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Android
iOS
Mac
Switch
Wii
Wii U
PC
PS4
PS5
Xbox One
Xbox X|SWe've documented 20 accessibility features for Swim Out, including Fully Voiced (Or No Speech), Low Pressure, No Quick Reactions, No Button Combos and No Repeated Pressing. Its accessibility is strongest in Controls and Getting Started but it also has features in Reading 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, Mat Loz, first checked Swim Out accessibility 2 years ago. It was re-examined by Mat Loz and updated 2 years ago.
Accessibility Notes
You can play any level you want to from the start. Which means if you're stuck, you can move to another one.
Game Details
Release Date: 14/09/2017
Out Now: Apple TV, Mac, PC, Switch, Xbox One and iOS
Skill Rating: 6+ year-olds
Players: 1
Genres: Brain Game, Traversal (Puzzle, Sequencing and Simulation)
Accessibility: 20 features
Components: 2D Overhead and Grid
Developer: Lozange Lab (@Lozange_Lab)
Costs: Purchase cost
Controls
We've documented 11 accessibility features for Controls in Swim Out 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:
Keyboard Alone: Can play with just the keyboard.
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 Motion Targeted: Can play with touchscreen, tap and swipe or hold gesture.
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).
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Controls
If you want to play Swim Out, but it doesn't offer the Controls accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Controls accessibility:
- Paquerette Down the Bunburrows (15 Controls Features)
- Solas 128 (14 Controls Features)
Difficulty
We haven’t documented any accessibility features for Difficulty in Swim Out 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 5 accessibility features for Getting Started in Swim Out 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.
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 Swim Out, but it doesn't offer the Getting Started accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Getting Started accessibility:
- A Monster's Expedition (9 Getting Started Features)
- Paquerette Down the Bunburrows (8 Getting Started Features)
- Puddle Knights (8 Getting Started Features)
- Can of Wormholes (6 Getting Started Features)
Reading
We've documented 3 accessibility features for Reading in Swim Out 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.
No Reading: No reading is required, other than simple menus. The game either has no text or can communicate textual content with visuals and interactions. If reading isn't required because the text is voiced the All Dialogue is Voiced feature indicates this.
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 Swim Out, but it doesn't offer the Reading accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Reading accessibility:
- Paquerette Down the Bunburrows (5 Reading Features)
- Bleep Bloop (5 Reading Features)
- 20 Small Mazes (4 Reading Features)
- Can of Wormholes (4 Reading Features)
Navigation
We haven’t documented any accessibility features for Navigation in Swim Out 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. The following games are similar to Swim Out, and offer accessibility features for Navigation:
- Paquerette Down the Bunburrows (4 Navigation Features)
- A Monster's Expedition (4 Navigation Features)
- Puddle Knights (3 Navigation Features)
- Solas 128 (3 Navigation Features)
Visual
We haven’t documented any accessibility features for Visual in Swim Out which deal with how you can adjust the visuals to suit your needs, and offer additional information if you can't hear the game. The following games are similar to Swim Out, and offer accessibility features for Visual:
- Paquerette Down the Bunburrows (8 Visual Features)
- Puddle Knights (7 Visual Features)
- Solas 128 (7 Visual Features)
- 20 Small Mazes (6 Visual Features)
Audio
We've documented 1 accessibility feature for Audio in Swim Out which deals 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.
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 Swim Out, but it doesn't offer the Audio accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Audio accessibility:
- Solas 128 (4 Audio Features)
- Paquerette Down the Bunburrows (3 Audio Features)
- Puddle Knights (2 Audio Features)
- Altered (2 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.
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
