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Terraria
23 Accessibility Features

We've documented 23 accessibility features for Terraria, including Large Text, Guaranteed Progress, Custom Difficulty, Select Difficulty and No Repeated Pressing. Its accessibility is strongest in Controls and Reading but it also has features in Visual, Getting Started, Navigation, Difficulty and Audio to reduce unintended barriers.

This report is created with input from accessibility experts and the player community to help people find games that have the accessibility features they require. Once you have found potential games on the database, there are excellent specialist accessibility sites that offer in-depth reviews to guide your purchasing decisions.

Terraria looks like a 2D, lesser version of Minecraft. However, this is a game every bit as complex and creative as the better-known block-building game. To the world-crafting and survival, it adds hundreds of items to collect, characters to defeat and bosses to battle.

Our accessibility examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked Terraria accessibility 2 years ago.

NotesAccessibility Notes

In addition to the general settings, in Journey mode, you can set how many enemies can appear at once (or turn them off). You can select a god mode, increase the placement range of items and disable infection spreading. You can also speed up research and instantly duplicate items.

There is a lot of reading of small text in the game that pops up to tell you what you can do with items. You can make the text bigger via the UI Scale in the pause menu, but this also makes other visual guidance bigger.

You can remap the keys and buttons. You can change the cursor colour and border. Can access Smart Cursor by tapping rather than holding. Quick Wall Replace and Quick Trash options reduce the number of presses to build or dispose of items. On Switch, you can use the touch-screen to use items and access inventory/map.

New items are highlighted with a bright border. You can disable the background images and visual effects like storms. You can disable the map. You can turn off gore. You can scale the UI up to double the size and specify a zoom via the menu. On console, you can use the left/right triggers to set a zoom while paused. On Switch, you can pinch on the touch screen to zoom in.

You can change the volume of music, game sounds and environmental sounds.

DetailsGame Details

Release Date: 25/11/2013, updated in 2019

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, Amazon Fire, Android, Mac, PC, PS Vita, PS3, PS4, Stadia, Switch, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One and iOS

Skill Rating: 8+ year-olds

Players: 1-4 (8 online)

Genres: Adventure, Strategy (Action, Collecting, Fighting, Platform, Shooting, Simulation and World Building)

Accessibility: 23 features

Components: 2D Side-On, Blocks, Day and Night, Persistant World, Pixels and Weather

Developer: Terraria Logic (@Terraria_Logic)

Costs: Purchase cost

 

ControlsControls

To complete the main campaign of the game you need to use a minimum of:

  • PC: 6 keys, 2 buttons and 1 mouse.
  • Nintendo: 3 buttons, 2 triggers and 1 stick.
  • Xbox: 4 buttons and 2 sticks.
  • PlayStation: 4 buttons, 1 trigger and 1 stick.
The following table guides you through which buttons you can map to custom controllers:

Action PlayStation Xbox Nintendo PC Notes Required
Drop ◻ Square X Button T KeyUnbound by default on Switch.
Throw Item / Grenade ◻ Square X Button T KeyUnbound by default on Switch.
Jump / Vault ✕ Cross A Button ZL Trigger Spacebar
Interact ◯ Circle B Button B Button Right Mouse Button
Use Item R2 Right Trigger Right Bumper ZR Trigger Left Mouse Button
Movement D-Pad Down Left Stick Left Stick WASD Keys
Aim / Look / Camera Right Stick Right Stick D-Pad Up + + Button Mouse Movement
Map Share Button View Button - Button M KeyToggle.
Pause / Menu Options Button Menu Button + Button Escape
View Inventory △ Triangle Y Button X Button Escape
Aim Zoom Touchpad Movement Right Trigger + Left Trigger ZL Trigger + ZR Trigger Minus (-) key + Plus (+) Key + Shift (Left) KeySwitch requires Pause to zoom

Action Xbox Notes Required
Drop X ButtonUnbound by default on Switch.
Throw Item / Grenade X ButtonUnbound by default on Switch.
Jump / Vault A Button
Interact B Button
Use Item Right Bumper
Movement Left Stick
Aim / Look / Camera Right Stick
Map View ButtonToggle.
Pause / Menu Menu Button
View Inventory Y Button
Aim Zoom Right Trigger + Left TriggerSwitch requires Pause to zoom

Action PlayStation Notes Required
Interact ◯ Circle
Jump / Vault ✕ Cross
Drop ◻ SquareUnbound by default on Switch.
Throw Item / Grenade ◻ SquareUnbound by default on Switch.
Movement D-Pad Down
Aim / Look / Camera Right Stick
Use Item R2 Right Trigger
Map Share ButtonToggle.
Pause / Menu Options Button
View Inventory △ Triangle
Aim Zoom Touchpad MovementSwitch requires Pause to zoom

Action PC Notes Required
Use Item Left Mouse Button
Interact Right Mouse Button
Drop T KeyUnbound by default on Switch.
Throw Item / Grenade T KeyUnbound by default on Switch.
Movement WASD Keys
Jump / Vault Spacebar
Aim / Look / Camera Mouse Movement
Map M KeyToggle.
Aim Zoom Minus (-) key + Plus (+) Key + Shift (Left) KeySwitch requires Pause to zoom
View Inventory Escape
Pause / Menu Escape

Action Nintendo Notes Required
Aim / Look / Camera D-Pad Up + + Button
Interact B Button
Movement Left Stick
Jump / Vault ZL Trigger
Use Item ZR Trigger
Map - ButtonToggle.
Pause / Menu + Button
View Inventory X Button
Aim Zoom ZL Trigger + ZR TriggerSwitch requires Pause to zoom

We've documented 5 accessibility features for Controls in Terraria which deal with how you control the game, different options for alternative inputs and whether you can remap these settings to suit your needs.

Gamepad

Can play with the following:

Multiple Buttons & Single Stick: Can play with multiple buttons and a stick.

Mouse And Keyboard

Can play with the following:

Mouse and Keys: Can play with mouse and multiple keys.

Remap Controls

Can customise the controls for the game as follows:

Remap Buttons: Can re-map all buttons so that you can use alternatives that better suit your play.

Remap Mouse and Keyboard: Can remap mouse and keyboard key bindings, on systems that support these controls.

Button Combinations

Specific button operation required to play

Rapid Repeated Pressing Optional: Quick, repeated button pressing (more than 2 times a second) is not required, can be skipped or switched to holding a button to trigger a repeated action.

 

Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Controls

If you want to play Terraria, but it doesn't offer the Controls accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Controls accessibility:

DifficultyDifficulty

We've documented 2 accessibility features for Difficulty in Terraria which deal with how you can adjust the challenge of play, and whether this is locked once chosen or can be adjusted as you play.

Difficulty Options

Select Difficulty: Select the level of difficulty from a range of presets. This not only offers a way to adjust the challenge of a game but enables you to do so without dealing with individual criteria.

Customise Difficulty: Customise different aspects of the game to create a challenge of an appropriate level. Adjusting elements individually enables you to tailor gameplay to suit your needs and style of play.

 

Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Difficulty

If you want to play Terraria, but it doesn't offer the Difficulty accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Difficulty accessibility:

Getting StartedGetting Started

We've documented 3 accessibility features for Getting Started in Terraria which deal with what support is offered to get started with the game. This includes customising the experience when you first open the game via any onboarding processes it provides as well as tutorials and other assistance when you first start playing.

Assistance Getting Starting

These features aid your play of the game in terms of cognitive load on learning controls, dealing with pressure and coping with the environment and challenges.

Tutorials: There are helpful tutorials and instructions on how to play. Information is provided in a timely manner, with appropriate level of detail.

View Control Mapping: You can view a map of controls during play. This clearly displays the mappings of actions to buttons/keys/mouse/keyboard without having to leave the game. This includes games that always display buttons to press during play.

Assistance For Progressing

These features aid your progress through the game offering different ways of maintaining your progression.

Guaranteed Progress With God Mode: There is no fail state for any game level, where you lose progress or have to start again. Or there are options to make failing impossible: infinite health or lives, unlimited time. Sometimes called God Mode or Unfailable.

 

Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Getting Started

If you want to play Terraria, but it doesn't offer the Getting Started accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Getting Started accessibility:

ReadingReading

We've documented 4 accessibility features for Reading in Terraria which deal with how much reading or listening comprehension is required, how well the game provides visual and audible access to the text and whether subtitles and captions are a good fit for purpose.

Reading Level

How much reading is required to play the game's main path or story and how complex the language is. The presence of voiced characters doesn't reduce this requirement, as it's recorded as a separate datapoint.

Moderate Reading: Moderate reading required. The quantity and complexity of reading are at a level that a high school student (14-year-old) would appreciate.

Text Visibility

Large Clear Text: All essential text is large and clear or can be adjusted to be. The general text used throughout the game in menus, instructions and other key information (excluding subtitles that are assessed separately) is at least 1/20 (46 pixels on 1080 screen) the height on landscape screens and at least 1/40 height on portrait screens. We base this on the full line-height, including the space above and below the letters.

Subtitles

All Speech Subtitled (Or No Speech In Game): All spoken content has subtitles, or there is no speech in the game. This means there is no requirement to hear spoken dialogue or narrative to play the game.

Captions

Speaker Indicator: Textual captions indicate who is speaking (or there is only ever one person speaking). This can also be indicated visually in the game with character icons or placing text in speech bubbles next to the person speaking.

 

Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Reading

If you want to play Terraria, but it doesn't offer the Reading accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Reading accessibility:

NavigationNavigation

We've documented 3 accessibility features for Navigation in Terraria which deal with how the game provides guidance and assistance to navigate its worlds. These are only for games that have traversal and exploration in 2D and 3D spaces.

Head-Up Display

Head-Up Display Navigation: Indication of where to go next with overlaid arrows, minimaps and waypoint markers. This supplements in-game visual and audible cues with additional guidance about where you are and where you need to go.

Adjust Head-Up Display: Resize and adjust the content of the head-up display. This enables it to be made more visible. It can also enable the removal of too much information that can be distracting or confusing.

Game Map: View a map of the game world during play, with the landscape, points of interest and missions highlighted throughout the entire game. This enables the orientation of the player and the world, confirming a direction of movement and the location of destinations or points of exploration.

 

Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Navigation

If you want to play Terraria, but it doesn't offer the Navigation accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Navigation accessibility:

VisualVisual

We've documented 4 accessibility features for Visual in Terraria which deal with how you can adjust the visuals to suit your needs, and offer additional information if you can't hear the game.

Contrast

Medium Contrast: Game uses generally well contrasting and bright visuals, or has a slider to make this the case.

Interactive Elements

Outline Interactive Elements: Characters, platforms and enemies can be outlined or highlighted for visibility. This can be with a large border around the character or a special visual mode that adjust the colour to make characters more visible.

Visual Distractions

No Busy Backgrounds: No distracting backgrounds or you can make them static or blank. This includes the absence of other movement elements in the background that might distract or confuse the action. Where foreground contrast is high, this includes games with some movement in the background that doesn't make it overly difficult to distinguish what is happening.

Audio Cues for Visual Events

Audio Cues for Visual Events: Audio is provided to indicate visual events. Game events or progress highlighted by visual icons, effects or animations are also accompanied by audio to signify that progress. This is useful for blind players.

 

Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Visual

If you want to play Terraria, but it doesn't offer the Visual accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Visual accessibility:

AudioAudio

We've documented 2 accessibility features for Audio in Terraria which deal with how you can adjust the audio of the game and whether audio cues compensate for aspects of the game that are hard to see.

Adjustable Audio

Balance Audio Levels: Set music and game sound effects separately. This enables you to select your preference as well as ensure critical game sounds aren't obscured by other audio.

Audio Events

Visual Cues for Audio Events: Text or other visual indicators of audio events. This mirrors audio indicators of progress in the game with a corresponding visual indication.

 

Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Audio

If you want to play Terraria, but it doesn't offer the Audio accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Audio accessibility:

CommunicationCommunication

We haven’t documented any accessibility features for Communication in Terraria which deal with how you can communicate with other players in the game and what options are available to customise and control this interaction. The following games are similar to Terraria, and offer accessibility features for Communication:

System Accessibility Settings

In addition to the accessibility features provided in the game, you can also use system-wide accessibility settings:

Android
Android has accessibility settings including ways to navigate and interact, although not all games support this.
 
Nintendo Switch
Nintendo Switch has some built-in features, including a lockable zoom, that can be used on all games.
 
Nintendo Wii U
The Wii U has some limited settings, such as disabling rumble and selecting mono audio.
 
PC
Windows has extensive accessibility features. Some, like colour correction, work with games. Lots of accessibility software can be used with PC games, from voice recognition to input device emulators.
 
PlayStation 4
PlayStation 4 has a range of accessibility settings. Some are system only, some work in games (invert colours and button mapping).
 
Stadia
Stadia offers some system accessibility features. Tandem enables you to use two controllers to play one character. This also enables you to connect other controllers like the Xbox Adaptive Controller.
 
Xbox One
Xbox One has a system features, the excellent co-pilot share controls mode and adaptive controller support for all games.
 
iOS
iOS has a very extensive suite of accessibility settings including ways to navigate with voice and comprehensive screen reading, though most of the features don't work with games.
 
Read more about system accessibility settings.

VSC LogoAccessibility Report supported by VSC Rating Board, PlayabilityInitiative and accessibility contributors Andy Robertson


Taming Gaming Book Written by parents for parents, the database complements the in-depth discussion about video game addiction, violence, spending and online safety in the Taming Gaming book. We are an editorially independent, free resource without adverts that is supported by partnerships.

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