Accessibility is a major factor in whether some people are able to play the games that they love the look of. In this modern age, more and more game studios are taking a much deeper interest in providing fleshed-out accessibility options. Games are for everyone, and the inclusion of accessibility in each new game should reflect that statement. People in the industry such as Steven Spohn and Mark Barlet are trailblazers in bringing further attention to accessibility. The Able Gamers Charity is there to provide support and create opportunities for those who need it. In terms of finding what games are accessible, it may be a little tough at times to know what you are looking for. This article will list some of the most accessible games on the market. From AAA games to indie titles, there is something for everyone on the list.
Most Accessible Games
If you are simply wanting to get a quick summary of some of the most accessible games on the market at the moment then you will be able to view each game that will be talked about during this article below. The most accessible games are:
- The Last of Us Part II
- The Elder Scrolls Online
- Horizon Forbidden West
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits
- Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
- Kirby and the Forgotten Land
- Assassins Creed Valhalla
- Life is Strange: True Colors
- Horror Tales: The Wine
- Halo Infinite
You can continue to read onwards if you want more detailed descriptions of what each game offers in terms of its accessibility.
The Last of Us Part II
The Last of Us Part II is an excellent example of what true accessibility should look like for an interactive experience. Gaining masses of attention, the game is loved by many fans. Some of the options on offer by Naughty Dog for accessibility range from vision, hearing, and also motor accessibility. There are even presets for each one, meaning that you don’t have to manually configure your accessibility options if you don’t want to. You can choose one of the presets that is already on offer.
There is even text-to-speech that can be activated. The vast abundance of accessibility options found in the settings will have you happily playing through the game with everything that you may personally need for enjoying the game to the fullest.
The Elder Scrolls Online
The list of the most accessible games continues onwards with The Elder Scrolls Online which has recently delivered an update that includes a range of new accessibility options along with the already existing ones that were in the experience. The official blog post lists the development team’s intentions with accessibility and acts as a guide for anyone who needs to learn more about each option.
There are options for remapping efficiently, adjusting various elements of the HUD, and even a dedicated Accessibility mode that you can select and put on for the game. With the range of options on offer, you will be exploring dungeons in no time!
Horizon Forbidden West — An Excellent Addition to the Most Accessible Games
Horizon Forbidden West takes accessibility to the next level with a dedicated option to reach the accessibility options on the main menu itself. Subtitles are also automatically enabled from the start which certainly makes the process of starting the game up a lot simpler. Furthermore, within the accessibility options, you will be able to find a myriad of features and options awaiting you. Some of these have never been seen before in games.
The three main areas of accessibility are covered and one of the new features observed is the ‘Co-Pilot’ system that allows another PlayStation controller with mirrored controls access to the game. A wonderful option to have for those who need it.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Ember Lab made itself known even further with the release of Kena: Bridge of Spirits. The bucolic world is filled to the brim with vast discoveries to be made and loveable characters to learn about. Notably, the game does not shy away from offering players excellent accessibility options.
If you are looking for a game that could very much belong in a Disney movie but also offer a rewarding experience then this experience can be just that game for you. The accessibility options cover the key fundamentals and you can tailor your experience to what you need it to be for you.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
Insomniac Games are consistent at creating effective accessibility options in the modern-day and that consistency continues with Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart. There is once again a multitude of options on offer. Everything from visual aids to motor support with the likes of options that let players customize how weapons can be fired. For people with motor disabilities, allowing players to choose how they can interact with buttons in a less strenuous way is of vital importance.
The game can be enjoyed by everybody and it certainly should be for its effective game design and moreover entrancing environments and storytelling.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land
When it comes to accessibility on the basis of visuals, Kirby and the Forgotten Land appears to pride itself upon making them accessible for everyone due to the wide range of effective visual design that creates an accessible experience from the get-go for many. The bold colors, the brilliant use of contrast between menus and text, and much more.
Further, many other options can be altered within the game’s settings that allow for more support for other types of accessibility that may be required for players. You will be getting through all of the enjoyable quests in no time!
Assassins Creed Valhalla
Assassins Creed Valhalla was a game that I didn’t expect at first to have so many accessibility options although actually, there were masses of them available. Not only does it include everything that players would regularly need who utilize accessibility options; but it also includes support for the Tobii eye tracker which is extremely helpful for those who require it.
Along with the eye tracking support, there are options for hybrid mode (usage of both a keyboard and controller) and auto-movement among many other settings that will assist a lot of people.
Life is Strange: True Colors
Everyone enjoys a good story game and the Life is Strange series has wide critical acclaim and fan support from countries all over the world. Life is Strange: True Colors has accessibility options that will massively help with the general playthrough experience. For the most part of the game, you are going to be in various moments of dialogue so help with viewing text is always great to have. However, given the fact the experience focuses a lot on colors and their links to emotions; it is important that colorblind settings are extremely diverse.
Thankfully, Life is Strange: True Colors does indeed offer a lot of options for color-blindness so players will be able to continue the experience and know exactly what is going on with the emotions at any particular time.
Horror Tales: The Wine — Horror Finds its Place in the Most Accessible Games
Are you looking for a Horror game that focuses a lot on allowing as many players as possible to enjoy it? Then this slightly under-the-radar horror experience offers that up on a beautifully designed silver platter for you. Horror Tales: The Wine has full support for gamepad and keyboard remapping, text adjustments, and assistance with visuals among much more.
Interactions within the world are made easier than ever with options that increase the visibility of any objects that you may need to interact with. Including the fact that the size of the glow around these interactable objects can be heightened thoroughly. Time to get enjoying this horror experience!
Halo Infinite
First-person shooters should also of course get significant accessibility options and Halo Infinite ensures this fact is known with the great variety of settings on offer for people. Colorblind modes are of course a part of the settings but the depth of settings increases exponentially the further you look through the settings menu. There are settings that will aid with sensory issues and the same goes with motor aid and even includes ways to assist with menu navigation.
Accessibility will always be an area of vital importance within the industry. Games should eternally be for everyone and so it is paramount that accessibility settings continue to be added and expanded on for each experience. With these games, you will be able to get a taste of what true accessibility feels like for players.
Many more games could have been added to this list and an honorable mention also goes to Celeste which has great accessibility on the basis of difficulty. An assist mode option where players can be invincible and this mode select will appear if you are eliminated enough times during a level. Nonetheless, whether you are exploring the world as Aloy in Horizon Forbidden West or are immersing yourself in Horror Tales: The Wine. Now is the time to venture into these worlds!
