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Xbox X|SWe've documented 21 accessibility features for Bearnard, including Low Pressure, No Quick Reactions, No Button Combos, No Repeated Pressing and Play Without Hearing. Its accessibility is strongest in Visual and Controls but it also has features in Getting Started, 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.
Our accessibility examiner, Ben Kendall, first checked Bearnard accessibility 5 weeks ago.
Accessibility Notes
Text is not large but is high in contrast. The game is generally linear so navigation doesn't pose a particular challenge, although there is no map. Your objective, although not always stated, is fairly obvious (keep going and defeat the enemies).
You can navigate all menus with keyboard inputs with one exception: when rebinding keys, you need to use the left mouse button to press confirm, as pressing Enter simply puts the Enter key as the new binding.
Game Details
Release Date: 12/08/2024
Out Now: PC
Skill Rating: 8+ year-olds
Players: 1
Genres: Battle, Brain Game, Platform (Adventure, Collecting and Shooting)
Accessibility: 21 features
Components: 2D Side-On, Cards and Pixels
Developer: Bearnard The Game (@BearnardTheGame)
Costs: Purchase cost
Controls
We've documented 4 accessibility features for Controls in Bearnard 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.
Remap Controls
Can customise the controls for the game as follows:
Remap Mouse and Keyboard: Can remap mouse and keyboard key bindings, on systems that support these controls.
Button Combinations
Specific button operation required to play
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 Bearnard, but it doesn't offer the Controls accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Controls accessibility:
- Shogun Showdown (15 Controls Features)
- Marvel's Midnight Suns (9 Controls Features)
- Slay the Spire (9 Controls Features)
- Cobalt Core (8 Controls Features)
Difficulty
We haven’t documented any accessibility features for Difficulty in Bearnard 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 Bearnard, and offer accessibility features for Difficulty:
- SteamWorld Heist II (2 Difficulty Features)
- Marvel's Midnight Suns (2 Difficulty Features)
- SteamWorld Heist (2 Difficulty Features)
- Isle of Swaps (1 Difficulty Feature)
Getting Started
We've documented 4 accessibility features for Getting Started in Bearnard 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.
Practice Area: You can practice freely without opponents or time pressures. This can be a specific practice option, or the ability to play levels with the easiest opponents to improve understanding and skill.
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 Bearnard, but it doesn't offer the Getting Started accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Getting Started accessibility:
- Bomb Club (7 Getting Started Features)
- Cobalt Core (6 Getting Started Features)
- Shogun Showdown (6 Getting Started Features)
- Monster Train (6 Getting Started Features)
Reading
We've documented 4 accessibility features for Reading in Bearnard 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.
Simple Minimal Reading: Minimal reading is required. The quantity and complexity of reading are at a level that a primary/elementary student (9-year-old) could understand.
Text Visibility
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 Bearnard, but it doesn't offer the Reading accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Reading accessibility:
- Bomb Club (5 Reading Features)
- SteamWorld Heist (5 Reading Features)
Navigation
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Navigation in Bearnard 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
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.
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.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Navigation
If you want to play Bearnard, but it doesn't offer the Navigation accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Navigation accessibility:
- Monster Train (7 Navigation Features)
- Slay the Spire (6 Navigation Features)
- Cobalt Core (4 Navigation Features)
- The Knight Witch (4 Navigation Features)
Visual
We've documented 5 accessibility features for Visual in Bearnard 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.
Visual Distractions
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.
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.
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.
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 Bearnard, but it doesn't offer the Visual accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Visual accessibility:
- Slay the Spire (9 Visual Features)
- Shogun Showdown (8 Visual Features)
- Cobalt Core (7 Visual Features)
- Monster Train (7 Visual Features)
Audio
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Audio in Bearnard 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.
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 Ben Kendall
