Universal Access in the Information Society https://doi.org/10.1007/s10209-023-01026-6 LONG PAPER Video games for environmental awareness: the accessibility gap María Eugenia Larreina‑Morales1 · Chiara Gunella1 Accepted: 24 July 2023 © The Author(s) 2023 Abstract Video games addressing environmental issues have the potential to raise awareness among players about the pressing eco- logical crisis and motivate them to take individual and collective action towards sustainability. For these games to generate change on a large scale, everyone should be able to play them. However, persons with disabilities often encounter acces- sibility barriers that prevent or hinder their access to these games. This paper aims to bridge the gap between environmental awareness and accessibility by analysing three video games: Plasticity, Alba: A Wildlife Adventure, and The Sims 4: Eco Lifestyle. First, their environmental themes are examined. Second, their accessibility features are listed and assessed using a mixed-methods tool that combines a quantitative checklist with a user qualitative evaluation. Results show that these three games are similar in their exploration and slow-paced mechanics but lack a specific focus on accessibility, particularly regarding visual, hearing, and haptic stimuli. This leads to a reduced gaming experience for some players, and complete unplayability for others, especially users in need of visual accessibility features. To improve the situation, accessibility should be co-created with users and implemented from the design stage of the game. Future research includes analysing a larger selection of games, directly involving players in the assessment of accessibility features, and reception research examining the impact of environmental awareness on players with and without disabilities. In short, to bridge the accessibility gap in environmental awareness, it is crucial to prioritise inclusivity in video games so that everyone can participate in creating a more sustainable world. Keywords Accessibility · Disability · Environmental awareness · Video games · Sustainability 1 Introduction in engaging citizens and communities across the world to lead a more sustainable lifestyle, as highlighted by both the Humanity is currently facing a triple planetary crisis related United Nations and the European Commission [4, 5]. In fact, to climate, pollution, and biodiversity loss, with dire con- limited knowledge about these issues and how to approach sequences for the planet and its inhabitants. [1]. Aiming them appears to be one of the main psychological barriers to mitigate them, the protection of the environment is the preventing an increase in ecological behaviours [6]. overarching theme for all seventeen of the United Nations’ Video games for environmental awareness, or environ- Sustainable Development Goals, which include efforts to mental games, may be used as digital communication tools improve the availability and sustainability of water man- for educational purposes [7]. They inform users about eco- agement, sanitation, energy, marine resources and terres- logical problems and solutions through “a system of rewards trial ecosystems [2]. Similarly, the European Green Deal and goals which motivate players, a narrative context which fights the environmental crisis through energy, mobility, situates activity and establishes rules of engagement, learn- trade and sustainable development initiatives [3]. Among ing content that is relevant to the narrative plot, and interac- these actions, raising awareness plays a significant role tive cues that prompt learning and provide feedback” [8]. Interactivity is what distinguishes video games from other forms of media and contributes to the players’ perception * María Eugenia Larreina‑Morales mariaeugenia.larreina@uab.cat of being the drivers of change, increasing knowledge appli- cation in real-world situations and promoting sustainable Chiara Gunella chiara.gunella@uab.cat actions [9]. 1 Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain 13 Vol.:(0123456789) Universal Access in the Information Society There are entertainment and serious environmental concepts of video games for environmental awareness and games. The purpose of entertainment games is to deliver an game accessibility are examined. Then, quantitative and enjoyable experience, while serious games aim to change qualitative results from the analysis of the selected games players’ attitudes, beliefs, risk perceptions, knowledge, or are presented, which are Plasticity [20], Alba: A Wildlife skills about a serious topic in an entertaining manner [10]. Adventure [21], and The Sims 4: Eco Lifestyle [22]. Lastly, Some environmental games are based on scientific data and potential accessibility improvements are identified and research, such as Ice Flows, created at the University of Exe- future directions for research are suggested. ter in 2018 [11]. This game accurately portrays the impact of climate change on the Antarctic ice sheet and is targeted at secondary school students. Others take a more imagina- 2 Video games for environmental awareness tive approach, using fiction and allegory to explore potential future scenarios. It is the case of Ubisoft’s Anno 2070, set in Environmental games raise awareness among players about a world where the Arctic ice cap has melted. Players build the natural world, the impact of human activity, and the new cities by exploiting resources, which may or may not be actions that individuals and communities can take to tackle sustainable, impacting gameplay. ecological issues such as the climate emergency, air and The Playing for the Planet Alliance, facilitated by the UN water pollution, and deforestation. According to UNESCO Environment Programme (UNEP), recognises video games’ [23], awareness and education are essential for building the potential to raise environmental awareness. Its more than knowledge, skills, values and attitudes necessary for sustain- forty members, which include game development studios, able development. publishers, and associations, are committed to reducing the Video games are a particularly effective medium to raise industry’s carbon footprint and inspiring environmental environmental awareness, as interactive and immersive action through games. In 2022, the Alliance focused on inte- experiences can show the complexities and interconnections grating green activations in games that result in real-world of natural systems, as well as the potential consequences actions, such as planting trees, creating a new decarbonisa- of ecological degradation and the benefits of conserva- tion standard for the industry, and presenting their work at tion efforts [24]. For example, in the game Beyond Blue, events and conferences. Players support these actions, as by E-Line Media, players explore the ocean and its fauna shown by the Alliance’s Green Game Jam Player Survey through the eyes of a deep-sea diver, providing a glimpse 2022. Some 81% of the 389,000 participants would like to into the intricate ocean life and the interdependencies among see more environmental content in video games, and 73.4% species. Similarly, Mojang Studios’ Minecraft may be used are willing to take more sustainable actions after playing an for environmental education, as players can use and explore environmental game [12]. real sustainable practices in the game world through the lens Additionally, environmental games have the potential to of creativity [25]. reach and build communities with traditionally excluded The notion of agency, that is, the ability of players to demographics, such as children and elders. In UNEP’s make in-game decisions that impact their experience, is key words, “games are often self-explanatory and intuitive, fea- here. In environmental games, players explore different strat- tures which can benefit environmental projects, especially in egies and approaches to addressing ecological challenges terms of accessibility and social inclusivity” [13]. However, that often mirror reality. This fosters reflection about in- persons with disabilities are not specifically mentioned by game and out-game events, which may be encouraged by UNEP as a target group for this type of games, although prompts within the game or discussions with other players environmental information is often inaccessible to them [26]. Reflection is a valuable tool for learning, as it enables [14]. This extends to risk management strategies and plans, players to process and internalise new information, make which often overlook the needs of persons with disabilities, connections between the game and real-world situations, and increasing their vulnerability during crisis situations [15]. examine their own experiences [27]. As a result, they are doubly excluded from participating in The influence of environmental games on players’ real- discussions and actions related to the environment, which life behaviours is a subject of discussion. On the one hand, can hinder their understanding of the risks and potential the already mentioned Playing for the Planet Alliance’s solutions [16]. Green Game Jam Player Survey 2022 provides compelling Therefore, environmental games should be accessible to evidence that video games possess the ability to promote all members of society, preventing interaction barriers long positive attitudes and actions towards the environment [28]. noted by users [17], the gaming industry [18], and research Not only did the survey successfully reach an extensive audi- [19]. This paper analyses the environmental content and ence of 389,000 players, but 73.4% of them, after playing accessibility of three games as a starting point for bridg- environmental games, stated that they were willing to take ing the gap between sustainability and inclusivity. First, the actions towards sustainability, such as eating less meat and 13 Universal Access in the Information Society planting trees to protect forests. Additionally, other research with hearing disabilities, the issue lies in the acoustic chan- has found that these games encourage players to engage in nel. For players with cognitive disabilities, deciding what sustainable behaviours such as conserving energy [29, 30] action is needed to progress in the game may be challenging. and recycling [31], thanks to immersive narratives and effec- For players with motor disabilities, the barrier may be the tive communication strategies. possibility to physically use the input device that enacts the On the other hand, some studies have called into question chosen action, such as pressing a button on a controller or the ability of video games to effectively promote long-term a keyboard. changes in environmental attitudes and behaviours. Ahn Game accessibility is beneficial for all players, with and et al. note that experiencing a highly interactive virtual envi- without disabilities. In fact, disabling situations are unique ronment promoting sustainability results in a higher self- to each person, so instead of disability profiles, it is often assessed environmental behaviour in real life up to one week more accurate to talk about needs. For example, a person after exposure [32]. Later than that, however, no significant may need captions to access sound in video games for sev- differences are found between environments with high and eral reasons, such as having a hearing disability, playing in low levels of interactivity. Similarly, in a review of research a noisy environment, being a younger or older player, or on simulations and serious games about the environment, being a language learner. In this case, the barrier of receiv- Halllinger et al. conclude that empirical studies address- ing sound stimuli is overcome by providing the same infor- ing the learning outcomes of environmental games are still mation through the visual channel in the form of written text. largely lacking [33]. As previously mentioned, environmental games should be In any case, it is important to acknowledge the value of accessible for all members of society, as they would reach a video games as tools for environmental communication. As greater number of players, potentially increasing their social Amadori points out in relation to younger generations, who impact. They would also improve the access of persons with tend to consume less traditional media such as TV and news- disabilities to environmental information. The close link papers, “we can wonder if and how video games can be used between awareness and accessibility is noted by Games for to pursue strategic communication objectives in the environ- Change, an international non-profit organisation about seri- mental field, bringing certain issues to public attention and ous games for social change. Its Game Directory compiles to criticize the most problematic aspects” [34]. For Abraham 150 games addressing topics such as education, politics, or and Jayemanne, broadening the scope to games that not only empathy [39]. Games may be filtered by age rating, gaming tackle environmental themes, but also address the causes of platform, cost, number of players, and accessibility, which the climate crisis, contributes to overcoming the limitations is divided in the following categories: general, auditory, of serious games—“which largely do not succeed at having visual, colour, and fine motor settings. However, no further the widespread transformative effects they aim for” [35]— information is provided about what these categories entail in and identifying which design elements impact player behav- terms of accessibility features, and none of the filters yields iour. The Greening Games research project takes this further any results. It is possible that the feature has not been imple- by stressing the link between environmental education and mented yet on the website, as content tags cannot be filtered the game industry: sustainability should be discussed early either. Instead, to search for games about a certain topic, the when training developers, so that they lead the way towards tag must be manually typed in the search bar. sustainable practices in gaming [36]. The Game Directory’s acknowledgement of accessibil- ity is quite unique, as research about environmental games often fails to address players with disabilities. Generally, 3 Game accessibility accessibility is used in the sense of the game or the gaming device’s availability. For example, Fisher et al. [40] study Accessibility is crucial for the inclusion of people with disa- how Nintendo’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons promotes bilities in issues related to sustainability. The Convention on sustainability, particularly regarding nature conservation. the Rights of Persons with Disabilities states that disability Accessibility is mentioned in the sense of personalisation— is a result of environmental and attitudinal barriers hinder- the player may customise the physical appearance of their ing a person’s “full and effective participation in society on character and choose in which hemisphere to live. Similarly, an equal basis with others” [37]. Applied to video games, Boncu et al. [41] conduct a systematic review of 29 serious accessibility prevents or overcomes interaction barriers games that educate players about the environment. Here, between the player and the game [38]. Interaction is based accessibility refers to the widespread availability of video on three steps: receiving stimuli from the game, determining games, mobile devices, and technology. the response, and providing input to complete the interaction A notable exception is a study by Fernando et al. [42] [19]. For players with visual disabilities, receiving stimuli about Trash Attack, a PC and mobile video game that through the visual channel is an access barrier. For players educates players about waste segregation. Researchers 13 Universal Access in the Information Society incorporated visual accessibility into their game, which following criteria: to address environmental themes, to have 36 players evaluated with a fair score (3.2 points out of a been released in the last 5 years, and to be available for PC. maximum of 5) through a survey. No further information This platform was chosen because it is popular among play- about accessibility is provided, but the paper concludes that, ers in general [48] and with disabilities [49, 50]. according to survey participants, the game succeeds in rais- The selected games were Plasticity [20], Alba: A Wildlife ing environmental awareness. Adventure [21], and The Sims 4: Eco Lifestyle [22]. Plastic- Our review of the literature seems to indicate that acces- ity, developed as an indie game by thirty students in the sibility is more present in serious games about topics other Games Programme at the University of Southern Califor- than the environment. Two approaches have been identi- nia, is tagged in Games for Change’s Game Directory as fied—creating an accessible serious video game and ana- tackling “Education” and “Empathy.” Alba, developed by a lysing the accessibility of existing games. An example of the medium-sized studio, is also included in the Game Direc- first case is My First English Game, a mobile game for learn- tory and tagged as a game for “Environmental Impact” and ing English. It was developed to be accessible for persons “Empathy.” Finally, Eco Lifestyle is part of the hugely popu- with hearing disabilities through subtitles, speaker tags, and lar Electronic Art’s franchise The Sims 4, which was played presenting key information through multiple channels, not worldwide for 1.4 billion hours in 2022 [51]. only audio [43]. Another example is PC TRAVEL, a game The games were played on PC by each of the authors to learn about computer architecture developed to be acces- of the paper, separately. First, their environmental themes sible not for a certain disability, but for the largest number were reviewed using content analysis. This research method of players as possible [44]. The game includes accessibility involves systematically analysing and interpreting the con- features such as subtitles, high contrast, and save points. tent of a particular text or other forms of media, including Regarding serious game analysis, Jaramillo-Alcazar video games [52]. Here, it allows for a closer look at how et al. [45] assess the cognitive accessibility of five mobile environmental issues are tackled in the game’s narrative, games according to the recommendations of four guidelines. mechanics and aesthetics, and how they encourage players to Salvador-Ullauri et al. [46] evaluate 40 serious web-based think about and engage with them. On this basis, it is a tool games according to their accessibility for players with low to understand how sustainability is presented and incorpo- vision using the barrier walkthrough method and the Web rated into video games, and its potential to raise awareness. Content Accessibility Guidelines. Francillette et al. [47] Second, the accessibility features of the selected games review 17 games for players with mental illnesses accord- were listed and assessed using a mixed-methods analysis ing to five criteria: aesthetic, controls, graphic user interface, tool developed by Larreina-Morales [53]. On the one hand, feedback, and narration. These categories are based on the quantitative data are collected through a checklist that inte- Game Accessibility Guidelines and recommendations for grates four game accessibility guidelines, compiling the rec- designing serious games for players with Alzheimer’s dis- ommendations of players with disabilities, the game indus- ease and players with autism. try, and research: Accessibility Reference Guides [54–58]; Each of these studies develops its own criteria to evaluate Xbox Accessibility Guidelines V2.5 [59]; Game Accessibil- accessibility in serious games, although they all draw from ity Guidelines [60]; and Accessible Player Experiences [61]. existing guidelines. The lack of a common, unified approach The checklist is organised into access design patterns, which hinders result comparison, not only in research about serious guarantee the interaction between the player and the game, games, but game accessibility in general. To avoid the same and challenge design patterns, which address the progress issue, this paper applies a mixed-methods analysis tool that of the player within the game [61]. Access features are fur- integrates existing guidelines to evaluate the accessibility ther classified into input, control, presentation, and output of three selected environmental games, as it will be further options; and challenge features into performance, training, discussed in Sect. 4. progress, socialisation, and moderation options [62]. Each feature is either available, unavailable, or not relevant to the mechanics of the analysed game. These options appear on 4 Methods the checklist as “Yes,” “No,” and “N/a” (not applicable), respectively. Aiming to bridge the gap between sustainability and inclu- On the other hand, qualitative data are collected from sivity, this paper analyses the accessibility features and bar- accessibility reviews written by users and published online. riers of three environmental games. Although the sample Reviews are selected from relevant forums, social media is small, it serves as a starting point towards mapping the platforms, and other online spaces where players discuss current state of accessibility in environmental games and video games, aiming to represent different accessibil- to advance towards more inclusive tools for ecological ity needs and preferences. This approach involves study- awareness and education. The games were selected with the ing online discussions and interactions among players of 13 Universal Access in the Information Society environmental video games to understand their experiences For example, at the beginning of the game, Noa drinks with and attitudes towards accessibility. from a plastic bottle and throws it on the ground. Then, the Finally, quantitative and qualitative data are merged and player may or may not interact with the bottle by pressing compared in a convergent mixed-methods design to gain a a key on the computer keyboard. If they choose to interact, deeper understanding of the adequacy of the accessibility Noa throws the bottle in a bin and avoids further polluting features of the analysed games, as well as their barriers [63]. her world. If they do not interact, either by choice or unaware As a result, accessibility is analysed through the double lens that they can do so, they contribute to the deterioration of of how many accessibility features are provided and how the environment. The more sustainable actions the player their users perceive their quality. performs, the better ending they will get. By showing the dire consequences of pollution and the positive results of environmental preservation, the game has the potential to 5 Results inspire players to adopt sustainable behaviours in their own lives. In fact, a study by Bekoum Essokolo and Robinot [64] Results are organised according to the three analysed games: used Plasticity to explore the impact of immersive media in Plasticity, Alba: A Wildlife Adventure, and The Sims 4: Eco reducing psychological distance dimension and triggering Lifestyle. First, the game’s content is analysed, identifying its emotions. The authors found that the game rose environ- potential to raise environmental awareness. Second, quanti- mental awareness among players, who were willing to take tative data collected through the checklist is presented and actions to reduce plastic consumption after playing. merged with qualitative data assessing the accessibility fea- Unfortunately, Plasticity is a largely inaccessible game. tures. The full list is available in Appendix. It offers just one accessibility feature out of the 28 relevant ones included on the checklist (see Table 1). Only customis- 5.1 Plasticity ing the output device is possible, that is, adjusting the set- tings of the PC screen, such as the brightness or the contrast. Plasticity is a puzzle-platformer video game released in Still, the game’s design may support accessibility for some 2019 and developed by thirty students of the Games Pro- players. For example, Noa’s internal monologue is not pre- gramme at the University of Southern California. It was sented audibly, but in text at the bottom of the screen. As a nominated for the Best Student Game Award in the 2020 result, players without access to the acoustic channel may Games for Change Awards and selected for the indie game have access to the story. In turn, players with visual dis- booth at the 2020 Game Developers Conference. Set in a abilities may miss it, because the game is not compatible plastic-polluted world in the year 2140, the game follows with a screen reader. It is also not possible to change the a young girl, Noa, in her journey to find a healthier place font or size of the text to improve its readability. Although to live. The central theme of environmental pollution sets a the protagonist’s comments are not essential to progress in moody, depressive atmosphere, reinforced by the auditory the game, they contribute to raising environmental aware- and visual design. A melancholic music score and a muted ness. Similarly, controls are limited to the arrows on the colour palette further convey the protagonist’s despair and keyboard and the Ctrl key, and they do not require toggling, hopelessness. Noa reflects on the state of her world, the loss holding, or repeated pressing. This simplicity may contribute of her mother, and the consequences of inaction in the face to cognitive accessibility, but players with no access to the of the ecological crisis through short sentences that appear keyboard will be unable to interact with the game. at the bottom of the screen. These design elements work These issues are highlighted in user reviews published together to immerse the player in a thought-provoking and on Steam, the platform that distributes Plasticity. Players emotionally impactful experience. criticise the lack of motor accessibility, especially regard- To progress in the game, the player can perform three ing controls, which are said to be stiff, slow, and buggy, basic mechanics: moving forward and backwards, jump- negatively impacting the overall gaming experience [65] and ing, and interacting with objects. Noa’s journey starts on a the control of the character [66]. Interaction with elements landfill, continues through an abandoned coastal town, and outside the flat plane cause frustration for some players [67]. finishes on an island, whose degree of pollution will depend The movements of the character are described as awkward on the player’s actions throughout the game. These actions and detracting from the visually appealing background and are environmentally motivated and include cleaning up litter aesthetic [68]. The way to progress in the game is also con- and saving seagulls trapped in fishing nets. However, inter- sidered to be problematic: “The audio in the game is good, active objects are indistinguishable from the background, so some downsides of the game include that there are no save it is in the hands of the player to discover which actions may [options] and the controls feel a bit clunky and awkward” improve the environment. [69]. In fact, if the player quits Plasticity during gameplay, they must start from the beginning the next time they open 13 Universal Access in the Information Society it. Additionally, the lack of tutorials, explicit goals, hints, or The game has a vibrant, colourful atmosphere that evokes difficulty customisation may make it very difficult for some the feeling of childhood summer holidays. The player visits players to progress in the game, particularly those with vis- local landmarks, like the beach, a restaurant or a castle, all ual disabilities, as there are no options to accommodate the with names in Spanish, connecting the game with the real visual stimuli through sound, like a screen reader or addi- world. Through Alba, they interact with other characters and tional sound signals. To overcome challenge barriers, players learn about the upcoming destruction of a nature reserve have created a guide listing the actions needed to get “the as the result of the construction of a luxury hotel. To avoid good ending” of the game [70]. it, they must complete different quests related to environ- It is important to note that Plasticity was developed as ment preservation, such as collecting signatures, cleaning a student project with limited resources. This might be the up litter, and identifying and photographing wildlife. Explo- reason for the bugs and awkward controls pointed out by ration is the main mechanic in Alba, which allows players the reviewers. Similarly, it may be argued that the design to discover different areas of the game world and interact choice of making interactive objects undistinguishable from with other characters and wildlife species. Players also cap- the background highlights the message of the game—only ture photos of the animals they encounter and add them to conscious, deliberate environmental actions will save the their in-game journals. Other tools, such as binoculars and planet. However, accessibility does not mean compromising a mobile phone, add to the immersive gameplay experience. the game’s nature, artistic vision, or educational aim. As This design, with unlimited time to complete the quests, may noted by AbleGamers, a non-profit organisation advocating inspire players to make similar small, everyday actions to for game accessibility, “in some cases, you may not be able protect the environment and learn about their local wildlife. to make every experience accessible to everyone. But then Regarding accessibility, Alba offers 14 of the 28 relevant again, not every player wants to have the experience you are features on the checklist (Table 1). It performs particularly offering” [61]. Instead, accessibility is designing a game that well in the challenge options, as it provides 8 out of 11, may be played by as many players as possible, catering to including tutorials, hints, manual and auto-save, and review- their diverse needs and preferences. ing the progress made by the player. There are only 6 out In the case of Plasticity, a feature that increases the con- of 17 access options. Notable examples include alternative trast between interactive objects and the background would input devices to control the game (the mouse and an external make it easier for players to identify and interact with these controller plugged into the PC), the additional sound and objects. Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part II successfully visual signals, and the independent volume control. As in uses this strategy to improve the accessibility of the game— Plasticity, the straightforward mechanics in Alba work in the High Contrast Display mutes the background and colours favour of its accessibility. The focus on exploration and the allies, enemies, items, and interactive objects so that they are unlimited time to complete quests translates into a relaxed clearly identified by players [71]. Adding accessibility fea- experience that may improve accessibility for players with tures such as high contrast to Plasticity would also contrib- cognitive and motor needs. The latter may benefit from play- ute to the environmental message of the game, as it would ing with the mouse or the controller, customising the input improve the identification of behaviours that result in a less device’s sensitivity, and not having to toggle, hold, or repeat- polluted world, in both the game and everyday life. edly press the buttons. Dialogues between characters, which provide key information about the quests, are only rendered 5.2 Alba: A Wildlife Adventure in the text and in short sentences, which contributes to hear- ing and cognitive accessibility. In fact, access to the acoustic Alba: A Wildlife Adventure is a single-player video game channel is not essential to progress in the game, although released in 2020 developed by Ustwo Games, a London- the sound of birdsongs, the waves and the wind enhances based studio. The game is about Alba, a young girl visit- immersion. ing her grandparents on the Mediterranean coast, and her Alba is largely lacking visual accessibility features. efforts to protect the environment. The gameplay is based on Although there are some additional sound signals, such as exploring an open world, interacting with other characters, a click when the player focuses the camera on a wild ani- and finding objects, making it suitable for players of all ages, mal before taking a photo, or sea and wetland sounds that particularly younger ones. Moreover, UsTwo Games com- may help with orientation, players with visual disabilities mits to its ecological message by planting one tree for every may find it particularly difficult to interact with this game. copy of Alba that is downloaded or sold. In 2021, the mile- Besides the lack of a screen magnifier and a screen reader, stone of planting one million trees was reached [72]. The the unavailability of an assist mode or the possibility to game’s potential to raise awareness was recognised with the bypass parts of the game may make it impossible for some 2021 Apple Design Award for Social Impact and the Game players to independently complete the quests. of the Year Award at the 2021 Games for Change Awards. 13 Universal Access in the Information Society The game has been praised for the accessible features cartoon-like aesthetics. The user-friendly interface is quite of its design: “The missions are clearly listed, and you can intuitive, and controls are limited to the keyboard and point- always access a well-annotated map. There is no sonar-style ing and clicking with the mouse. Despite its casual design, directive audio ping, but you can listen to the sound of the it is important to note that the game and its expansions are animal you need to find and use that sound to home in on its rated PEGI 12. location in the game world” [73]. Text-based dialogue and The Sims 4 has a double dynamic of building and liv- visual cues complementing sound signals, which may be ing. The player designs the Sims’ appearance and personal- particularly useful for users with cognitive disabilities, are ity, builds and decorates the houses they live in, and runs also applauded [74]. Players also notice the game’s accessi- the simulation while controlling one Sim at a time. In live bility limitations. For example, Ortiz [75] wishes the game’s mode, the player takes care of the Sims’ physiological and music score was heard more often, although they recognise social needs and decides which action they will perform that there may be silent moments to underline the sound next by clicking on an object or another character. For effects that characterise each wild animal, which may help example, when selecting a Sim’s laptop, the player chooses players with visual disabilities. Wainwright [74] notes that between several actions, such as playing a game, finding a players with low vision may use the easily recognisable sil- job, or writing a book. Each of these boosts different skills houettes of the animals. Lastly, the lack of control features and changes the Sim’s personal development. Some actions may result in a poor gaming experience for some users: “I may be autonomously performed by the Sims without player have never seen a game have this few [control] options. It instruction. For example, a hungry, unsupervised Sim may feels uncomfortable to use on keyboard and mouse, and decide to watch TV instead of cooking a meal. Neglect- given the practically non-existent game options, [they] are ing the Sims’ needs results in a bad mood, low energy, and impossible to improve” [76]. ultimately death. Time only passes in the live mode, and In short, Alba has a great potential to raise environmen- the player can choose to pause it, speed it up, or slow it tal awareness, as noted by players themselves: “Alba chal- down. For example, when the Sim is sleeping, time goes lenges you to give back to your own local community, to faster. Additionally, when a message that requires user input explore your own nature preserves, to capture the twittering appears on screen, the game automatically pauses. of rare species hidden in the branches” [77]. It is also on The novelties of Eco Lifestyle are that players can use the right track regarding accessibility. Some of the features renewable energy sources in the Sims’ houses, grow their are embedded in the design, such as additional sound and own food, reduce waste by recycling and composting, and visual signals, hints and review of the progress, while oth- participate in neighbourhood action plans to get involved ers require explicit configuration by players, like controller in activism projects. There are also community spaces that sensitivity and independent volume control. Even some of can be used for gardens, crafting and recycling, or market- the not applicable features contribute to accessibility. There places for handmade and upcycled objects. Moreover, play- is no need for difficulty, speed, and time limit customisation ers’ choices have an impact on the world: picking sustain- options, because Alba is already a slow-paced exploration able materials, energy sources, and action plans will result game. That said, more accessibility features could easily be in clear skies and abundant nature, while the opposite will implemented in Alba, particularly for players with visual result in pollution, rubbish on the street, and acid rain. By disabilities. Compatibility with a screen reader would be key allowing players to experience the consequences of their to access the written dialogues and objectives, as well as a actions in the game world and learn about sustainable liv- screen magnifier, the customisation of interactive visuals, ing practices, Eco Lifestyle may potentially raise awareness and the intentional design of sound signals for orientation and promote pro-environmental behaviours. As in The Sims in the open world. Lastly, an assist mode or the possibility 4, Eco Lifestyle lets the player explore and live in the game to bypass certain parts of the game would be useful to avoid world, without imposing a fixed story or series of quests. players getting stuck throughout the game. This means that players are free to run the simulation as they like. 5.3 The Sims 4: Eco Lifestyle Eco Lifestyle offers the same accessibility features as the main game, The Sims 4, which are 14 out of the 31 relevant The Sims is a life simulation video game series developed features on the checklist (Table 1). There is a lack of access by Electronic Arts where players create and control virtual features, as the game only provides 5 out of 18. Among people, known as Sims, and manage their everyday lives. them, the user interface customisation stands out because Since the year 2000, the franchise has released numerous Plasticity and Alba did not offer it. The customisation, how- sequels and expansion packs, such as Cats & Dogs, Discover ever, is limited to scale. Additional sound and visual signals University and Eco Lifestyle. The latter, released in 2020, are also worth mentioning. These include overlaid arrows focuses on sustainable living. The Sims 4 has colourful, indicating where to go next, small sized maps, and sound 13 Universal Access in the Information Society effects made by the interactive objects and the Sims them- in-game feature, is added as soon as possible” [85]. Finally, selves. Challenge features are well represented, as the game users would like to have an optional auto-saving feature to offers most of the applicable ones: 9 out of 13. All training avoid losing data [86]. options are covered: there are tutorials, a training mode, and As already mentioned, Eco Lifestyle does not add any the possibility to review instructions, goals, and controls at new accessibility features to The Sims 4 series. As a result, any point of the gameplay. Mechanics also favour accessibil- players with disabilities may face barriers when trying to ity, in the sense that the player can adjust the speed of time. access the game’s environmental message about which spe- Similarly, there are no time constraints to reach the goals, cific actions individuals and communities can do to lead which are ultimately not mandatory to continue playing the a more sustainable lifestyle and ultimately have a positive game. The only exception are the needs of the Sims, which impact on the environment. The most pressing issues are need to be satisfied for them to survive. related to motor and visual accessibility, as the game may be Notable accessibility pitfalls of Eco Lifestyle are the lack played without access to the acoustic channel and actions are of an alternative input device and control options in the PC. limited to choosing between different interaction options that As a result, players who cannot use the mouse or keyboard are typically expressed in short, easy-to-read prompts. Com- may not be able to interact with the game. Similarly, text size patibility with a screen reader and alternative input devices cannot be customised and there is no screen reader, so play- would be easy fixes for the game’s barriers in the live mode, ers with visual disabilities may find it difficult or impossible while assistance and pre-sets would be particularly useful to play because text is key to interact with other characters in the build mode. and perform the actions. Lastly, there are no trigger warnings or disabling options for the game’s sensitive content. A particularity about The Sims 4 when compared to 6 Conclusions and future directions Plasticity or Alba is that there is a big online community of players that create and use fan-made modifications to cus- Video games can be tools for environmental awareness and tomise the game beyond its official settings. It is important education. There are different strategies for conveying the to note that this is the only big budget game analysed in this ecological message, as exemplified by the games that were paper. Some of these modifications may contribute to the analysed on this paper. Plasticity presents players with a game’s accessibility, intentionally or not. For example, the pollution-ridden world, offering them the chance to improve user interface may be changed to the dark mode with Dark the situation; Alba: A Wildlife Adventure uses children’s con- Mode UI for The Sims 4 [78], the loading song may be disa- nection to nature and wildlife to show the effectiveness of bled with No Tune After Loading [79], and the physiological citizen-led initiatives for protecting local natural resources; needs of the Sims may be eliminated with Motives/Needs and The Sims 4: Eco Lifestyle simulates the consequences of [80]. These three modifications may be particularly useful ecologically positive and negative choices. All three let play- for players with disabilities, as they reduce cognitive load ers explore and make decisions at their own pace, without and ease interaction. imposing time limits or restrictive goals. In this sense, they It must be noted that no reviews about the accessibility of mirror reality, where individuals and communities decide Eco Lifestyle were found, so online publications about The whether and how to protect the environment. Sims 4 were analysed. The Sims 4’s players demand acces- In fact, the mechanics of these environmental games (per- sibility options in the game, as the only customisable option haps inadvertently) already contribute to accessibility for in the menu is adjusting the scale of the user interface [81]. players with disabilities. For example, dialogues are con- Regarding access features, Reddit user Decker12 asks for a veyed by text in all three games, and sound is not essential way to remap the keyboard controls: “Any mod or method for progress, positively impacting the gaming experience or trick in this great modern year of 2021 to remap the key- of players with hearing disabilities. However, accessibility board shortcuts in the PC version of Sims 4?” [82]. Other is not explicitly implemented, hindering access. In Plastic- users recommend using AutoHotkey, an open-source script- ity, as there are no instructions about how to reduce pollu- ing language that can modify hard-coded keys in the game. tion, nor additional signals highlighting interactive objects, Likewise, Modsey [83] asks for the following accessibility players may not be able to reach the ending where nature is features for players with visual disabilities: text customisa- starting to heal. The reason for their lack of environmental tion, a screen magnifier, and a screen reader. In the same action within the game is not due to their unwillingness, but forum thread, Justme22 [84] mentions issues with seeing rather the game’s inherent design limitations, which hinder the colour green due to low contrast, and Lorne21, a player accessibility and playability for certain audiences. with a visual disability, asks for a dark mode: “It would be These accessibility issues are particularly problematic in great for us if a dark mode option, which makes it easier to the access design pattern. If players are unable to access read the texts in the game and which we can choose as an the basic visual, hearing and haptic stimuli of the game, 13 Universal Access in the Information Society interaction will be hindered to the point of rendering the accessibility from the design stage of the game and, ideally, challenge options unusable. For example, Alba provides co-create its features with persons with disabilities. In this most of the applicable challenge options (8 out of 11), but sense, fans are already modifying games to fit their needs, only a third of the access options (6 out of 17). As a result, as the previously mentioned examples of The Sims 4. Future players who need control remapping, which is unavailable research includes analysing a larger selection of games to in the game, will not be able to access progress features such draw generalisable conclusions, employing netnography to as hints. Brown and Anderson [87], who review the acces- analyse online engagement and interactions among players, sibility of 50 games released in 2019, also note that there is involving users in the design and assessment of accessibil- a need for more access options, especially in the control and ity features, and reception research examining the impact presentation categories, including control remapping, and of environmental awareness in players with and without text, user interface, and colour customisation. As explained disabilities. in the Accessible Player Experiences resource, accessibil- In short, trends identified in this research regarding eco- ity features may be organised in a pyramid, where access is logical themes and accessibility may serve as a starting at the bottom, challenge in the intermediate level, and the point for developing more accessible environmental games, accessible player experience at the top: “Only when a player particularly by using the checklist and reviews to pinpoint has access and can have a chance of overcoming the chal- accessibility successes and pitfalls. To bridge the accessibil- lenges in the game can they have the player experience you ity gap in environmental awareness, it is crucial to prioritise want them to have” [61]. inclusivity in video games, so that everyone can participate Accessibility means finding the balance between the in creating a more sustainable world. game’s goals and players’ abilities, without easing or delet- ing the challenge factor, which is what makes playing fun. In fact, the optimal experience of play lies in the space between challenge and progress [88]. The three games that have been Appendix analysed here would be more inclusive if they provided a greater number of access options to customise visual, hear- See Table 1. ing and haptic stimuli. To that aim, they should integrate Table 1  Availability of Accessibility feature Is it available? accessibility features in Plasticity, Alba: A Wildlife Plasticity Alba Eco Lifestyle Adventure (abbreviated as Alba), and The Sims 4: Eco Access design patterns Lifestyle (abbreviated as Eco Alternative input device No Yes No Lifestyle) Control options Control remapping No No No Alternating between button toggling, holding and pressing, and N/a N/a No repeated pressing Controller sensitivity customisation No Yes No Presentation options Additional haptic signals N/a N/a N/a Additional sound signals No Yes Yes Additional visual signals No Yes Yes Controller vibration customisation N/a N/a N/a Customisation of visuals in motion No No No Customisation of interactive visuals No No No User interface customisation No No Yes Text customisation No No No Sign language No No No Subtitles for the dialogue N/a N/a N/a Subtitles for all sounds No No No Subtitle text customisation N/a N/a N/a Colour customisation No No No Screen magnifier No No No 13 Universal Access in the Information Society Table 1  (continued) Accessibility feature Is it available? Plasticity Alba Eco Lifestyle Predefined messages in the chat N/a N/a N/a Independent volume control No Yes Yes Audio description No No No Screen reader No No No Output device customisation Yes Yes Yes Challenge design patterns Performance options Difficulty customisation No N/a N/a Speed and time limit customisation N/a N/a Yes Training options Tutorials No Yes Yes Training mode No No Yes Review of tutorials and goals at any point of the game No Yes Yes Review of controls at any point of the game No Yes Yes Progress options Assist mode No No No Hints No Yes Yes Bypassing parts of the game No No N/a Manual save No Yes Yes Auto-save No Yes No Saving accessibility settings N/a N/a N/a Review of the progress No Yes Yes Review, confirm, and undo irreversible actions N/a Yes Yes Social options Playing with others with the same in-game preferences N/a N/a N/a Playing with others with the same communication preferences N/a N/a N/a Moderation options Warnings about sensitive content N/a N/a No Customisation of sensitive content N/a N/a No Total of available options 1/28 14/28 14/31 Access design patterns 1/17 6/17 5/18 Challenge design patterns 0/11 8/11 9/13 Note: Data about the availability of the accessibility features was collected by playing the games on PC. The total of available options is calculated by dividing the available options by the result of subtracting the not applicable features from the total number of features (23 for the access design pattern and 18 for the challenge design pattern) Acknowledgements The authors are members of the TransMedia Cata- Funding Open Access Funding provided by Universitat Autonoma de lonia research group funded by Secretaria d’Universitats i Recerca del Barcelona. Departament d’Empresa i Coneixement de la Generalitat de Catalunya, under the SGR funding scheme (Ref. Code 2021SGR00077). María Data availability Data generated or analysed during this study are Eugenia Larreina-Morales has been awarded a PhD grant from the included in this published article and its supplementary information Catalan Government (2021FI_B1 00049). Chiara Gunella oversees files. Any additional data can be made available upon reasonable Outreach and Impact in the Horizon 2020 project GreenScent—Smart request. Citizen Education for a Green Future. This project has received fund- ing from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation Declarations programme under Grant Agreement No 101036480. Conflict of interest On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author Author contribution MEL-M wrote the main manuscript text and states that there is no conflict of interest. focused on the game accessibility analysis. CG focused on environ- mental content analysis. All authors reviewed the manuscript. 13 Universal Access in the Information Society Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attri- 124, 338–343 (2009). https://​doi.​org/​10.​1177/​00333​54909​12400​ bution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adapta- 225 tion, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long 15. 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