Soft Leaf Studios have produced a game prototype with accessibility at the forefront of its design. The wholesome point and click adventure Stories of Blossom was developed for test purposes to elicit feedback regarding a range of accessibility issues frequently found with computer games. The programme features inclusive game mechanics and controls for players from a range of visual, auditory, cognitive, motor abilities. Featuring a humorous storyline illustrated in watercolour style reminiscent of hand drawn children’s books the research and development project examined potential accessibly issues to provide guidelines for future game production.
Placing accessibility at the fore of game development is unique in a field that typically addresses such issues as an afterthought. Soft Leaf hopes to save game developers development time and costs in expensive User Interface redesigned, systems re-coding, rewriting dialogue scripts and extra audio assets that are usually required for accessibility compliance. Frequently, game retrofits are largely superficial and do not address core issues that prevent players with a range of abilities. Designing a game from the ground up with the focus on accessibility will allow for barriers to be addressed, iterations to be made, and gamers with disabilities to feel included. The project aimed to allow for innovative ideas to be discovered and identify gaps in the industry that need explored further. With the success of the prototype, Soft Leaf hopes to encourage more projects that address accessibility at the start of development to ensure that the industry grows, producing standards and raising awareness for fellow developers and the general gaming community.
Soft Leaf Studios is a game development studio based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Their mission is to develop games that focus on memorable characters and to provide accessible experiences that everyone can enjoy.
For more information on Soft Leaf Studios and Stories of Blossom visit: https://www.softleafstudios.com
Team:
Conor Bradley, Company Director, specialising in Game Design, Programming, Audio, Writing and Marketing.
Clare Paterson, Creative Director, specialising in 2D Art, 2D Animation, Writing with a background in traditional art.
Partners:
Academic Partner: Brian Coyle – Senor Lecturer in Game Design, Ulster University
Industry Partner: Go Testify (Ella Walsh) - Video Game Testing Company
This project was funded through a Future Screens NI Research & Development award.