


The best way to learn about what works and what doesn’t is hearing from people with impaired vision themselves. It may be difficult for parents and caregivers who are fully sighted to understand which games will be easier to see. For gamers who find visual games too cumbersome, audio-only games may provide a solution. Because of this, games that are accessible for one person may not be accessible to all low vision gamers. There are many different types of visual impairments, and no two people ever see things the exact same way. Such features create necessary flexibility for players. The Nintendo Switch offers a built-in zoom function, while the Xbox offers co-pilot mode that allows two people to play as a single player. Some platforms provide system-wide accessibility features that help. Playing with a sighted friend or family member can make things much easier. Some offer modes that lower the difficulty, like the Assist Mode in Super Mario Odyssey. In addition, there are other ways to make games easier for people with low vision to play. Screen Readers: Functions that read text and menus as they are highlighted and appear on the screen, such as in Eagle Island.Colourblind: Modes that invert colours or change colours to accommodate different types of colourblindness, such as in Hue.Non-Visual Cues: Sounds and haptic feedback that help direct the player, like Lego games.Contrast: Settings to adjust contrast and brightness, as well as distinct colours with good lighting, like Splatoon.Zoom: Ability to increase the size of all objects on the screen such as in Untitled Goose Game's zoom feature.Fonts: Larger, scalable font sizes and bold fonts, like Moving Out.These games, compiled by Christy Smith, have graphics styles or options that make the games easier to see for people with impaired vision.
