Developing Inclusive Games: Design Frameworks for Accessibility and Diversity

Abstract

All players should have the opportunity to play, engage with and enjoy a game, especially games that are designed to educate or transform the player. In addition to the game interface, mechanics and artwork, high quality games must also ensure that all players can use the controls, understand the context, receive information from the game, and have a sense of belonging to the world of the game, or ability to identify with messages and in-game worlds. Design teams may well have the desire to create games that are both accessible and representative of all players, but find the process of doing so overwhelming. Based on evolving work in an educational media studio, this chapter presents two frameworks to guide teams in reviewing the issues involved in accessibility, equity, diversity, inclusion and representation, with recommendations on steps to take towards integrating these design approaches into consistent development processes.