We've documented 21 accessibility features for Shelter, including No Quick Reactions, No Button Combos, No Repeated Pressing, No Holds and Remap Buttons. Its accessibility is strongest in Controls and Reading but it also has features in Visual, Audio, Getting Started 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 Shelter (Series) accessibility 4 months ago.
Accessibility Notes
While individual actions don't need quick reactions, there is a need to do some things in a certain time frame such as finding food. This puts a certain amount of pressure on events.
There is some text, which is speech from one of the elephants. The text here is high in contrast but less than 1/20th of the screen height.
Owing to the game's patchwork art style, many parts of the game are extremely low in contrast and difficult to parse, which can make it difficult to spot objectives. You can make the screen go dark and a white indicator appears that tells you which direction to go in for a short time to help with navigation.
Game Details
Release Date: 28/08/2013, updated in 2021
Out Now: Mac, PC and Switch
Skill Rating: 8+ year-olds
Players: 1
Genres: Traversal (Adventure, Narrative, Simulation and Stealth)
Accessibility: 21 features
Components: 3D Third-Person and Cartoon
Developer: Might and Delight (@MightAndDelight)
Costs: Purchase cost
Controls
We've documented 9 accessibility features for Controls in Shelter 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:
Remap Buttons: Can re-map all buttons so that you can use alternatives that better suit your play.
Remap Mouse and Keyboard: Can remap mouse and keyboard key bindings, on systems that support these controls.
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.
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).
Sensitivity
You can adjust
Adjust Mouse/Stick/Touch Sensitivity: Adjust how sensitive touch/mouse/stick controls are.
Difficulty
We haven’t documented any accessibility features for Difficulty in Shelter 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 Shelter, and offer accessibility features for Difficulty:
- Lost Ember (1 Difficulty Feature)
Getting Started
We've documented 1 accessibility feature for Getting Started in Shelter 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.
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.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Getting Started
If you want to play Shelter, but it doesn't offer the Getting Started accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Getting Started accessibility:
- Wilderless (10 Getting Started Features)
- Flower (6 Getting Started Features)
- Wayfinder (5 Getting Started Features)
- Paradise Marsh (5 Getting Started Features)
Reading
We've documented 4 accessibility features for Reading in Shelter 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 Shelter, but it doesn't offer the Reading accessibility features you require, this similar game extends the Reading accessibility:
- Paradise Marsh (5 Reading Features)
Navigation
We've documented 1 accessibility feature for Navigation in Shelter 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.
Clarity
Visual Directional Cues: Additional in-game visual cues that signpost where to go next and how close you are to arriving. This can be with camera movement to focus on your destination or important items. It can use light, breadcrumb trails, in-world pointers to identify your mission's target location.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Navigation
If you want to play Shelter, but it doesn't offer the Navigation accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Navigation accessibility:
- Paradise Marsh (5 Navigation Features)
- Wayfinder (4 Navigation Features)
- Wilderless (3 Navigation Features)
Visual
We've documented 4 accessibility features for Visual in Shelter 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
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 Shelter, but it doesn't offer the Visual accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Visual accessibility:
- Wayfinder (5 Visual Features)
- Paradise Marsh (5 Visual Features)
Audio
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Audio in Shelter 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 Shelter, but it doesn't offer the Audio accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Audio accessibility:
- Paradise Marsh (3 Audio Features)
- Fe (3 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.
Read more about system accessibility settings.
Accessibility Report supported by VSC Rating Board, PlayabilityInitiative and accessibility contributors Ben Kendall