Get Started...
Android
iOS
Mac
Switch
Switch 2
PC
PS4
PS5
Xbox One
Xbox X|SWe've documented 23 accessibility features for Tell Me Why, including Fully Voiced (Or No Speech), Environmental Captions, Large Subtitles, Large Text and Guaranteed Progress. Its accessibility is strongest in Reading and Controls but it also has features in Getting Started, 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, Angela Hickman Newnham, first checked Tell Me Why accessibility 3 years ago. It was re-examined by Ben Kendall and updated 2 years ago.
Accessibility Notes
You can opt to disable required long-presses
You can turn on a high-contrast mode for the HUD, but this doesn't affect regular gameplay environments. Some elements in the game, such as a glowing ring indicating an interactable object, can be very small and hard to make out. The game is often low in contrast as well.
Game Details
Release Date: 27/08/2020
Out Now: PC and Xbox One
Skill Rating: 14+ year-olds
Players: 1
Genres: Adventure and Narrative
Accessibility: 23 features
Components: 3D Third-Person
Developer: DONTNOD Ent (@DONTNOD_Ent)
Costs: Free. In-Game Purchases and In-Game Pass
Controls
We've documented 6 accessibility features for Controls in Tell Me Why 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:
Multiple Buttons & Two Sticks: Can play with multiple buttons and two sticks.
Mouse And Keyboard
Can play with the following:
Mouse and Keys: Can play with mouse and multiple keys.
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.
Controller Vibration
Vibration Optional: Controller vibration not used in the game or you can disable it.
Sensitivity
You can adjust
Adjust Mouse/Stick/Touch Sensitivity: Adjust how sensitive touch/mouse/stick controls are.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Controls
If you want to play Tell Me Why, but it doesn't offer the Controls accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Controls accessibility:
- The Wreck (13 Controls Features)
- Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice (9 Controls Features)
- Road 96 (8 Controls Features)
- As Dusk Falls (8 Controls Features)
Difficulty
We haven’t documented any accessibility features for Difficulty in Tell Me Why 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 Tell Me Why, and offer accessibility features for Difficulty:
- The Quarry (2 Difficulty Features)
- The Last Of Us Left Behind (2 Difficulty Features)
- Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice (2 Difficulty Features)
- Heavy Rain (2 Difficulty Features)
Getting Started
We've documented 3 accessibility features for Getting Started in Tell Me Why 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.
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 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.
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 Tell Me Why, but it doesn't offer the Getting Started accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Getting Started accessibility:
- Dordogne (9 Getting Started Features)
- The Wreck (6 Getting Started Features)
- Heavy Rain (6 Getting Started Features)
- The Last Of Us Left Behind (5 Getting Started Features)
Reading
We've documented 7 accessibility features for Reading in Tell Me Why 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.
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
Large Clear Subtitles: Subtitles are large, clear and of good contrast. They are at least 1/20 (46 pixels on 1080 screen) the height of a landscape screen and at least 1/40 height on portrait screens, or can be adjusted to be. We base this on the full line-height, including the space above and below the letters. Considered separately from the general text of the game, the subtitles are large, clear and of good contrast.
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, their Tone and Environment Sounds: Captions indicate who is speaking (or there is only ever one person speaking) and their tone, game sound and music. 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. Environmental sounds are provided as extra text within the subtitles.
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.
Navigation
We've documented 3 accessibility features for Navigation in Tell Me Why 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
Adjust Head-Up Display: Resize and adjust the content of the head-up display. This enables it to be made more visible. It can also enable the removal of too much information that can be distracting or confusing.
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 Tell Me Why, but it doesn't offer the Navigation accessibility features you require, this similar game extends the Navigation accessibility:
- Road 96 (4 Navigation Features)
Visual
We've documented 3 accessibility features for Visual in Tell Me Why 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 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
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.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Visual
If you want to play Tell Me Why, but it doesn't offer the Visual accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Visual accessibility:
- The Wreck (5 Visual Features)
- Welcome to Elk (5 Visual Features)
- Lifeline (5 Visual Features)
- South of the Circle (4 Visual Features)
Audio
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Audio in Tell Me Why 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 Tell Me Why, but it doesn't offer the Audio accessibility features you require, this similar game extends the Audio accessibility:
- The Wreck (3 Audio Features)
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.
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 @growingupgamers and Ben Kendall
