Contribution Colour-Coding Key
Aysa / Camilla / Combined
Potential Accessibility Features In Our Game
There are many different features that we can employ into our game to ensure it is inclusive to people with different needs. Having accessibility features is a common thing within the games industry, as many options are simply smaller adjustments that can significantly improve a players experience and ability to play a game.
Noise Filter
One issue that has been mentioned to us is how the pixelation and noise filter may hinder some players ability to properly experience the game. Whilst this effect is good for the overall aesthetic and vibe of the game, it is also probable to cause eye strain and discomfort for certain people, especially those with autism or people with dyslexia. By simply including an option to turn this filter off within the settings menu, we can give players more control over how they choose to experience the game. Doing this ensures that the artstyle and aesthetic is there for the majority of players, but for those who may find this uncomfortable, it gives them the option to better suit their personal needs.
Text
Text-based interactions are a core feature of our game. Whilst this won’t be a problem for most players, others may struggle reading or properly processing it. Providing the player with more options to adjust the text size and speed, also potentially choosing different fonts or colours may help to better accommodate players with glasses, dyslexia, or other related processing difficulties. By allowing the players to customise the main core mechanic of our game, it itself becomes more inclusive and possibly easier to follow. Giving the player the ability to fully engage with the story at their own pace and with ease.
Subtitles
We are unsure yet if spoken dialogue is something that will be implemented into our game. If some spoken voicelines are included, it would be very minimal. But this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t consider how to handle this if the idea comes to fruition. Having an option for subtitles will allow people who are hard of hearing or struggle to process verbal information to properly follow what is happening for the game’s environment. This option, if added, won’t only be for dialogue but also closed captions (tone indicators, changes in music and certain audio key popups). The subtitles will have a similar option to the text where you are able to change both the font, size and speed so the consumer can customise it to their own personal needs.
Game Input
Whilst the core mechanics of the game are relatively easy to follow and don’t require a high skill level outside of the minigames, Keyboard and Mouse controls might not be the most accessible option for all players. Not only is a PC expensive and typically a non-essential, some players may experience mobility issues that don’t allow them to properly play using a Keyboard and Mouse. Making the game less accessible from both a financial and practical standpoint. There is a multitude of ways to combat this inclusivity issue with mobility alterations.
Adding The Game To Mobile
One of the main reasons we have discussed optimising the game later for mobile platforms is due to accessibility. Mobile devices are more common for people to own, as they are seen as an essential to daily life and digital literacy. Touchscreen controls as well are often more accessible for players with mobility limitations as its limited to a small screen, meaning minal movement. If the scope of our project allows, we plan to release the game onto mobile platforms, this is one of our main priorities for the future of the game.
Having Changeable Programmable Keybinds
Some people find using certain keybinds to be more intuitive for them personally. Having the option to customise and change your keybinds allows these people to play comfortably. Not only this, but there are also specialised keyboards and mouse controls that allow players with physical disabilities to play games similarly to that of Keyboard and Mouse. For the future of our game, we plan to include recognition of these products and to find a way for players to easily hook up these accessibility aids to the game itself, letting them change the keybinds from a traditional keyboard to their more accessible one. This however, would be very far into the future as it would require alot of research and trial-and-error which would exceed our current time scope.
Controller Compatibility & Console Ports
We aim to include controller compatibility and eventual ports to consoles. By including controller compatibility of the well known consoles, PlayStation and Xbox, we allow for people of different demographics and platforms to enjoy this experience. By including controller support, we allow for people with limited mobility to experience the game as they have to move less to utilise the controllers inputs. Consoles are also cheaper than gaming PCs, making a port implementation accessible for a low income demographic.