Lately thanks to a study we were able to see the most accessible games for visually impaired players. In recent years, more and more developers are designing specific options for visually impaired users. The use of high contrast, large interface, soundtracks are important factors to consider.
The most accessible games for visually impaired players
Lenstore has conducted a study considering the highest-rated games on various platforms according to Metacritic, and the most popular games in 2020. The features designed to give accessibility have been analyzed and the best game in terms of accessibility has become The Last of Us Part 2 on PS4, followed by the veteran World of Warcraft on PC and the Nintendo Switch and PC game Into the Breach. After them, we find Microsoft Flight Simulator, Dota 2, Red Dead Redemption 2, Forza Horizon 4, Minecraft, StarCraft 2, and XCOM.
The study also analyzes recent releases too and among them The Last of Us Part 2 and Microsoft Flight Simulator reappear, but there are still many games that lack options for color-impaired players.
“Video game development is constantly evolving and the number of accessibility options in popular games like The Last of Us Part 2 is proof of how the industry can create its products to support all players,” says the study, which considers basic options for adjusting text size, as well as recommending voice prompts for texts where possible, auto-aiming, the ability to skip complicated game sections, difficulty levels or improving the contrast level beyond what is usual for each platform.
Outside the world of video games, the study also analyzes the most popular board games and among them, the most comfortable game for visually impaired players is chess, followed by Cribbage, Liar’s Dice, Quarto, and Quoridor.
