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Xbox X|SWe've documented 21 accessibility features for Hearts of Iron IV, including Fully Voiced (Or No Speech), Adjust Speed, No Quick Reactions, Select Difficulty and No Button Combos. Its accessibility is strongest in Controls and Getting Started but it also has features in Visual, Communication, Reading, Audio, Difficulty and Navigation 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 Hearts of Iron IV accessibility 5 months ago.
Accessibility Notes
The game is playable with only the mouse, but if you have a touchscreen-capable device, you can use the touchscreen instead. You can pause the game at any point to assess your next steps and can adjust the speed at which the game progresses.
There is extremely extensive text throughout the game in menus and UI elements, most of which is high in contrast, although there are exceptions. because of the amount of text, it is also often very small and can be overwhelming, especially to new players. This extensive system of menus also means it is initially quite easy to find yourself lost or unsure how to proceed.
The game in general is also fairly low in contrast, and some things are distinguished only by colour, which is important to note for colourblind players.
Game Details
Release Date: 06/06/2016
Out Now: Mac and PC
Skill Rating: 12+ year-olds
Players: 1 (32 online)
Genres: Role-Play, Strategy (Battle, Collecting, Point-and-Click and Simulation)
Accessibility: 21 features
Components: 2D Overhead, Day and Night, Open World and Weather
Developer: PDX Dev Studio (@PDX_Dev_Studio)
Costs: Purchase cost, In-Game Purchases and In-Game Pass
Controls
We've documented 4 accessibility features for Controls in Hearts of Iron IV 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 Alone: Can play with just the mouse/mouse-button/mouse wheel.
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
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 Hearts of Iron IV, but it doesn't offer the Controls accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Controls accessibility:
- Minecraft Legends (10 Controls Features)
- Humankind (8 Controls Features)
- Dice Legacy (7 Controls Features)
Difficulty
We've documented 1 accessibility feature for Difficulty in Hearts of Iron IV which deals with how you can adjust the challenge of play, and whether this is locked once chosen or can be adjusted as you play.
Difficulty Options
Select Difficulty: Select the level of difficulty from a range of presets. This not only offers a way to adjust the challenge of a game but enables you to do so without dealing with individual criteria.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Difficulty
If you want to play Hearts of Iron IV, but it doesn't offer the Difficulty accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Difficulty accessibility:
- Minecraft Legends (2 Difficulty Features)
- Stellaris (2 Difficulty Features)
- Advance Wars (2 Difficulty Features)
Getting Started
We've documented 4 accessibility features for Getting Started in Hearts of Iron IV 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.
Adjust Speed: Adjust the speed of the game at critical moments or throughout, or rewind play for a second attempt, to ease reaction times. By slowing the game, you have more time to interpret what is happening and then execute your actions. It also reduces the pressure on getting things right quickly or the first time you attempt them.
Assistance For Progressing
These features aid your progress through the game offering different ways of maintaining your progression.
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 Hearts of Iron IV, but it doesn't offer the Getting Started accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Getting Started accessibility:
- Minecraft Legends (6 Getting Started Features)
- Dice Legacy (5 Getting Started Features)
- Stellaris (5 Getting Started Features)
Reading
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Reading in Hearts of Iron IV 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.
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 Hearts of Iron IV, but it doesn't offer the Reading accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Reading accessibility:
- The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War (6 Reading Features)
- Minecraft Legends (5 Reading Features)
- Advance Wars (5 Reading Features)
- Humankind (4 Reading Features)
Navigation
We've documented 1 accessibility feature for Navigation in Hearts of Iron IV 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.
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.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Navigation
If you want to play Hearts of Iron IV, but it doesn't offer the Navigation accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Navigation accessibility:
- Minecraft Legends (7 Navigation Features)
- The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War (4 Navigation Features)
- Humankind (2 Navigation Features)
- Stellaris (2 Navigation Features)
Visual
We've documented 4 accessibility features for Visual in Hearts of Iron IV 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.
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.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Visual
If you want to play Hearts of Iron IV, but it doesn't offer the Visual accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Visual accessibility:
- Minecraft Legends (6 Visual Features)
- The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War (5 Visual Features)
Audio
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Audio in Hearts of Iron IV 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.
Communication
We've documented 3 accessibility features for Communication in Hearts of Iron IV which deal 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.
Online Communication Assistance
Text-to-speech: Convert text messages from other players to voiced messages. Game converts text typed by the player into synthesized audio that's read aloud to all other players in the voice channel. This feature allows players who can't speak verbally to have their thoughts expressed aloud to the rest of the players in their party.
Speech-to-text: Convert voice from other players to text messages. Transcribes incoming speech from other players into text onscreen in real time. Players who can't hear voice chat can read what other players have said aloud on their screen.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Communication
If you want to play Hearts of Iron IV, but it doesn't offer the Communication accessibility features you require, this similar game extends the Communication accessibility:
- Stellaris (4 Communication 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.
Read more about system accessibility settings.
Accessibility Report supported by VSC Rating Board, PlayabilityInitiative and accessibility contributors Ben Kendall
