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Android
iOS
Mac
Switch
Wii
Wii U
PC
PS4
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Xbox One
Xbox X|SWe've documented 26 accessibility features for Death Squared, including Fully Voiced (Or No Speech), Low Pressure, No Quick Reactions, No Button Combos and No Repeated Pressing. Its accessibility is strongest in Visual and Controls but it also has features in Reading, Navigation, Getting Started 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, Andrew Robertson, first checked Death Squared accessibility 17 months ago. It was re-examined by Tyler Brinkman and updated 17 months ago.
Accessibility Notes
The game signifies death with a vibration. Everything that's interactable is colour-coded and relatively clear. Vibration cannot be toggled off on PC.
The colour blind accessibility toggle is not available on the Xbox version of the game.
There are no sub-titles on the Xbox version of the game
There is no difficulty setting, but you can add additional challenges to levels (something you have to unlock on Xbox) for greater difficulty. Levels start quite simply and get more challenging. It's a Low-Pressure experience because the elements in the game don't move or progress unless you do.
Game Details
Release Date: 14/03/2017
Out Now: Android, Mac, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One and iOS
Players: 1-4
Genres: Brain Game, Puzzle (Sequencing and Traversal)
Accessibility: 26 features
Components: 2D Overhead, Blocks and Grid
Developer: Smg Studio (@SmgStudio)
Costs: Purchase cost
Controls
We've documented 6 accessibility features for Controls in Death Squared 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:
2 Sticks: Can play with 2 sticks.
Mouse And Keyboard
Can play with the following:
Keyboard Alone: Can play with just the keyboard.
Button Combinations
Specific button operation required to play
Holding Down Buttons Optional: Holding down buttons for prolonged periods (a second or more) is not required or can be switched to toggling the action on and off. This is in addition to the movement stick/button which is not considered a hold for this purpose.
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.
No Simultaneous Buttons: Only one button or key required at a time, in addition to direction stick(s).
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 Death Squared, but it doesn't offer the Controls accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Controls accessibility:
- Block Buster Billy (8 Controls Features)
- Chariot (8 Controls Features)
- Rob Riches (7 Controls Features)
- The Last Cube (7 Controls Features)
Difficulty
We haven’t documented any accessibility features for Difficulty in Death Squared 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 Death Squared, and offer accessibility features for Difficulty:
- Moving Out (2 Difficulty Features)
- Overcooked! All You Can Eat (2 Difficulty Features)
- Collapsus (1 Difficulty Feature)
Getting Started
We've documented 3 accessibility features for Getting Started in Death Squared 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.
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.
Assistance For Progressing
These features aid your progress through the game offering different ways of maintaining your progression.
Bank Progress With Frequent Checkpoints: If you fail you can retry that level or aspect of the game without losing a lot of progress (less than 5 minutes). This is often provided via Frequent Checkpoints combined with restarting without losing time, equipment or score.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Getting Started
If you want to play Death Squared, but it doesn't offer the Getting Started accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Getting Started accessibility:
- Block Buster Billy (8 Getting Started Features)
- Star Stuff (8 Getting Started Features)
- Otteretto (8 Getting Started Features)
- The Last Cube (7 Getting Started Features)
Reading
We've documented 5 accessibility features for Reading in Death Squared 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
High Contrast Text: Text colour contrasts to the background or can be adjusted to be. The text in menus, instructions and other information is presented in high contrast with a solid background.
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
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.
Navigation
We've documented 4 accessibility features for Navigation in Death Squared 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
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.
Menu Navigation
Menu Audio Cues: Navigating menus provide an audio cue for each selection.
Digital Menu Navigation: Menu choices with Gamepad can be made without using an analogue stick to guide a cursor to a selection. For example, using D-Pad, buttons or the Stick to change menu selection in a single action.
Menus Don't Wrap: Menus don't wrap and stop the cursor at the bottom of the list if you press down. Or menus do wrap but make it clear that you are back at the top of the list with sound or narration.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Navigation
If you want to play Death Squared, but it doesn't offer the Navigation accessibility features you require, this similar game extends the Navigation accessibility:
- Biped (5 Navigation Features)
Visual
We've documented 7 accessibility features for Visual in Death Squared 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.
Menu Audio Cues: Navigating menus provide an audio cue for each selection.
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 Death Squared, but it doesn't offer the Visual accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Visual accessibility:
- The Last Cube (8 Visual Features)
- Otteretto (8 Visual Features)
- Press X to Puzzle (8 Visual Features)
- Wilmot's Warehouse (8 Visual Features)
Audio
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Audio in Death Squared 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 Death Squared, but it doesn't offer the Audio accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Audio accessibility:
- Fidel Dungeon Rescue (3 Audio Features)
- Automatoys (3 Audio Features)
- Star Stuff (3 Audio Features)
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.
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.
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.
Accessibility Report supported by VSC Rating Board, PlayabilityInitiative and accessibility contributors Andy Robertson and @TylerBrinkman23
