We've documented 19 accessibility features for Kind Words, including Large Text, Low Pressure, No Quick Reactions, No Repeated Pressing and No Holds. Its accessibility is strongest in Visual and Reading but it also has features in Controls, Getting Started, Audio, Navigation and Communication 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.
Game Details
Release Date: 12/11/2019
Out Now: PC
Skill Rating: 10+ year-olds
Players: 1
Genres: Communication, Creative and Narrative
Accessibility: 19 features
Components: 2D Side-On and Text
Developer: Popcannibal (@Popcannibal)
Costs: Purchase cost
Controls
We've documented 3 accessibility features for Controls in Kind Words 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:
Mouse and Keys: Can play with mouse and multiple keys.
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.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Controls
If you want to play Kind Words, but it doesn't offer the Controls accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Controls accessibility:
- Wurdweb (7 Controls Features)
- Bury Me My Love (6 Controls Features)
- Earthlingo (5 Controls Features)
- One Button Travel (4 Controls Features)
Difficulty
We haven’t documented any accessibility features for Difficulty in Kind Words 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 Kind Words, and offer accessibility features for Difficulty:
- Playne (2 Difficulty Features)
Getting Started
We've documented 3 accessibility features for Getting Started in Kind Words 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.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Getting Started
If you want to play Kind Words, but it doesn't offer the Getting Started accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Getting Started accessibility:
- Earthlingo (9 Getting Started Features)
- Wurdweb (8 Getting Started Features)
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons (7 Getting Started Features)
- Playne (5 Getting Started Features)
Reading
We've documented 4 accessibility features for Reading in Kind Words 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.
Extensive Complex Reading: Extensive reading required. The quantity and complexity of reading is suitable for someone who loves long books and enjoys extended dialogue or narrative descriptions.
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.
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.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Reading
If you want to play Kind Words, but it doesn't offer the Reading accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Reading accessibility:
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons (6 Reading Features)
- Earthlingo (5 Reading Features)
Navigation
We've documented 1 accessibility feature for Navigation in Kind Words which deals 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.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Navigation
If you want to play Kind Words, but it doesn't offer the Navigation accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Navigation accessibility:
- The Tomorrow Children (4 Navigation Features)
- Earthlingo (3 Navigation Features)
- Wurdweb (2 Navigation Features)
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons (2 Navigation Features)
Visual
We've documented 5 accessibility features for Visual in Kind Words 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 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 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.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Visual
If you want to play Kind Words, but it doesn't offer the Visual accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Visual accessibility:
- Wurdweb (8 Visual Features)
- One Button Travel (7 Visual Features)
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons (7 Visual Features)
- Bury Me My Love (7 Visual Features)
Audio
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Audio in Kind Words 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 Kind Words, but it doesn't offer the Audio accessibility features you require, this similar game extends the Audio accessibility:
- Bury Me My Love (3 Audio Features)
Communication
We've documented 1 accessibility feature for Communication in Kind Words which deals with how you can communicate with other players in the game and what options are available to customise and control this interaction.
Player-to-Player Online Communication
This is how players communicate with each other in online games. This can be to plan strategy, chat as they play or co-ordinate resources.
Text Chat: Chat to other players by typing text.
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 Jonah Monaghan