Within the field of

human–computer interaction Human–computer interaction (HCI) is research in the design and the use of computer technology, which focuses on the interfaces between people (users) and computers. HCI researchers observe the ways humans interact with computers and design te ...

, game accessibility refers to the accessibility of

video games Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This feedbac ...

. More broadly, game accessibility refers to the accessibility of all gaming products, including video games,

tabletop RPG A tabletop role-playing game (typically abbreviated as TRPG or TTRPG), also known as a pen-and-paper role-playing game, is a form of role-playing game (RPG) in which the participants describe their characters' actions through speech. Participa ...

board game Board games are tabletop games that typically use . These pieces are moved or placed on a pre-marked board (playing surface) and often include elements of table, card, role-playing, and miniatures games as well. Many board games feature a co ...

s, and related products. Video game accessibility is considered a sub-field of

computer accessibility Computer accessibility (also known as accessible computing) refers to the accessibility of a computer system to all people, regardless of disability type or severity of impairment. The term ''accessibility'' is most often used in reference to spe ...

, which studies how software and computers can be made accessible to users with various types of impairments. In spring 2020, the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

caused a massive boom of the video game industry. With an increasing number of people interested in playing video games and with video games increasingly being used for other purposes than entertainment, such as education, rehabilitation or health, game accessibility has become an emerging field of research, especially as players with disabilities could benefit from the opportunities video games offer the most. A 2010 study estimated that 2% of the U.S. population is unable to play a game at all because of an impairment and 9% can play games but suffers from a reduced gaming experience. A study conducted by casual games studio PopCap games found that an estimated one in five casual video gamers have a physical, mental or developmental disability. As games are increasingly used as education tools, there may be a legal obligation to make them accessible, as

Section 508 In 1998 the US Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act to require Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities. Section 508 was enacted to eliminate barriers in information technolog ...

of the Rehabilitation Act mandates that schools and universities that rely on federal funding must make their electronic and information technologies accessible. , the

U.S. Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdictio ...

(FCC) requires in-game communication between players on consoles to be accessible to players with sensory disabilities. In 2021, video game developers attempted to improve accessibility through every possible avenue. This includes reducing difficulty and enabling auto fire. Outside of being used as education or rehabilitation tools video games are used as identification aspects leading disabled people to work much harder to attach additional meaning when gaming. This transforms the very nature of playing video games into a fight against a digitally divided culture while seeking their own

magic circle A magic circle is a circle of space marked out by practitioners of some branches of ritual magic, which they generally believe will contain energy and form a sacred space, or will provide them a form of magical protection, or both. It may be mark ...

Barriers to access

Video game accessibility problems can be grouped into three categories that correlate to a specific type of impairment: * Not being able to receive feedback from the game due to a sensory impairment. Examples include: not being able to hear dialogue between game characters or audio cues, such as an explosion, because of a hearing impairment or unable to see or distinguish visual feedback, such as different colored gems in a puzzle game due to a

visual impairment Visual impairment, also known as vision impairment, is a medical definition primarily measured based on an individual's better eye visual acuity; in the absence of treatment such as correctable eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment� ...

such as

colorblindness Color blindness or color vision deficiency (CVD) is the decreased ability to see color or differences in color. It can impair tasks such as selecting ripe fruit, choosing clothing, and reading traffic lights. Color blindness may make some aca ...

. * Not being able to provide input using a conventional input device due to a motor impairment; for example, users who rely upon using switch controller or eye trackers to interact with games may find it very difficult or impossible to play games that require large amounts of input. * Not being able to understand how to play the game or what input to provide due to a

cognitive impairment Cognitive deficit is an inclusive term to describe any characteristic that acts as a barrier to the cognition process. The term may describe * deficits in overall intelligence (as with intellectual disabilities), * specific and restricted defici ...

. People with learning disabilities may have low literacy or a combination of complex needs, for instance an individual might also have

Ataxia Ataxia is a neurological sign consisting of lack of voluntary coordination of muscle movements that can include gait abnormality, speech changes, and abnormalities in eye movements. Ataxia is a clinical manifestation indicating dysfunction of ...

or limited coordination. For example, real-time strategy games require a lot of micromanagement, which may be too difficult to understand and to perform for someone with a learning impairment.

Government regulations

United States

In the US, the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act 2010 (CVAA) brought up-to-date accessibility guidelines to advanced communication services (ACS), which is considered to include video games with communication elements including text and voice chat and the user interface (UI) elements to reach the chats. Video game trade groups including the

Entertainment Software Association The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) is the trade association of the video game industry in the United States. It was formed in April 1994 as the Interactive Digital Software Association (IDSA) and renamed on July 21, 2003. It is based in ...

have requested waivers of CVAA enforcement for video games, arguing that while there is strong interest in the video game community to provide accessibility, video games are first and foremost for entertainment and not for communication, and that because of the complexity of video game software, there are few standardized solutions compared to other ACS platforms. The

Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdicti ...

granted a final waiver that expired on December 31, 2018, making all video games developed and released after January 1, 2019, expected to be compliant with the CVAA; games that were partially developed after January 1, 2019, are expected to reasonably meet the CVAA compliance, as well as any game that issues major updates after that date. The FCC would hear consumer complaints about games that failed to meet the CVAA, determine how feasible the remedy would be, and then determine if they should issue fines against the publisher of the game title.

Accessible game categories

Over the past decade, small companies and independent game developers have developed numerous games that seek to accommodate the abilities of players with the most severe impairments and which has led to the definition of the following accessible game categories: * '' Audio games'' are games specifically for gamers who are blind. These games can be played without visual feedback and instead use audio-based techniques such as audio cues or synthetic speech. Th
audiogames
website provides a comprehensive overview of available games. * '' One-switch games'' are games that can be played using switch access and which accommodate the abilities of users with severe motor impairments or cognitive impairments. Th
oneswitch
website provides an overview of available one switch games. * '' Games for people with a learning disability'', people with a Learning disability, may have low literacy or a combination of Complex Needs, for instance an individual might also have

or limited co-ordination. A detailed description o
gaming with a learning disability
* '' Universally Accessible games'' are games that offer multiple interfaces to support different impairments. An overview of universally accessible games can be foun
here
These games are not only great examples of accessible games, but also drive innovation in game design. In recent years, game accessibility has been actively researched, for example in student projects . The unique limitations of the target group make such projects interesting, instructive and challenging for students.

The Game Awards 2020 The Game Awards 2020 was an award show that honored the best video games of 2020. It was produced and hosted by Geoff Keighley, and took place on December 10, 2020. The preshow ceremony was hosted by Sydnee Goodman. Unlike previous Game Awards ...

introduced a new category "Innovation in Accessibility" to honor games that made strides in improving game accessibility, with ''

The Last of Us Part II ''The Last of Us Part II'' is a 2020 action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 4. Set five years after ''The Last of Us'' (2013), the game focuses on two playable chara ...

'' awarded the inaugural title. Many tabletop games require the ability to see and understand complex information. Sites lik
64ozgames.com
provide accessibility kits to make inaccessible tabletop games more inclusive.

Modifications for improved accessibility

Development tools

Electronic Arts Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry and promoted the ...

announced in August 2021 that it will offer five patents related to accessibility, including the ping system introduced in ''

Apex Legends ''Apex Legends'' is a free-to-play battle royale-hero shooter game developed by Respawn Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts. It was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in February 2019, for Nintendo Switch in March ...

'', for free to all developers to use without fear of litigation indefinitely, as well as plans to promote any future patents related to accessibility within video games in the same manner.

Controllers

Small companies and volunteer based groups have modded video game controllers to help make video games more accessible for those with physical impairments. Despite these innovations there is no one-size-fits-all solution for accessible controllers. * '' Game Box Controllers'' are modified Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 controllers, with different switches and are custom to the needs of the individual, with much variety. * '' Ben Heck'' modifies Xbox One controllers to be able to function single-handedly. * '' The Controller Project'' is a volunteer based project where people can request or build custom controller modifications to better other's gaming experiences. * ''

SpecialEffect SpecialEffect is a charity based in the United Kingdom founded in 2007. It specialises in helping physically disabled people, specifically children, play video games. The organisation works with developers to create specialised game control d ...

'' is a UK based charity where therapist and technologists modify game controllers and eye motion software to help better the accessibility for games for people with impairments. * '' Console Tuner'' is a piece of equipment which lets the player use their preferred controller (Xbox, PlayStation, Wii, Mouse & Keyboard) on compatible systems.
Quadstick
is a controller built specifically for quadriplegics. * In 2021 student researchers at the University of California developed and tested a control system based on Facial Expression Recognition with hopeful results. In September 2018, Microsoft released the Xbox Adaptive Controller, which is the first accessible controller created by a large game controller manufacturer. Besides featuring larger-than-normal buttons and controller inputs, the device allows numerous other devices to be connected through it and programmed for various features, allowing it to be adapted to a wide range of potential handicaps. Microsoft also worked other connectivity options to allow the Adaptive Controller to be connected to other consoles including PlayStation units and the Nintendo Switch, as well as with personal computers. Sony followed with its own first-party adaptive controller under the working name Project Leonardo in January 2023. The controller is split into two parts with the ability to customize the physical layout of buttons to the user's preference.

AAC

Augmentative and Alternative Communication Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) encompasses the communication methods used to supplement or replace speech or writing for those with impairments in the production or comprehension of spoken or written language. AAC is used by t ...

technologies are making their way into the gaming industry to improve the social experience for users who are deaf or mute by providing an alternative to mic based communication. * ''Chat Transcription'' by PlayStation allows its user to read what others say and send text to speech messages through the PlayStation 4's Google Play App named "PlayStation Second Screen". * ''Party Chat Speech Transcription and Synthesis'' by Microsoft provides similar functionality to its PlayStation counterpart but presents the information on the TV through a first party solution. * ''Callouts Evolved'' is a cross-play compatible solution that adds Speech Commands and Speech Synthesis to an interactive shared visual interface. It can be accessed on Xbox and PlayStation and is compatible with

Picture-in-picture Picture-in-picture (PiP) is a feature that can be found in television receivers, personal computers and smartphones, consisting of a video stream playing within an inset window, freeing the rest of the screen for other tasks. For televisions, pic ...

Strategies for improving accessibility

There have been several attempts at composing a set of game accessibility guidelines similar to the

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are part of a series of web accessibility guidelines published by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the main international standards organization for ...

. The most prominent is the Game Accessibility Guidelines. Due to the nature of video games though, some of the guidelines are intentionally broken by developers to present a challenge. A good example of this is when

Bungie Bungie, Inc. is an American video game company based in Bellevue, Washington. It is a studio owned by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The company was established in May 1991 by Alex Seropian, who later brought in programmer Jason Jones afte ...

recreated the Vault of Glass Raid. They made several choices to make the encounters more challenging. In the first version, when players were teleported at Atheon there was an indication on the minimap as to where the players went so deaf players could see what door they had to open. In the remake, this indication is removed to encourage communication and present more of a challenge, at the cost of accessibility.

Guidelines by advocacy organizations

The International Game Developers Association (IGDA
Special Interest Group on Game Accessibility
proposed 19 accessibility guidelines in 2004, which were derived from a survey of 20 accessible games. The majority of the games surveyed include games for the visually impaired, and several support motor or hearing impaired gamers. The Norwegian Medialt organization published a set of 34 game accessibility guidelines on their website, based on the 19 IGDA game accessibility SIG guidelines as well as their own set of guidelines. 2012 saw three major launches

in April 2012 by CEAPAT
Game Accessibility Guidelines
in September 2012 by a group of developers, specialists and academics, an
Includification
also in September 2012, by AbleGamers. In 2019, AbleGamers launched Accessible Player Experienc
APX
to increase the number of accessibility experts in AAA studios, as part of their new websit
accessible.games
APX focuses on provided an equal play experience without making designers feel restricted, and adding 'Accessibility Champions' to design teams in large studios.

Strategies from academic research

A general criticism of the guidelines is that they tell a developer what to do but not why or how. An extensive literature survey of existing accessible games identified a game interaction design model that allows for precisely eliciting how a disability impairs the ability to play a game. Based on this interaction design model three unique types of high-level accessibility barriers can be identified. Based on existing accessible games, the following strategies are proposed to make games accessible: * Deaf/Hard of Hearing and

** Enhance stimuli: for example, high contrast

color scheme In color theory, a color scheme is the choice of colors used in various artistic and design contexts. For example, the "Achromatic" use of a white background with black text is an example of a basic and commonly default color scheme in web de ...

, increased font size, color blind friendly

and zoom options. ** Replace stimuli: for example, subtitles or

closed captioning Closed captioning (CC) and subtitling are both processes of displaying text on a television, video screen, or other visual display to provide additional or interpretive information. Both are typically used as a transcription of the audio po ...

, audio cues,

sonification Sonification is the use of non-speech audio to convey information or perceptualize data. Auditory perception has advantages in temporal, spatial, amplitude, and frequency resolution that open possibilities as an alternative or complement to visuali ...

, speech synthesis or haptic cues. * Motor impairments ** Replace input: for example, support for

direct voice input Direct voice input (DVI), sometimes called voice input control (VIC), is a style of human–machine interaction "HMI" in which the user makes voice commands to issue instructions to the machine through speech recognition. In the field of milita ...

or a

brain–computer interface A brain–computer interface (BCI), sometimes called a brain–machine interface (BMI) or smartbrain, is a direct communication pathway between the brain's electrical activity and an external device, most commonly a computer or robotic limb. B ...

. ** Reduce input: for example, switch access scanning and remove or automate inputs. *

Cognitive impairment Cognitive deficit is an inclusive term to describe any characteristic that acts as a barrier to the cognition process. The term may describe * deficits in overall intelligence (as with intellectual disabilities), * specific and restricted defici ...

** Reduce stimuli: for example, limit the number of game objects, or simplify the storyline. ** Reduce time constraints: for example, slow down the game. ** Reduce input: for example, remove or automate inputs that needs to be provided.

Advocacy

Games Journalism articles advocate for accessibility in two ways, generally. First, with simple awareness. More discussion on the topic aids in "justifying the need to address these challenges in the breadth of game culture". And second, with solutions to accessibility problems benefiting players and developers alike. Several Media Outlets and Game Development/Production Companies participate in Global Accessibility Awareness Day campaigns to raise funds and spread awareness among the public as well as their own staff. Stevie Wonder, while presenting at the 2009 VGA Awards, spoke out about game accessibility requesting the industry create more accessible games. Several advocacy organizations and groups have been formed to raise awareness within the game industry of the importance of making games accessible. * In 2003, the

International Game Developers Association The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) is a nonprofit professional association whose stated mission is to "support and empower game developers around the world in achieving fulfilling and sustainable careers." The IGDA is incorpo ...

(IGDA) introduced the Game Accessibility Special Interest Group, founded by Thomas Westin. In 2006, the Bartiméus Accessibility foundation initiated the Game Accessibility project, a project which focuses on creating awareness and providing information for game developers, researchers and gamers with disabilities, led by Richard Van Tol. These two major groups work together as advocates within the game industry for increasing the accessibility of video games for gamers with disabilities. * In 2004, two gamers with disabilities, Mark Barlet and Stephanie Walker, founded AbleGamers.com, set out to further advance game accessibility in the AAA gaming space. Some of their efforts include: pressuring NCSoft to remove Game Guard from the game Aion and discussing with game developer

Blizzard A blizzard is a severe snowstorm characterized by strong sustained winds and low visibility, lasting for a prolonged period of time—typically at least three or four hours. A ground blizzard is a weather condition where snow is not falling ...

the addition of color blind friendly enhancements to the game

World of Warcraft ''World of Warcraft'' (''WoW'') is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released in 2004 by Blizzard Entertainment. Set in the ''Warcraft'' fantasy universe, ''World of Warcraft'' takes place within the world of Azeroth ...

. In 2009 AbleGamers.com started 501(c)(3) nonprofit The AbleGamers Foundation to facilitate their work. * In 2010, the Accessible GameBase was launched by the charity

. This was a site that aimed to develop a welcoming, all-encompassing gaming community. * In 2012, a group of games studios, specialists and academics came together to create the Game Accessibility Guidelines which won the FCC's Chairman's award for Advancement in Accessibility. This website has many tips for game developers as to how to make their games more accessible to those who have disabilities. They raise awareness about the need for accessibility and the ease of which some features can be implemented. * In 2016, the site Meeple Like Us was launched. With a specific focus on board games, it provides comprehensive and detailed accessibility analyses of hundreds of modern hobbyist tabletop games, along with reviews and editorials on a range of game accessibility topics. * In 2018, Susan Banks and Courtney Craven, launched Can I Play That?, a games accessibility resource for gamers and developers. ''Can I Play That?'' expanded upon their previous Deaf / hard-of-hearing video game reviews to consider the wider experience of disabled gamers. ''Can I Play That?'' provides accessibility reviews, news and features, as well as workshops for developers and games studios and annual Accessibility Awards. Despite these, and other initiatives, the situation is far from perfect: Many game developers are still very much unaware of game accessibility. Developers who acknowledge the importance of game accessibility and want to use it in their designs often don't know how to do so. Games developed in research projects usually consist of small demos (" proofs of concept") which lack the quality and (re)playability of mainstream games. This is usually also the case with games that have been developed by small companies and hobbyists. Knowledge about accessible game design that is gained in such projects often fails to get documented. In recent years, game accessibility has become a topic of increasing interest to the academic research community. It is recommended that collaborating with people who have disabilities can vastly improve the results of accessibility initiatives.