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Xbox One
Xbox X|SWe've documented 22 accessibility features for A Hat in Time, including Low Pressure, Control Assists, No Repeated Pressing, Play Without Hearing and Colour Blind Friendly. Its accessibility is strongest in Visual and Controls but it also has features in Reading, Getting Started, Navigation 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.
Our accessibility examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked A Hat in Time accessibility 2 years ago. It was re-examined by Tyler Brinkman and updated 7 months ago.
Accessibility Notes
In the game you are given directions to items required to unlock chests. Also, one of your hats has the ability to direct you to the next important item.
There is a gamma slider which can be used to adjust the overall contrast of the game.
Game Details
Release Date: 05/10/2017, updated in 2019
Out Now: Mac, PC, PS4, Switch and Xbox One
Skill Rating: 10+ year-olds
Players: 1-2
Genres: Action, Platform (Adventure, Collecting, Puzzle and Traversal)
Accessibility: 22 features
Components: 3D Third-Person, Cartoon and Open World
Developer: Hat In Time (@HatInTime)
Costs: Purchase cost, In-Game Purchases and In-Game Pass
Controls
We've documented 4 accessibility features for Controls in A Hat in Time 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 & Two Sticks: Can play with multiple buttons and two sticks.
Remap Controls
Can customise the controls for the game as follows:
Invert X/Y Axis: Can invert the direction required to control looking and aiming. This enables you to match your instinctive orientation when looking.
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.
Controller Vibration
Vibration Optional: Controller vibration not used in the game or you can disable it.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Controls
If you want to play A Hat in Time, but it doesn't offer the Controls accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Controls accessibility:
- Submerged Hidden Depths (17 Controls Features)
- Catlateral Damage: Remeowstered (10 Controls Features)
- Wavetale (9 Controls Features)
- It Takes Two (9 Controls Features)
Difficulty
We haven’t documented any accessibility features for Difficulty in A Hat in Time 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. The following games are similar to A Hat in Time, and offer accessibility features for Difficulty:
- Psychonauts 2 (3 Difficulty Features)
- Born of Bread (2 Difficulty Features)
- Knack 2 (2 Difficulty Features)
- The Smurfs Mission Vileaf (2 Difficulty Features)
Getting Started
We've documented 3 accessibility features for Getting Started in A Hat in Time 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.
Assistance With Controls: The game can automatically assist with aiming, steering, reloading, jumping, running etc. This reduces the challenge of certain aspects of play to remove barriers and make control of characters more accessible.
Low Pressure: Game tasks aren't time-limited or there's a low-pressure mode. This avoids the pressure of being put on the clock for overarching missions, or failing tasks because you didn't reach a destination in time.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Getting Started
If you want to play A Hat in Time, but it doesn't offer the Getting Started accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Getting Started accessibility:
- Submerged Hidden Depths (9 Getting Started Features)
- Kirby and the Forgotten Land (7 Getting Started Features)
- Wavetale (6 Getting Started Features)
- Smushi Come Home (5 Getting Started Features)
Reading
We've documented 4 accessibility features for Reading in A Hat in Time 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.
Simple Minimal Reading: Minimal reading is required. The quantity and complexity of reading are at a level that a primary/elementary student (9-year-old) could understand.
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.
Voice Acted
Some Dialogue is Voice Acted: Some of the game dialogue and narrative is voice acted. This reduces the pressure on reading all the dialogue text, although not everything is provided audibly.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Reading
If you want to play A Hat in Time, but it doesn't offer the Reading accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Reading accessibility:
- Super Mario Galaxy 2 (7 Reading Features)
- Psychonauts 2 (7 Reading Features)
- Grapple Dog (7 Reading Features)
- Sackboy: A Big Adventure (7 Reading Features)
Navigation
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Navigation in A Hat in Time 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.
Clarity
Large Clear Navigation: The in-game navigation and maps are clear to read. They offer large text and offer markers that are large and of high contrast. Where text or information is small, there are settings to zoom-in and increase visibility.
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.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Navigation
If you want to play A Hat in Time, but it doesn't offer the Navigation accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Navigation accessibility:
- Submerged Hidden Depths (7 Navigation Features)
- Splatty's Adventure (7 Navigation Features)
- Born of Bread (4 Navigation Features)
- Wavetale (4 Navigation Features)
Visual
We've documented 7 accessibility features for Visual in A Hat in Time 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
Large Game Elements: Game characters and other elements are large and distinguishable. Enemies and player characters are at least 1/6 of the height of the screen. Or there is a zoom feature to make them larger.
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 Screen Shake: No screen shake effect or it is included but it can be disabled. This includes the absence of screen shake for dramatic effect as well as to indicate hits on a target.
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.
Motion Sickness Friendly
Motion Sickness Friendly: Doesn't have 3D movement elements that may trigger motion sickness, like motion blur, depth of field and field-of-vision. Or includes the ability to disable motion blur, depth of field and field-of-vision effects.
Colour Options
Colour Blind Friendly: Game doesn’t rely on colour or can switch to colour blind friendly mode with double coding or similar way to avoid colour dependance.
Audio
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Audio in A Hat in Time 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.
Play Without Hearing
Play Without Hearing: No audio cues are necessary to play the game well.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Audio
If you want to play A Hat in Time, but it doesn't offer the Audio accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Audio accessibility:
- Lil Gator Game (3 Audio Features)
- Splatty's Adventure (3 Audio Features)
- Donkey Kong Country Returns (3 Audio Features)
- Grapple Dog (3 Audio Features)
System Accessibility Settings
In addition to the accessibility features provided in the game, you can also use system-wide accessibility settings:
Nintendo Switch
Nintendo Switch has some built-in features, including a lockable zoom, that can be used on all games.
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).
Xbox One
Xbox One has a system features, the excellent co-pilot share controls mode and adaptive controller support for all games.
Read more about system accessibility settings.
Accessibility Report supported by VSC Rating Board, PlayabilityInitiative and accessibility contributors Andy Robertson and @TylerBrinkman23
