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Xbox X|SWe've documented 27 accessibility features for Strange Horticulture, including Large Text, Low Pressure, No Quick Reactions, No Button Combos and No Repeated Pressing. Its accessibility is strongest in Visual and Getting Started but it also has features in Controls, 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.
External examiner, Angela Hickman Newnham, first checked Strange Horticulture accessibility 2 years ago. It was re-examined by Angela Hickman Newnham and updated 2 years ago.
Accessibility Notes
The default text size is not very large, but you can zoom in on all of the objects, text, images, etc, in the game at any time, making it possible to find an optimal viewing size. Zooming in on the various items and text are key to solving some of the puzzles.
You are able to move around everything on your workspace as you need it while exploring things, including a drawer to put away items you aren't currently using. There are several tools provided, such as a magnifying glass and a viewing device to hone in on specific map areas one grid at a time, which helps with processing the information in this game and keeps the focus on solving the puzzles.
Hints are available whenever you want, and can be expanded to provide additional guidance. There are consequences of choices and events that matter, but when you fail too many challenges the game provides you with a way to recover from your mistakes and continue moving forward.
Game Details
Release Date: 21/01/2021, updated in 2024
Out Now: Android, PC and iOS
Skill Rating: 11+ year-olds
Players: 1
Genres: Communication, Narrative (Brain Game, Puzzle and Role-Play)
Accessibility: 27 features
Components: 2D Side-On and Hand-Made
Developer: Bad Viking Games (@BadVikingGames)
Costs: Purchase cost
Controls
We've documented 5 accessibility features for Controls in Strange Horticulture 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.
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 Strange Horticulture, but it doesn't offer the Controls accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Controls accessibility:
- Wytchwood (19 Controls Features)
- Potion Craft (7 Controls Features)
- Teacup (7 Controls Features)
- Oxenfree II: Lost Signals (6 Controls Features)
Difficulty
We haven’t documented any accessibility features for Difficulty in Strange Horticulture 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.
Getting Started
We've documented 6 accessibility features for Getting Started in Strange Horticulture 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.
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.
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.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Getting Started
If you want to play Strange Horticulture, but it doesn't offer the Getting Started accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Getting Started accessibility:
Reading
We've documented 5 accessibility features for Reading in Strange Horticulture 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.
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.
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.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Reading
If you want to play Strange Horticulture, but it doesn't offer the Reading accessibility features you require, this similar game extends the Reading accessibility:
- Coffee Talk (6 Reading Features)
Navigation
We've documented 3 accessibility features for Navigation in Strange Horticulture 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.
Head-Up Display
Game Map: View a map of the game world during play, with the landscape, points of interest and missions highlighted throughout the entire game. This enables the orientation of the player and the world, confirming a direction of movement and the location of destinations or points of exploration.
Menu Navigation
Menu Audio Cues: Navigating menus provide an audio cue for each selection.
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 Strange Horticulture, but it doesn't offer the Navigation accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Navigation accessibility:
- Citizen Sleeper (7 Navigation Features)
- Wytchwood (6 Navigation Features)
- Oxenfree II: Lost Signals (4 Navigation Features)
- Pilgrims (4 Navigation Features)
Visual
We've documented 7 accessibility features for Visual in Strange Horticulture 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 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.
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.
Audio
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Audio in Strange Horticulture 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 Strange Horticulture, but it doesn't offer the Audio accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Audio accessibility:
- Oxenfree II: Lost Signals (3 Audio Features)
- Teacup (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.
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.
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 @growingupgamers
