We've documented 20 accessibility features for Lumen, including Fully Voiced (Or No Speech), Adjust Speed, Low Pressure, No Quick Reactions and No Button Combos. Its accessibility is strongest in Getting Started and Controls but it also has features in Reading, Visual 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 Lumen accessibility 18 months ago.
Accessibility Notes
The minimal text in the game is not 1/20th the height of the screen, but is high contrast, being white with a black border.
Game Details
Release Date: 15/12/2020
Out Now: Apple TV, Mac and iOS
Skill Rating: 8+ year-olds
Players: 1
Genres: Brain Game, Narrative and Puzzle
Accessibility: 20 features
Components: 2D Overhead and Grid
Developer: Lykke Studios (@LykkeStudios)
Costs: Purchase cost
Controls
We've documented 5 accessibility features for Controls in Lumen 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 Tap Targeted: Can play with touchscreen, tap in specific locations.
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).
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Controls
If you want to play Lumen, but it doesn't offer the Controls accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Controls accessibility:
- 39 Days to Mars (12 Controls Features)
- Patrick's Parabox (9 Controls Features)
- Please, Touch The Artwork (8 Controls Features)
- Bleep Bloop (6 Controls Features)
Difficulty
We haven’t documented any accessibility features for Difficulty in Lumen 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 Lumen, and offer accessibility features for Difficulty:
- Please, Touch The Artwork (2 Difficulty Features)
- Dandara: Trials of Fear (2 Difficulty Features)
- Dear Reader (1 Difficulty Feature)
Getting Started
We've documented 6 accessibility features for Getting Started in Lumen 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.
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.
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.
No Jump Scares: No sudden loud noises or popping-up scary visuals that unexpectedly appear without warning, or the option to disable them.
Assistance For Progressing
These features aid your progress through the game offering different ways of maintaining your progression.
Assisted Progress With Hints: The game notices if you get stuck (or you can press a button) and provides information to help you progress. This can offer hints or tutorials popping up during play. This includes hints after you have died, where it can suggest strategies or difficulty settings to adjust or offer to skip past problematic levels.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Getting Started
If you want to play Lumen, but it doesn't offer the Getting Started accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Getting Started accessibility:
- Patrick's Parabox (7 Getting Started Features)
- Please, Touch The Artwork (7 Getting Started Features)
- 39 Days to Mars (7 Getting Started Features)
Reading
We've documented 4 accessibility features for Reading in Lumen 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 Lumen, but it doesn't offer the Reading accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Reading accessibility:
- Bleep Bloop (5 Reading Features)
- Patrick's Parabox (5 Reading Features)
- Kiri's Garden (5 Reading Features)
- Boo! (5 Reading Features)
Navigation
We haven’t documented any accessibility features for Navigation in Lumen 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 Lumen, and offer accessibility features for Navigation:
- 39 Days to Mars (4 Navigation Features)
- Altered (2 Navigation Features)
- Please, Touch The Artwork (2 Navigation Features)
- Billy Bumbum: A Cheeky Puzzler (1 Navigation Feature)
Visual
We've documented 4 accessibility features for Visual in Lumen 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.
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 Lumen, but it doesn't offer the Visual accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Visual accessibility:
- Boo! (7 Visual Features)
- Train Braining (7 Visual Features)
- You're Pulleying My Leg (7 Visual Features)
- Bleep Bloop (6 Visual Features)
Audio
We've documented 1 accessibility feature for Audio in Lumen which deals 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.
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 Lumen, but it doesn't offer the Audio accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Audio accessibility:
- Dandara: Trials of Fear (3 Audio Features)
- Patrick's Parabox (2 Audio Features)
- Jelly No Puzzle (2 Audio Features)
- Chessformer (2 Audio Features)
System Accessibility Settings
In addition to the accessibility features provided in the game, you can also use system-wide accessibility settings:
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.
Accessibility Report supported by VSC Rating Board, PlayabilityInitiative and accessibility contributors Ben Kendall