Accessibility of games and game-based applications: A systematic literature review and mapping of future directions

Abstract

Digital game technologies, that is, games and emerging game-based applications, are pervasively spread in society as a means of entertainment, education and exercise, amongst other uses. With this popularity, attention has been directed towards the accessibility of these technologies to people with disabilities to ensure equity, equal access to opportunities and realize earnings from a significant customer group. This study investigates: How is the attention of academic game accessibility research divided across game technologies, disability categories and use domains? And where is attention needed? To answer these questions, I conducted a review of research (162 manuscripts) on game technologies’ accessibility published between 2016 and 2020, inclusive. The reviewed literature appears to have a utility focus (e.g. on education and health management) that relatively de-emphasizes the importance of game accessibility for entertainment or fun purposes. Auditory, motor and mobility disabilities, and emerging gamification, exergames, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are especially under researched in the academic domain.