Get Started...
Android
iOS
Mac
Switch
Wii
Wii U
PC
PS4
PS5
Xbox One
Xbox X|SWe've documented 31 accessibility features for Hypnospace Outlaw, including Fully Voiced (Or No Speech), Guaranteed Progress, Low Pressure, No Quick Reactions and Control Assists. Its accessibility is strongest in Controls and Getting Started but it also has features in Reading, Navigation, Visual 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.
External examiner, Michael Lasch, first checked Hypnospace Outlaw accessibility 2 years ago. It was re-examined by Michael Lasch and updated 2 years ago.
Accessibility Notes
Some people may have difficulty with the pixel fonts in the game. To help with this, players can right-click on any text (or press a button on the controller while the mouse cursor is over some text) to have the text read out loud via Text To Speech (TTS) voicing.
Subtitles:
The in-game virtual assistant Hypii which voices the TTS and gives the player notifications can be configured in the Settings menu to caption everything they say. TTS speaking speed can also be adjusted. Please note that TTS does not work on Linux computers.
Also, there are some videos in the game with subtitled dialogue.
Controls:
On a computer, the game can be controlled with a mouse alone, except for some optional mini-games, and one part near the end of the game where players will need to use the arrow keys on the keyboard. On console, the entire game can be controlled using the left stick and A button, with some optional shortcuts mapped to other buttons. Players can also use a USB mouse and keyboard (wired or wireless) plugged in to the console on Switch, PS4, and Xbox. On Switch, the entire game except for one part near the end can be controlled using the touchscreen.
When using a controller, the right-stick can be used to "jump" to the nearest interactable element on the screen, reducing the need for precise movements.
The game has a built-in on-screen keyboard on console, and it can be enabled on PC in the Settings menu.
Motion Pointing:
This control option is exclusive to the Nintendo Switch, and can be activated by playing the game with a single Joy-Con and toggled by pressing in on the joystick.
Guaranteed Progress:
There is no way to "lose" the game, or enter a state where you must re-do something to progress. There are optional mini-games you can play, but there is no penalty to failing and none are required to progress.
Visual Distractions:
There are a few moments of flashing/strobing effects in the game that were developed with minimal intensity, duration, and low contrast between flashing colors, to help reduce the risk of seizure.
Reaction Time:
During one part near the end of the game the player will be playing an action sequence and will need to react more quickly than the rest of the game, but the difficulty of performing these actions have been reduced to be as easy as possible and there is no way to fail the sequence.
Hints:
Hints can be accessed at any time by searching the word "Hint" in the in-game browser (Hypnospace Explorer), and paying a small fee in in-game currency. I recommend "stamping" (bookmarking) the hint page once you have paid the fee so that you do not need to pay it again in the future. The hints are tiered, such that you can get either a basic hint or a complete guide to any puzzle in the game.
Game Details
Release Date: 12/04/2019, updated in 2020
Out Now: Mac, PC, PS4, Switch and Xbox One
Skill Rating: 13+ year-olds
Players: 1
Genres: Brain Game, Role-Play (Narrative, Point-and-Click, Puzzle and Simulation)
Accessibility: 31 features
Components: 2D Side-On and Hand-Made
Developer: Tendershoot (@Tendershoot_)
Costs: Purchase cost
Controls
We've documented 14 accessibility features for Controls in Hypnospace Outlaw 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.
Multiple Buttons & Single Stick: Can play with multiple buttons and a stick.
Multiple Buttons & Two Sticks: Can play with multiple buttons and two sticks.
Mouse And Keyboard
Can play with the following:
Mouse Alone: Can play with just the mouse/mouse-button/mouse wheel.
Mouse and Keys: Can play with mouse and multiple keys.
Mouse and Controller: Can play with mouse and controller simultaneously.
Touchscreen
Can play with the following. Additional gestures may be required for games played with a screenreader like VoiceOver.
One Tap Targeted: Can play with touchscreen, tap in specific locations.
One Motion Targeted: Can play with touchscreen, tap and swipe or hold gesture.
Motion
Games that can be played with different sorts of motion controllers.
Motion Pointing: Can use the orientation of the gamepad to move a cursor-target around the screen like a mouse.
Remap Controls
Can customise the controls for the game as follows:
Swap Sticks: Can swap the sticks over so that you can use the opposite sticks to control the game.
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).
Difficulty
We haven’t documented any accessibility features for Difficulty in Hypnospace Outlaw 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 Hypnospace Outlaw, and offer accessibility features for Difficulty:
- Unpacking (2 Difficulty Features)
- Do Not Feed the Monkeys (1 Difficulty Feature)
- Papers, Please (1 Difficulty Feature)
- My Child Lebensborn (1 Difficulty Feature)
Getting Started
We've documented 8 accessibility features for Getting Started in Hypnospace Outlaw 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 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.
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.
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.
Assisted Progress With Hints: The game notices if you get stuck (or you can press a button) and provides information to help you progress. This can offer hints or tutorials popping up during play. This includes hints after you have died, where it can suggest strategies or difficulty settings to adjust or offer to skip past problematic levels.
Save Progress Anytime: The game automatically saves progress or you can save any time. This doesn’t mean you never lose progress, but it does mean you can stop whenever you want (without having to get to a save point) without losing progress.
Reading
We've documented 3 accessibility features for Reading in Hypnospace Outlaw 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.
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 Hypnospace Outlaw, but it doesn't offer the Reading accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Reading accessibility:
- Return of the Obra Dinn (6 Reading Features)
- A Little To The Left (4 Reading Features)
- Unpacking (4 Reading Features)
- Do Not Feed the Monkeys (4 Reading Features)
Navigation
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Navigation in Hypnospace Outlaw 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
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 Hypnospace Outlaw, but it doesn't offer the Navigation accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Navigation accessibility:
Visual
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Visual in Hypnospace Outlaw 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.
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 Hypnospace Outlaw, but it doesn't offer the Visual accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Visual accessibility:
- Suzerain (7 Visual Features)
- My Child Lebensborn (6 Visual Features)
- Gorogoa (5 Visual Features)
- A Little To The Left (5 Visual Features)
Audio
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Audio in Hypnospace Outlaw 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 Hypnospace Outlaw, but it doesn't offer the Audio accessibility features you require, this similar game extends the Audio accessibility:
- A Little To The Left (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
