Jonk said 12:07AM on 10-02-2009
19/20, missed Mattel too. This is kind of a dumb test. I'm not even a "fan" or Helvetica or anything and I got 19 right the first try. The weight gives it away almost every time. I know people go nuts because Arial is a copy or whatever, but I like Arial. You know why? It looks almost exactly the same and it's free!
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Momo said 3:10AM on 10-02-2009
argh 15/20..
It looked like a comparison of width for a long while.
I guessed most of them.. but then I do use arial a lot which allows me to make a more intelligent guess. ^ ^
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Tagbert said 10:36AM on 10-02-2009
Arial is a design that was based on Helvetica but optimized for screen rendering. That is why is it more "open" in some of the voids and the "serif" ends.
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Alex M said 12:51PM on 10-02-2009
Aced it. :)
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Alex Chandra said 11:44PM on 10-04-2009
got 19/20.. victim of trial and error only on the first one (AGFA).. should've been able to get 20/20 if I guessed right on the first one.. :P
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