Minecraft: Story Mode Accessibility Report - Amazon Fire, Android, Apple TV, Mac, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One and iOS

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Minecraft:
Story Mode

Accessibility Report

13 Accessibility Features

We've documented 13 accessibility features for Minecraft: Story Mode, including Fully Voiced (Or No Speech), No Button Combos, No Holds, Play Without Hearing and Colour Blind Friendly. Its accessibility is strongest in Controls and Reading but it also has features in Visual, Audio and Getting Started 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.

Minecraft: Story Mode is a point-and-click narrative adventure set in the Minecraft universe where Jessie, an inexperienced adventurer, sets out on a grand quest with their friends. As you watch their story unfold, you make choices that affect the way the narrative unfolds across the episodes. It stands out for the unusual setting, self-referential humour, and care put into each detail of the story.

Our accessibility examiner, Ben Kendall, first checked Minecraft: Story Mode accessibility a year ago.

Accessibility Notes

The game automatically saves but you can still lose progress. There are some quick-time events throughout both seasons that require you to press a button within a certain amount of time, so the game's not low-pressure.

Text including subtitles is high in contrast but not always large. Different speakers have different coloured subtitles but no actual indicator of who's speaking or which colour of text belongs to whom.

Because the game is so linear, there are very few moments of free movement, but when they appear, there is no HUD, objective reminder, or navigational assistance of any kind.

Game Details

Release Date: 13/10/2015, updated in 2017

Out Now: Amazon Fire, Android, Apple TV, Mac, PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One and iOS

Skill Rating: 7+ year-olds

Players: 1

Genres: Adventure, Narrative and Point-and-Click

Accessibility: 13 features

Components: 3D Third-Person

Developer: Mojang (@Mojang)

Costs: Purchase cost

Controls

We've documented 4 accessibility features for Controls in Minecraft: Story Mode 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 & Single Stick: Can play with multiple buttons and a stick.

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.

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 Minecraft: Story Mode, but it doesn't offer the Controls accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Controls accessibility:

Minecraft Dungeons (12 Controls Features)
Minecraft (11 Controls Features)
Minecraft Legends (10 Controls Features)
That Dragon, Cancer (10 Controls Features)

Difficulty

We haven’t documented any accessibility features for Difficulty in Minecraft: Story Mode 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 Minecraft: Story Mode, and offer accessibility features for Difficulty:

Rainbow Billy (3 Difficulty Features)
Minecraft (3 Difficulty Features)
The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog (2 Difficulty Features)
Minecraft Legends (2 Difficulty Features)

Getting Started

We've documented 1 accessibility feature for Getting Started in Minecraft: Story Mode which deals 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.

Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Getting Started

If you want to play Minecraft: Story Mode, but it doesn't offer the Getting Started accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Getting Started accessibility:

Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo (7 Getting Started Features)
Minecraft (7 Getting Started Features)
Upheaval (6 Getting Started Features)
Minecraft Legends (6 Getting Started Features)

Reading

We've documented 4 accessibility features for Reading in Minecraft: Story Mode 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.

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 Minecraft: Story Mode, but it doesn't offer the Reading accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Reading accessibility:

Rusty Lake Hotel (7 Reading Features)
As Dusk Falls (7 Reading Features)
Tell Me Why (7 Reading Features)
Beyond: Two Souls (6 Reading Features)

Navigation

We haven’t documented any accessibility features for Navigation in Minecraft: Story Mode 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 Minecraft: Story Mode, and offer accessibility features for Navigation:

Minecraft Dungeons (10 Navigation Features)
Minecraft Legends (7 Navigation Features)
Minecraft (7 Navigation Features)
Rainbow Billy (4 Navigation Features)

Visual

We've documented 2 accessibility features for Visual in Minecraft: Story Mode 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.

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 Minecraft: Story Mode, but it doesn't offer the Visual accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Visual accessibility:

Upheaval (7 Visual Features)
Minecraft Dungeons (7 Visual Features)
That Dragon, Cancer (7 Visual Features)
Minecraft Legends (6 Visual Features)

Audio

We've documented 2 accessibility features for Audio in Minecraft: Story Mode 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 Minecraft: Story Mode, but it doesn't offer the Audio accessibility features you require, this similar game extends the Audio accessibility:

Minecraft (4 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.

Nintendo Switch
Nintendo Switch has some built-in features, including a lockable zoom, that can be used on all games.

Nintendo Wii U
The Wii U has some limited settings, such as disabling rumble and selecting mono audio.

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.

PlayStation 4
PlayStation 4 has a range of accessibility settings. Some are system only, some work in games (invert colours and button mapping).

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.