Accessibility can mean different things to different people. This is why developers and consumers have a difficult time defining accessibility.
Steve and I discussed the fact that there is not a checklist for accessibility. This means that any game that has A, B and C will automatically be accessible to all.
Certain elements are universally applicable, like volume sliders and control rebindings. Accessibility must be considered for each type of game and every gameplay mode.
What works in one may not work in the next. It is important to identify the main barriers and pain points that prevent someone from playing a game.
This is the case with From Softwares titles. Although many people believe that games without difficulty sliders are inherently inaccessible, the latest From Software titles offer accessibility options in terms of subtitles and control rebinding.
Many will argue that if the game has only one mode, it would be fair for all. This is a trap that many developers and consumers fall into, and it is the reason for this post.
Understanding why something is hard can help you understand the reasons. Is it timing, execution, speed or limitations of the game? Imagine that From Software adds an "easy mode" to every Dark Souls released game.
It reduces enemy damage by 50%. 50% damage reduction wont help someone win fights against bosses if they dont have the ability to time attacks correctly and dodge them.
Read Blog: Video Game Design: The History of AI
The Way of the Passive Fist is a better example and the one well be discussing in the next section. I already mentioned it in the post about accessibility.
There are many tweaks to combat that can be made to the game, including affecting parrying times, enemy count, checkpoints and more. All of these options can be toggled at different points. The Last of Us 2 allowed for individual tweaks to the core gameplay loop, depending on their abilities.
They could modify the system to suit their abilities, even if they are not good at stealth but great in combat. Imagine the Dark Soulsseries could have options to slow down or increase the window for parrying/dodging.
This is where things get confusing. Although technically accessible features, these examples are not considered by many people.
Accessibility AND Approachability
Steven shared with me a story about how he awarded a game an accessibility award, but the developer didn't think they had done anything accessible.
This is the basic truth every designer and game industry member must understand: GOOD GAMES DESIGN IS ACCESSIBLE.
Many people view UI/UX as a design tool. My last article tried to clarify the difference between accessibility and approachability. Both are examples of accessibility in games.
However, they approach it from different angles.
To explain my point, I have created a simple chart. Please excuse my poor attempts at making it symmetrical.
The chart shows how accessibility and approachability can affect the ability to play a game. Accessibility issues are first focused on specific conditions like colorblind mode or support for specific hardware.
Then they expand to include font size changes and volume sliders. Accessibility solutions can be toggled or "layered" on the core gameplay and design to make the game accessible, but they do not alter the games playability.
Approachability (or UI/UX design) is the ability to make changes in the gameplay or design for a title so that more people can access it.
Simple examples include making the UI more understandable, and more complex ones are redesigning the system or the game to make it easier.
These would be elements that are more accessible to larger groups, and could influence accessibility and accessibility.
This graph has one more important aspect. Both accessibility elements and approachability elements must be present for a games accessibility to be considered accessible.
If the games UI and mechanics are not clear or confusing, it doesnt matter how accommodating your game is in making it accessible. A well-constructed game may not be accessible to people with disabilities.
Accessibility and approachability are both about making it easier for people to play.
This brings us back to the beginning of this post. There is no universal approach to making a game accessible. Its unlikely that you will find a game engine with the toggle "Make Good Tutorial" Y/N.
If your game only has generic difficulty sliders (or blankets), that would be considered accessibility. If your game allows you to customize the different gameplay loops, this would be considered approachability.
Get started early
Let me conclude by addressing something that is important to developers. It is better to begin thinking about accessibility and approachability as soon as possible when we are discussing videogames.
This is where accessibility SIGS and Ablegamers can help you to understand the issues. Steve also mentioned that accessibility options can be expensive. They are very affordable if you think about including them in your games development.
It is something that I find a little more difficult to grasp. My greatest accomplishment in design analysis is my ability to spot UI/UX problems in games. You dont know much about it until its there, but once youve done that, its something you wont forget.
You can playtest and playtest. playtest is your game. You can test if there are any issues that prevent people from playing the game. Last but not least, accessibility does not mean that people can play videogames more easily or have lower chances of winning.
It is meant to allow more people to enjoy games. This is something every designer should strive for.
