We've documented 21 accessibility features for Altered, including Fully Voiced (Or No Speech), Large Text, Adjust Speed, Low Pressure and No Quick Reactions. Its accessibility is strongest in Visual and Getting Started but it also has features in Reading, Controls, 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, Ben Kendall, first checked Altered accessibility 2 years ago.
Accessibility Notes
To change your character, you need to hold down the spacebar and then use other buttons simultaneously.
The text throughout is generally large, but doesn't always contrast well with the background, making some of it difficult to read at times.
Game Details
Release Date: 12/03/2021
Out Now: Mac and PC
Players: 1
Genres: Brain Game, Sequencing (Platform, Puzzle and Traversal)
Accessibility: 21 features
Components: 2D Overhead and Grid
Developer: The Mesh Potato (@TheMeshPotato)
Costs: Purchase cost
Controls
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Controls in Altered which deal with how you control the game, different options for alternative inputs and whether you can remap these settings to suit your needs.
Mouse And Keyboard
Can play with the following:
Keyboard Alone: Can play with just the keyboard.
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 Altered, but it doesn't offer the Controls accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Controls accessibility:
- Stuffo the Puzzle Bot (18 Controls Features)
- Swim Out (11 Controls Features)
- Puddle Knights (11 Controls Features)
- Patrick's Parabox (9 Controls Features)
Difficulty
We haven’t documented any accessibility features for Difficulty in Altered 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 Altered, and offer accessibility features for Difficulty:
- Sushi For Robots (2 Difficulty Features)
Getting Started
We've documented 5 accessibility features for Getting Started in Altered 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.
Reaction-Time Not Critical: Individual game actions don’t need quick reactions, or there are settings to lower the requirement for quick reactions. This means you don't need to quickly press a button in response to an on-screen prompt, target a fast-moving target or skillfully complete a scenario against the clock.
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.
Adjust Speed: Adjust the speed of the game at critical moments or throughout, or rewind play for a second attempt, to ease reaction times. By slowing the game, you have more time to interpret what is happening and then execute your actions. It also reduces the pressure on getting things right quickly or the first time you attempt them.
No Jump Scares: No sudden loud noises or popping-up scary visuals that unexpectedly appear without warning, or the option to disable them.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Getting Started
If you want to play Altered, but it doesn't offer the Getting Started accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Getting Started accessibility:
- Sushi For Robots (10 Getting Started Features)
- Block Buster Billy (8 Getting Started Features)
- Puddle Knights (8 Getting Started Features)
- Stuffo the Puzzle Bot (7 Getting Started Features)
Reading
We've documented 4 accessibility features for Reading in Altered 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.
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.
Voice Acted
All Dialogue is Voice Acted (Or No Speech In Game): All of the game dialogue and narrative can be voiced, or there is no speech in the game. This means there is no requirement to read the dialogue and narrative text to play the game.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Reading
If you want to play Altered, but it doesn't offer the Reading accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Reading accessibility:
- Bleep Bloop (5 Reading Features)
- Patrick's Parabox (5 Reading Features)
- Kiri's Garden (5 Reading Features)
- Boo! (5 Reading Features)
Navigation
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Navigation in Altered 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.
Clear Mission Objectives: The game provides clear, structured missions with directional guidance and advice on which can be attempted next. This also indicates (ideally on maps where they are provided) which missions can't be attempted because you do not have the appropriate items yet.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Navigation
If you want to play Altered, but it doesn't offer the Navigation accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Navigation accessibility:
- Stuffo the Puzzle Bot (5 Navigation Features)
- Lab Rat (4 Navigation Features)
- Puddle Knights (3 Navigation Features)
- Dungeon and Puzzles (3 Navigation Features)
Visual
We've documented 6 accessibility features for Visual in Altered 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.
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.
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.
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.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Visual
If you want to play Altered, but it doesn't offer the Visual accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Visual accessibility:
- Room to Grow (9 Visual Features)
- Sushi For Robots (8 Visual Features)
- Stuffo the Puzzle Bot (7 Visual Features)
- Boo! (7 Visual Features)
Audio
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Audio in Altered 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 Altered, but it doesn't offer the Audio accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Audio accessibility:
- Sushi For Robots (3 Audio Features)
- Stuffo the Puzzle Bot (3 Audio Features)
System Accessibility Settings
In addition to the accessibility features provided in the game, you can also use system-wide accessibility settings:
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.
Read more about system accessibility settings.
Accessibility Report supported by VSC Rating Board, PlayabilityInitiative and accessibility contributors Ben Kendall