Breaking Barriers Through Play: Accessible Game Development with Anvaya Feats

Introduction

Imagine not being able to play your favorite game properly because of the way it was designed. For many people this is the reality they face everyday. Inaccessible design in game development causes many potential players to be left out of the fun and connections games bring to people's lives. This causes problems like social exclusion in the game development community which is already struggling with inclusivity.

Working with Anvaya Feats has taught me that gaming should be for everyone which is why on every game project that we take up we always make sure they are inclusive and accessible for everyone to enjoy, this is also a way to empower disabled communities. In this blog post we will share the journey we took when developing Emoji Match, a game designed with accessibility at its core.

Defining the Issue: The Inaccessibility of Play

Digital games are one  of the most popular forms of entertainment, they are enjoyed by 3.32 billion people across the world on many different platforms. This diverse group of gamers spans all generations, genders, and lifestyles. Despite there being over 1 billion people worldwide living with a disability, many mainstream games are not designed to accommodate their diverse needs which include visual impairments, motor challenges or cognitive differences.

Common accessibility barriers in games include:

• Lack of screen reader support

• Inflexible control schemes

• Poor contrast or color-dependent mechanics

• Time-based challenges that penalize slower response times

Not only do these barriers block entertainment, they also block social connections, skill development and the sense of community and belonging that comes with playing games. Inclusive design in gaming isn't just a technical choice, it's a matter of equity.

Lived Experiences: Gaming Through a Different Lens

During the entire development process of the game we engaged directly with people living with disabilities so as to get feedback on what to do to make the game better for everyone. This approach proved to be a better method than the traditional way of adding accessibility features to a game after its development was complete as this allowed us to add core accessible features to the root of the game.

We received the following feedback during the early stages of development, which played a crucial role in shaping the core accessibility features implemented later. One of the first pieces of feedback focused on the visual aspects of the game. Since it is designed for children, many of the visual assets featured bright and vibrant colors, which could pose challenges for players with color blindness. In response, we introduced customizable visual settings that accommodate various types of color vision deficiencies, ensuring a more inclusive experience for all players.

One of the testers who uses a screen reader shared with us how the navigational layout of the game's interface and the corresponding audio cues made playing the game easier as the screen reader could easily navigate between the options available without slowing down the player's performance. 

The feedback we received helped us make a game based on real needs and not just assumptions. The development of this game made us realize that accessibility isn't about making games easier. It's about making them fair, inclusive, and joyful for all players.

Challenges Faced

Some of the challenges we faced during the development of this game mainly involved finding accessibility packages in Unity that would help us achieve our goals. After seeing that most existing packages were either outdated, limited in functionality, or not well-documented, we had to explore alternative solutions, including customizing open-source tools and building certain accessibility features from scratch to ensure the game was inclusive for all users.

Inclusive Games in Action

Our team at Anvaya Feats designed and built two accessible games as part of our mission, the main one that brought the most change was:

Emoji Match

A reaction and memory game based on the story Anvaya Feats, players can either use a mouse or a screen reader with audio cues to navigate through the options of cards available and match similar cards in the shortest time possible in order to win the game. This game is screen-reader friendly and uses audio cues that the player hears to match emojis using keyboard navigation. The game allows for adjustable speed in the text to speech for different comfort levels.

Using these games, we want to prove that adding accessibility features to a game does not take away from its fun, it just simply enhances the experience for a broader community.

Join the Movement for Accessible Play

The future of inclusive gaming depends on everyone. We can take action and make a difference by supporting the development of accessible games as well as spreading the word so that the gaming community can stand by this stance for one another. This game will be available to the public early next year. Sign up for playable early access to the game is available on our website.

Conclusion

Accessible game development should not only be an addition to the game but it should be a necessity, a core factor in the development process. With this we will be able to break down community barriers and create a space for everyone to creatively

connect. At Anvaya Feats, we’re committed to continuing this work.