We've documented 26 accessibility features for Harlow, including Adjust Speed, Low Pressure, Control Assists, No Button Combos and No Repeated Pressing. Its accessibility is strongest in Controls and Visual but it also has features in Getting Started, Reading, 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 Harlow accessibility 18 months ago. It was re-examined by Andy Robertson and updated 18 months ago.
Accessibility Notes
You aim with the Left Stick and jump with a single press.
The visuals are quite dark without great contrast. However the cursor does offer a bright indication of direction. Any intractable elements in the level are highlighted with a white glow. You also emit a burst of particles from your droid when you boost, which also helps locate them on the screen. Collectibles are highlighted with a bright glow.
The game provides sounds that relate to the different surfaces you strike. You can tell if you have hit a surface that recharge your jumps by the sound that is made and the animated lights of the droid.
The text illustrates tone with some subtle movement.
Game Details
Release Date: 14/03/2022, updated in 2022
Price: 75% off
Out Now: Mac, PC and Switch
Skill Rating: 7+ year-olds
Players: 1
Genres: Collecting, Traversal (Narrative, Platform and Simulation)
Accessibility: 26 features
Components: 2D Side-On and Pixels
Developer: Arman Nobari (@_ArmanNobari)
Costs: Purchase cost
Controls
We've documented 7 accessibility features for Controls in Harlow 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:
1 Button & Single Stick: Can play with button and stick.
Mouse And Keyboard
Can play with the following:
Mouse Alone: Can play with just the mouse/mouse-button/mouse wheel.
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
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 Harlow, but it doesn't offer the Controls accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Controls accessibility:
- Twilight Drive (14 Controls Features)
- PokeyPoke (13 Controls Features)
- Rubato (9 Controls Features)
- Celeste (9 Controls Features)
Difficulty
We haven’t documented any accessibility features for Difficulty in Harlow 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 Harlow, and offer accessibility features for Difficulty:
- Rubato (2 Difficulty Features)
- PokeyPoke (2 Difficulty Features)
- Super Sami Roll (2 Difficulty Features)
- Dandara: Trials of Fear (2 Difficulty Features)
Getting Started
We've documented 5 accessibility features for Getting Started in Harlow 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.
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.
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.
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 Harlow, but it doesn't offer the Getting Started accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Getting Started accessibility:
Reading
We've documented 4 accessibility features for Reading in Harlow 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 and their Tone: Textual captions indicate who is speaking and their tone (or there is only ever one person speaking). This can also be indicated visually in the game with character icons or character expressions with text in speech bubbles next to the person speaking.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Reading
If you want to play Harlow, but it doesn't offer the Reading accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Reading accessibility:
- Goop Loop (6 Reading Features)
- Ensamey (6 Reading Features)
- PokeyPoke (5 Reading Features)
- Cursed to Golf (5 Reading Features)
Navigation
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Navigation in Harlow 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
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.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Navigation
If you want to play Harlow, but it doesn't offer the Navigation accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Navigation accessibility:
- PokeyPoke (5 Navigation Features)
- Cursed to Golf (5 Navigation Features)
- Twilight Drive (5 Navigation Features)
- Schim (4 Navigation Features)
Visual
We've documented 6 accessibility features for Visual in Harlow which deal with how you can adjust the visuals to suit your needs, and offer additional information if you can't hear the game.
Visual Distractions
No Flashes: No flashing strobe effects or you can disable them. This includes the absence of flashing from dramatic visual effects, explosions or weather effects like lightning.
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.
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.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Visual
If you want to play Harlow, but it doesn't offer the Visual accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Visual accessibility:
- PokeyPoke (7 Visual Features)
- Twilight Drive (7 Visual Features)
Audio
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Audio in Harlow 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 Harlow, but it doesn't offer the Audio accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Audio accessibility:
- PixelJunk Eden (4 Audio Features)
- PokeyPoke (3 Audio Features)
- Schim (3 Audio Features)
- Twilight Drive (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.
Read more about system accessibility settings.
Accessibility Report supported by VSC Rating Board, PlayabilityInitiative and accessibility contributors Andy Robertson