diff --git a/assets/ui/minogram.dtf b/assets/ui/minogram.dtf
deleted file mode 100644
index cbf4aefb..00000000
Binary files a/assets/ui/minogram.dtf and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/assets/ui/minogram.png b/assets/ui/minogram.png
deleted file mode 100644
index c41f917a..00000000
Binary files a/assets/ui/minogram.png and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/src/dusk/display/text/CMakeLists.txt b/src/dusk/display/text/CMakeLists.txt
index 76a85df0..faca5a9a 100644
--- a/src/dusk/display/text/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/dusk/display/text/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -7,4 +7,5 @@
 target_sources(${DUSK_LIBRARY_TARGET_NAME}
   PUBLIC
     text.c
+    font.c
 )
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/dusk/display/text/font.c b/src/dusk/display/text/font.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0c824e1a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/dusk/display/text/font.c
@@ -0,0 +1,168 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (c) 2026 Dominic Masters
+ *
+ * This software is released under the MIT License.
+ * https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT
+ */
+
+#include "font.h"
+#include "util/memory.h"
+#include "util/math.h"
+#include "display/color.h"
+
+font_t FONT_DEFAULT;
+static texture_t FONT_DEFAULT_TEXTURE;
+static tileset_t FONT_DEFAULT_TILESET;
+
+const uint8_t FONT_DEFAULT_GLYPHS[FONT_DEFAULT_TILE_COUNT][
+  FONT_DEFAULT_TILE_HEIGHT
+] = {
+  { 0x00, 0x10, 0x10, 0x10, 0x10, 0x10, 0x00, 0x10, 0x00, 0x00 }, // !
+  { 0x00, 0x14, 0x14, 0x14, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00 }, // "
+  { 0x00, 0x14, 0x14, 0x3E, 0x14, 0x3E, 0x14, 0x14, 0x00, 0x00 }, // #
+  { 0x00, 0x08, 0x1E, 0x28, 0x1C, 0x0A, 0x3C, 0x08, 0x00, 0x00 }, // $
+  { 0x00, 0x00, 0x22, 0x24, 0x08, 0x12, 0x22, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00 }, // %
+  { 0x00, 0x08, 0x14, 0x14, 0x1A, 0x24, 0x24, 0x1A, 0x00, 0x00 }, // &
+  { 0x00, 0x20, 0x20, 0x20, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00 }, // '
+  { 0x00, 0x04, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x04, 0x00, 0x00 }, // (
+  { 0x00, 0x10, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x10, 0x00, 0x00 }, // )
+  { 0x00, 0x00, 0x08, 0x2A, 0x1C, 0x2A, 0x08, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00 }, // *
+  { 0x00, 0x00, 0x08, 0x08, 0x3E, 0x08, 0x08, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00 }, // +
+  { 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x10, 0x10, 0x20, 0x00 }, // ,
+  { 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x3E, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00 }, // -
+  { 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x10, 0x10, 0x00, 0x00 }, // .
+  { 0x00, 0x04, 0x04, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x10, 0x10, 0x00, 0x00 }, // /
+  { 0x00, 0x1C, 0x22, 0x26, 0x2A, 0x32, 0x22, 0x1C, 0x00, 0x00 }, // 0
+  { 0x00, 0x08, 0x18, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x3E, 0x00, 0x00 }, // 1
+  { 0x00, 0x1C, 0x22, 0x02, 0x04, 0x08, 0x10, 0x3E, 0x00, 0x00 }, // 2
+  { 0x00, 0x1C, 0x22, 0x02, 0x0C, 0x02, 0x22, 0x1C, 0x00, 0x00 }, // 3
+  { 0x00, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x3E, 0x02, 0x02, 0x02, 0x00, 0x00 }, // 4
+  { 0x00, 0x3E, 0x20, 0x20, 0x3C, 0x02, 0x22, 0x1C, 0x00, 0x00 }, // 5
+  { 0x00, 0x1C, 0x20, 0x20, 0x3C, 0x22, 0x22, 0x1C, 0x00, 0x00 }, // 6
+  { 0x00, 0x3E, 0x02, 0x02, 0x04, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x00, 0x00 }, // 7
+  { 0x00, 0x1C, 0x22, 0x22, 0x1C, 0x22, 0x22, 0x1C, 0x00, 0x00 }, // 8
+  { 0x00, 0x1C, 0x22, 0x22, 0x1E, 0x02, 0x22, 0x1C, 0x00, 0x00 }, // 9
+  { 0x00, 0x00, 0x10, 0x10, 0x00, 0x10, 0x10, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00 }, // :
+  { 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00 }, // ;
+  { 0x00, 0x04, 0x08, 0x10, 0x20, 0x10, 0x08, 0x04, 0x00, 0x00 }, // <
+  { 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x3E, 0x00, 0x3E, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00 }, // =
+  { 0x00, 0x10, 0x08, 0x04, 0x02, 0x04, 0x08, 0x10, 0x00, 0x00 }, // >
+  { 0x00, 0x1C, 0x22, 0x02, 0x04, 0x08, 0x00, 0x08, 0x00, 0x00 }, // ?
+  { 0x00, 0x1C, 0x26, 0x2A, 0x2A, 0x26, 0x20, 0x1C, 0x00, 0x00 }, // @
+  { 0x00, 0x1C, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x3E, 0x22, 0x22, 0x00, 0x00 }, // A
+  { 0x00, 0x3C, 0x22, 0x22, 0x3C, 0x22, 0x22, 0x3C, 0x00, 0x00 }, // B
+  { 0x00, 0x1C, 0x22, 0x20, 0x20, 0x20, 0x22, 0x1C, 0x00, 0x00 }, // C
+  { 0x00, 0x3C, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x3C, 0x00, 0x00 }, // D
+  { 0x00, 0x3E, 0x20, 0x20, 0x3C, 0x20, 0x20, 0x3E, 0x00, 0x00 }, // E
+  { 0x00, 0x3E, 0x20, 0x20, 0x3C, 0x20, 0x20, 0x20, 0x00, 0x00 }, // F
+  { 0x00, 0x1C, 0x22, 0x20, 0x2E, 0x22, 0x22, 0x1C, 0x00, 0x00 }, // G
+  { 0x00, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x3E, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x00, 0x00 }, // H
+  { 0x00, 0x3E, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x3E, 0x00, 0x00 }, // I
+  { 0x00, 0x02, 0x02, 0x02, 0x02, 0x22, 0x22, 0x1C, 0x00, 0x00 }, // J
+  { 0x00, 0x22, 0x24, 0x28, 0x30, 0x28, 0x24, 0x22, 0x00, 0x00 }, // K
+  { 0x00, 0x20, 0x20, 0x20, 0x20, 0x20, 0x20, 0x3E, 0x00, 0x00 }, // L
+  { 0x00, 0x22, 0x36, 0x2A, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x00, 0x00 }, // M
+  { 0x00, 0x22, 0x22, 0x32, 0x2A, 0x26, 0x22, 0x22, 0x00, 0x00 }, // N
+  { 0x00, 0x1C, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x1C, 0x00, 0x00 }, // O
+  { 0x00, 0x3C, 0x22, 0x22, 0x3C, 0x20, 0x20, 0x20, 0x00, 0x00 }, // P
+  { 0x00, 0x1C, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x1C, 0x06, 0x00 }, // Q
+  { 0x00, 0x3C, 0x22, 0x22, 0x3C, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x00, 0x00 }, // R
+  { 0x00, 0x1C, 0x22, 0x20, 0x1C, 0x02, 0x22, 0x1C, 0x00, 0x00 }, // S
+  { 0x00, 0x3E, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x00, 0x00 }, // T
+  { 0x00, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x1C, 0x00, 0x00 }, // U
+  { 0x00, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x14, 0x14, 0x08, 0x00, 0x00 }, // V
+  { 0x00, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x2A, 0x36, 0x22, 0x00, 0x00 }, // W
+  { 0x00, 0x22, 0x22, 0x14, 0x08, 0x14, 0x22, 0x22, 0x00, 0x00 }, // X
+  { 0x00, 0x22, 0x22, 0x14, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x00, 0x00 }, // Y
+  { 0x00, 0x3E, 0x02, 0x04, 0x08, 0x10, 0x20, 0x3E, 0x00, 0x00 }, // Z
+  { 0x00, 0x0C, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x0C, 0x00, 0x00 }, // [
+  { 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00 }, // backslash (not drawn in source font)
+  { 0x00, 0x18, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x18, 0x00, 0x00 }, // ]
+  { 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00 }, // ^ (not drawn in source font)
+  { 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00 }, // _ (not drawn in source font)
+  { 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00 }, // ` (not drawn in source font)
+  { 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x1E, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x1E, 0x00, 0x00 }, // a
+  { 0x00, 0x20, 0x20, 0x3C, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x3C, 0x00, 0x00 }, // b
+  { 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x1C, 0x22, 0x20, 0x22, 0x1C, 0x00, 0x00 }, // c
+  { 0x00, 0x02, 0x02, 0x1E, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x1E, 0x00, 0x00 }, // d
+  { 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x1C, 0x22, 0x3E, 0x20, 0x1C, 0x00, 0x00 }, // e
+  { 0x00, 0x0C, 0x12, 0x10, 0x3C, 0x10, 0x10, 0x10, 0x00, 0x00 }, // f
+  { 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x1E, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x1E, 0x02, 0x1C }, // g
+  { 0x00, 0x20, 0x20, 0x3C, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x00, 0x00 }, // h
+  { 0x00, 0x08, 0x00, 0x18, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x3E, 0x00, 0x00 }, // i
+  { 0x00, 0x02, 0x00, 0x06, 0x02, 0x02, 0x02, 0x02, 0x22, 0x1C }, // j
+  { 0x00, 0x20, 0x20, 0x22, 0x24, 0x38, 0x24, 0x22, 0x00, 0x00 }, // k
+  { 0x00, 0x30, 0x10, 0x10, 0x10, 0x10, 0x10, 0x0E, 0x00, 0x00 }, // l
+  { 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x3C, 0x2A, 0x2A, 0x2A, 0x2A, 0x00, 0x00 }, // m
+  { 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x3C, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x00, 0x00 }, // n
+  { 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x1C, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x1C, 0x00, 0x00 }, // o
+  { 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x3C, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x3C, 0x20, 0x20 }, // p
+  { 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x1E, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x1E, 0x02, 0x02 }, // q
+  { 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x2C, 0x32, 0x20, 0x20, 0x20, 0x00, 0x00 }, // r
+  { 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x1E, 0x20, 0x1C, 0x02, 0x3C, 0x00, 0x00 }, // s
+  { 0x00, 0x10, 0x10, 0x3C, 0x10, 0x10, 0x10, 0x0E, 0x00, 0x00 }, // t
+  { 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x1E, 0x00, 0x00 }, // u
+  { 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x14, 0x08, 0x00, 0x00 }, // v
+  { 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x22, 0x22, 0x2A, 0x2A, 0x14, 0x00, 0x00 }, // w
+  { 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x22, 0x14, 0x08, 0x14, 0x22, 0x00, 0x00 }, // x
+  { 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x1E, 0x02, 0x1C }, // y
+  { 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x3E, 0x04, 0x08, 0x10, 0x3E, 0x00, 0x00 }, // z
+  { 0x00, 0x04, 0x08, 0x08, 0x10, 0x08, 0x08, 0x04, 0x00, 0x00 }, // {
+  { 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00 }, // | (not drawn in source font)
+  { 0x00, 0x10, 0x08, 0x08, 0x04, 0x08, 0x08, 0x10, 0x00, 0x00 }, // }
+  { 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00 }, // ~ (not drawn in source font)
+  { 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00 }, // unused trailing tile
+  { 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00 }, // unused trailing tile
+};
+
+errorret_t fontDefaultInit(void) {
+  const int32_t width = (int32_t)mathNextPowTwo(
+    FONT_DEFAULT_COLUMNS * FONT_DEFAULT_TILE_WIDTH
+  );
+  const int32_t height = (int32_t)mathNextPowTwo(
+    FONT_DEFAULT_ROWS * FONT_DEFAULT_TILE_HEIGHT
+  );
+
+  color_t *pixels = memoryAllocate(sizeof(color_t) * width * height);
+  memoryZero(pixels, sizeof(color_t) * width * height);
+
+  for(uint16_t i = 0; i < FONT_DEFAULT_TILE_COUNT; i++) {
+    const uint16_t tileX = (i % FONT_DEFAULT_COLUMNS) * FONT_DEFAULT_TILE_WIDTH;
+    const uint16_t tileY = (i / FONT_DEFAULT_COLUMNS) * FONT_DEFAULT_TILE_HEIGHT;
+
+    for(uint8_t row = 0; row < FONT_DEFAULT_TILE_HEIGHT; row++) {
+      const uint8_t bits = FONT_DEFAULT_GLYPHS[i][row];
+
+      for(uint8_t col = 0; col < FONT_DEFAULT_TILE_WIDTH; col++) {
+        if(!((bits >> (FONT_DEFAULT_TILE_WIDTH - 1 - col)) & 1)) continue;
+        pixels[((tileY + row) * width) + (tileX + col)] = COLOR_WHITE;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  FONT_DEFAULT_TILESET.tileWidth = FONT_DEFAULT_TILE_WIDTH;
+  FONT_DEFAULT_TILESET.tileHeight = FONT_DEFAULT_TILE_HEIGHT;
+  FONT_DEFAULT_TILESET.columns = FONT_DEFAULT_COLUMNS;
+  FONT_DEFAULT_TILESET.rows = FONT_DEFAULT_ROWS;
+  FONT_DEFAULT_TILESET.tileCount = FONT_DEFAULT_TILE_COUNT;
+  FONT_DEFAULT_TILESET.uv[0] = (float_t)FONT_DEFAULT_TILE_WIDTH / (float_t)width;
+  FONT_DEFAULT_TILESET.uv[1] = (float_t)FONT_DEFAULT_TILE_HEIGHT / (float_t)height;
+
+  const texturedata_t data = { .rgbaColors = pixels };
+  errorret_t textureResult = textureInit(
+    &FONT_DEFAULT_TEXTURE, width, height, TEXTURE_FORMAT_RGBA, data
+  );
+  memoryFree(pixels);
+  errorChain(textureResult);
+
+  FONT_DEFAULT.texture = &FONT_DEFAULT_TEXTURE;
+  FONT_DEFAULT.tileset = &FONT_DEFAULT_TILESET;
+  errorOk();
+}
+
+errorret_t fontDefaultDispose(void) {
+  errorChain(textureDispose(&FONT_DEFAULT_TEXTURE));
+  FONT_DEFAULT.texture = NULL;
+  FONT_DEFAULT.tileset = NULL;
+  errorOk();
+}
diff --git a/src/dusk/display/text/font.h b/src/dusk/display/text/font.h
index 9cdc7b3b..8efce342 100644
--- a/src/dusk/display/text/font.h
+++ b/src/dusk/display/text/font.h
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
  */
 
 #pragma once
+#include "error/error.h"
 #include "display/texture/texture.h"
 #include "display/texture/tileset.h"
 
@@ -13,3 +14,51 @@ typedef struct {
   texture_t *texture;
   tileset_t *tileset;
 } font_t;
+
+/**
+ * Pixel width/height of a single default-font glyph tile.
+ */
+#define FONT_DEFAULT_TILE_WIDTH 6
+#define FONT_DEFAULT_TILE_HEIGHT 10
+
+/** Grid layout of the generated default-font texture, in tiles. */
+#define FONT_DEFAULT_COLUMNS 16
+#define FONT_DEFAULT_ROWS 6
+
+/**
+ * Number of glyphs defined in FONT_DEFAULT_GLYPHS (FONT_DEFAULT_COLUMNS *
+ * FONT_DEFAULT_ROWS), covering the printable ASCII range starting at
+ * TEXT_CHAR_START ('!') plus a couple of unused trailing tiles.
+ */
+#define FONT_DEFAULT_TILE_COUNT (FONT_DEFAULT_COLUMNS * FONT_DEFAULT_ROWS)
+
+extern font_t FONT_DEFAULT;
+
+/**
+ * Hard coded bitmap data for the built-in default font. Indexed
+ * [glyph][row], where glyph 0 corresponds to TEXT_CHAR_START ('!') and
+ * glyphs run consecutively through the printable ASCII range. Each row
+ * byte holds FONT_DEFAULT_TILE_WIDTH bit flags, one per pixel column:
+ * bit (FONT_DEFAULT_TILE_WIDTH - 1) is the leftmost pixel and bit 0 is
+ * the rightmost; 1 means the pixel is set, 0 means it is not.
+ */
+extern const uint8_t FONT_DEFAULT_GLYPHS[FONT_DEFAULT_TILE_COUNT][
+  FONT_DEFAULT_TILE_HEIGHT
+];
+
+/**
+ * Builds the default font's texture + tileset directly from
+ * FONT_DEFAULT_GLYPHS, without going through the asset system - so the
+ * engine always has a usable font to render with regardless of whether
+ * asset loading (e.g. the packed .dsk archive) succeeds.
+ *
+ * @return Either an error or success result.
+ */
+errorret_t fontDefaultInit(void);
+
+/**
+ * Disposes of the default font created by fontDefaultInit().
+ *
+ * @return Either an error or success result.
+ */
+errorret_t fontDefaultDispose(void);
diff --git a/src/dusk/display/text/text.c b/src/dusk/display/text/text.c
index dde87683..a9210fa6 100644
--- a/src/dusk/display/text/text.c
+++ b/src/dusk/display/text/text.c
@@ -9,34 +9,15 @@
 #include "assert/assert.h"
 #include "util/memory.h"
 #include "display/spritebatch/spritebatch.h"
-#include "asset/asset.h"
-#include "asset/loader/display/assettextureloader.h"
-#include "asset/loader/display/assettilesetloader.h"
 #include "display/shader/shaderunlit.h"
 
-font_t FONT_DEFAULT;
-
 errorret_t textInit(void) {
-  assetloaderinput_t input = { .texture = TEXTURE_FORMAT_RGBA };
-  assetentry_t *entryTexture = assetLock(
-    "ui/minogram.png", ASSET_LOADER_TYPE_TEXTURE, &input
-  );
-  assetentry_t *entryTileset = assetLock(
-    "ui/minogram.dtf", ASSET_LOADER_TYPE_TILESET, NULL
-  );
-  errorChain(assetRequireLoaded(entryTexture));
-  errorChain(assetRequireLoaded(entryTileset));
-
-  FONT_DEFAULT.texture = &entryTexture->data.texture;
-  FONT_DEFAULT.tileset = &entryTileset->data.tileset;
+  errorChain(fontDefaultInit());
   errorOk();
 }
 
 errorret_t textDispose(void) {
-  FONT_DEFAULT.texture = NULL;
-  FONT_DEFAULT.tileset = NULL;
-  assetUnlock("ui/minogram.png");
-  assetUnlock("ui/minogram.dtf");
+  errorChain(fontDefaultDispose());
   errorOk();
 }
 
diff --git a/src/dusk/display/text/text.h b/src/dusk/display/text/text.h
index a62bf3bd..60f2fdfb 100644
--- a/src/dusk/display/text/text.h
+++ b/src/dusk/display/text/text.h
@@ -12,8 +12,6 @@
 
 #define TEXT_CHAR_START '!'
 
-extern font_t FONT_DEFAULT;
-
 /**
  * Initializes the text system.
  *