Get Started...
Android
iOS
Mac
Switch
Wii
Wii U
PC
PS4
PS5
Xbox One
Xbox X|SWe've documented 20 accessibility features for The Shape Of Things, including Large Text, Guaranteed Progress, Low Pressure, No Button Combos and Play Without Hearing. Its accessibility is strongest in Visual and Controls but it also has features in Getting Started, Reading, Audio 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.
External examiner, Hyper Three Studio, first checked The Shape Of Things accessibility 9 months ago. It was re-examined by Hyper Three Studio and updated 9 months ago.
Accessibility Notes
Game Details
Release Date: 26/05/2023
Price: 40% off
Out Now: PC
Skill Rating: 6+ year-olds
Players: 1
Genres: Narrative, Puzzle (Brain Game and Sequencing)
Accessibility: 20 features
Components: 3D Third-Person, Day and Night and Weather
Developer: Hyper 3 Studio (@Hyper3Studio)
Costs: Purchase cost
Controls
We've documented 4 accessibility features for Controls in The Shape Of Things 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 Alone: Can play with just the mouse/mouse-button/mouse wheel.
Mouse and Controller: Can play with mouse and controller simultaneously.
Button Combinations
Specific button operation required to play
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 The Shape Of Things, but it doesn't offer the Controls accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Controls accessibility:
- Simpler Times (11 Controls Features)
- Hindsight (9 Controls Features)
- A Building Full of Cats (6 Controls Features)
- Please Fix The Road (6 Controls Features)
Difficulty
We haven’t documented any accessibility features for Difficulty in The Shape Of Things 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 The Shape Of Things, and offer accessibility features for Difficulty:
- Harmony's Odyssey (2 Difficulty Features)
- Please Fix The Road (1 Difficulty Feature)
Getting Started
We've documented 4 accessibility features for Getting Started in The Shape Of Things 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.
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.
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 The Shape Of Things, but it doesn't offer the Getting Started accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Getting Started accessibility:
- A Building Full of Cats (8 Getting Started Features)
- Simpler Times (7 Getting Started Features)
- Please Fix The Road (7 Getting Started Features)
- LOK Digital (6 Getting Started Features)
Reading
We've documented 3 accessibility features for Reading in The Shape Of Things 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
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.
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.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Reading
If you want to play The Shape Of Things, but it doesn't offer the Reading accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Reading accessibility:
- Simpler Times (7 Reading Features)
- I Am Dead (7 Reading Features)
- LOK Digital (5 Reading Features)
- Harmony's Odyssey (5 Reading Features)
Navigation
We've documented 1 accessibility feature for Navigation in The Shape Of Things 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.
Menu Navigation
Menu Audio Cues: Navigating menus provide an audio cue for each selection.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Navigation
If you want to play The Shape Of Things, but it doesn't offer the Navigation accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Navigation accessibility:
- Simpler Times (3 Navigation Features)
- Please Fix The Road (3 Navigation Features)
- LOK Digital (2 Navigation Features)
- A Building Full of Cats (2 Navigation Features)
Visual
We've documented 7 accessibility features for Visual in The Shape Of Things 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.
Interactive Elements
Large Game Elements: Game characters and other elements are large and distinguishable. Enemies and player characters are at least 1/6 of the height of the screen. Or there is a zoom feature to make them larger.
Outline Interactive Elements: Characters, platforms and enemies can be outlined or highlighted for visibility. This can be with a large border around the character or a special visual mode that adjust the colour to make characters more visible.
Visual Distractions
No Flashes: No flashing strobe effects or you can disable them. This includes the absence of flashing from dramatic visual effects, explosions or weather effects like lightning.
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
Menu Audio Cues: Navigating menus provide an audio cue for each selection.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Visual
If you want to play The Shape Of Things, but it doesn't offer the Visual accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Visual accessibility:
- Room to Grow (9 Visual Features)
- LOK Digital (8 Visual Features)
Audio
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Audio in The Shape Of Things 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 The Shape Of Things, but it doesn't offer the Audio accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Audio accessibility:
- Simpler Times (3 Audio Features)
- Automatoys (3 Audio Features)
- Harmony's Odyssey (3 Audio Features)
- I Am Dead (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.
Read more about system accessibility settings.
Accessibility Report supported by VSC Rating Board, PlayabilityInitiative and accessibility contributors Oli Hawkins
