Video Game Accessibility

Steven Lambert�Tech Lead working on axe-core

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stevenklambert.com�@StevenKLambert�steven@sklambert.com

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https://bit.ly/a11ySD-video-game-accessibility

Working on Keridwen, an accessible puzzle game based on Sokoban (free demo). https://www.keridwengame.com/

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What does it mean to make a game accessible?

Allowing a player to play a game in a way that works best for them

Four most common problems for players

• Can’t remap controls
• Text size is too small
• Can’t differentiate between your colors
• Nonexistent or poor subtitles

Controls

“Remappable controls are one of the best value accessibility features”�- Game Accessibility Guidelines

Provide a way to remap all player actions

The more granular the customization the better

Don’t forget to change any in-game control prompts to match the new configuration!

Text Size

Don’t make text so small that you can only read it when the screen is less than a foot away

Amazon TV recommends a 28px font size minimum for comfortable viewing at 10 ft away and 1080p

Colors

Users without color deficiency can see the difference but users with Deuteranopia can’t

Don’t use color alone to convey meaning!

Add a non-color identifier (icon or pattern) to distinguish between colors

Make sure colors contrast well against your backgrounds. Recommended ratio of 4.5:1

Provide an option to change the contrast

Subtitles

More players use subtitles than you think. Over 60% of players in Assassin’s Creed Origins play with them on

But as an industry, we don’t do subtitles very well...

Start by following guidelines for text and colors: large easy to read text and good contrast between text and background

Best approach is to add a transparent dark background behind the subtitles

Add option to change background opacity

Don’t overwhelm the player with text!

Use only two lines per subtitle, and max 40 characters per line

Lots of other considerations: timing, showing who’s speaking, keeping them long enough on screen, audio cues, etc.

Recommend watching Making Games Better for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing by Mark Brown

To recap:

• Allow players to remap controls (don’t forget the in-game prompts)
• Use a default text size of 28px
• Don’t use color alone to convey meaning and ensure colors contrast well to background
• Add subtitles with large text, readable on any background, and are short (max 2 lines, 40 characters per line)

More information

• http://gameaccessibilityguidelines.com/
• https://accessible.games/accessible-player-experiences/
• https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc38fcMFcV_vvWOhMDriBlVocTZ8mKQzR (Game Maker’s Toolkit: Designing for Disability)�

Questions

Steven Lambert�Tech Lead working on axe-core

​

stevenklambert.com�@StevenKLambert�steven@sklambert.com

�

https://bit.ly/a11ySD-video-game-accessibility