For the past 8 months, our team has poured their heart and souls into Tails of War. We juggle a lot of responsibilities, but our shared passion for game development helps us push to finish our game. At the heart of this shared passion lies a commitment to inclusivity, ensuring that every gamer, regardless of their abilities, can embark on our turn-based multiplayer tactics adventure. Today, we are thrilled to shed light on the profound value we place on accessibility in Tails of War. We're inviting players from all walks of life to join this game of strategy, wits, and whiskers.
Open Dyslexic
Our first priority for accessibility was the dyslexic community. Tails of War is among the most text-heavy games we have ever developed, and thus we wanted to remove the barrier to entry for players with dyslexia. So we built an option for players to change all the text in the game from its default font to Open Dyslexic. Open Dyslexic is a font specifically designed to be easier to read for those with dyslexia. By including Open Dyslexic as an option in our game, we hope that more people can enjoy our whimsical world without difficulty. Visit the Open Dyslexic Website to learn more about the font.
Controller Support
Some gamers find certain games easier to play on a controller than a keyboard. Certain controllers are specifically designed to be more accessible to players with disabilities. Thus, pushing for accessibility meant providing full controller support for players. Every part of our game - every menu and interaction, can be done via controller in addition to keyboard and mouse. We hope that those who choose to play Tails of War with a controller find it an enjoyable experience.
Hotkeys
An important addition we made to the improve the controller experience in Tails of War is the Hotkeys system. Through the accessibility settings menu, players can set hotkeys for many unique in game actions. These include:
- Accessing the codex page for a specific unit/tile type
- Zooming the camera in and out
- Cycling between units/cities
Hotkeys can be configured for both controller and keyboard. Hotkeys will enable players to make their experience more convenient, such as viewing a codex entry with a simple keypress or configuring the camera to avoid mouse scrolling entirely.
Color Picker
Our final accessibility feature was to make the colors in our game configurable. For those who are colorblind, or wish for more distinct colors, our custom color picker enables players to set the games colors for 5 different categories. Players can set the path preview, unit outline, and unit healthbar colors to whatever they choose to create the experience that fits them best.
We look forward to seeing players use these features in our games, and we hope games find that these features enrich their gameplay experience.