Abstract
Evaluation of accessibility within a tabletop context is much more complicated than it is within a video game environment. There is a considerable amount of variation in game systems, game mechanisms, and interaction regimes. Games may be entirely verbal, or completely non-verbal. They might be real-time or turn based, or based on simultaneous actions. They can be competitive or co-operative, or shift from one to the other during a single game session. They might involve visual pattern recognition or force players to memorise game state without visual cues. They may involve touch, or smell. They might involve social deduction or betrayal. They can encompass all sensory faculties, in differing degrees. Almost all games have accessibility considerations that should be taken into account, but there is currently no comprehensive tool by which this can be done that encompasses the rich variety of tabletop gaming interaction metaphors. In this paper, the authors discuss the heuristic lens that is used by the Meeple Centred Design tabletop accessibility project. This is a tool that has been applied to one hundred and sixteen games to date, and the full results of these have been published for analysis and consideration within the wider tabletop gaming community.
Highlights
The playing of games is an important source of social capital (Heron 2012, 2016; Lenhart et al 2008) and a pre-requisite for the effective integration of individuals into the cultural economy
Almost all games have accessibility considerations that should be taken into account, but there is currently no comprehensive tool by which this can be done that encompasses the rich variety of tabletop gaming interaction metaphors
The authors discuss the heuristic lens that is used by the Meeple Centred Design tabletop accessibility project
Summary
The playing of games is an important source of social capital (Heron 2012, 2016; Lenhart et al 2008) and a pre-requisite for the effective integration of individuals into the cultural economy. Heron 2012, 2015; Di Loreto et al 2013; Westin and Dupire 2016) perhaps in practise it is more honoured in the breach than in the observance (Heron 2012) Recent releases, such as Naughty Dog’s ‘Uncharted 4’ have shown though that accessibility can be a mainstream issue, and that adherence to accessible design can generate wide-spread praise and recognition. There has been a marked increase in the number of players, critics and advocates within this relatively obscure area of game culture This has in recent years led to a degree of recognition of the hobby in the wider area of game studies. We argue that there should be greater inclusion of diversity when play-testing game titles, but hope this framework serves as a useful preliminary exercise for game designers and developers
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