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This weekend brought the second annual Video Game Accessibility Awards, a celebration of games which make an effort to welcome a wider range of players. Prizes came in ten categories covering everything from control and text options to friendly training spaces. It was a fun awards show too, with good hosts, chat from devs, and even a special appearance from Van Wilder star Ryan Reynolds.
Hosted by Steven Spohn of the AbleGamers charity and podcaster and developer Alanah Pearce, with the help of a load of streamers and advocates and that Deadpool lad, the 2021 Video Game Accessibility Awards streamed live on Saturday. I have to watch a lot of awards shows for this job, and this is one of the few I’ve actually enjoyed. You can see the show archived here:
Or if you just want to know the winners, we can run through those.
Halo Infinite won the Training Grounds prize, celebrating games which give opportunities to learn how to play before jumping into a campaign or multiplayer match.
It Takes Two scooped the prize for Peer Assistance, games which let you bring in a pal. Cooperating is that game’s whole deal.
Forza Horizon 5 won the AI Assistance prize, celebrating games which have options to help out when you’re struggling. Forza as a series has been pretty good, offering AI assist options including steering and braking assists that will guide you towards the optimal driving line and brake through corners, traction control and stability fighting spinouts, and more. Horizon 5 also has accessibility options including sign language support and the option to play in slow-motion.
Life Is Strange: True Colors took the prize for Ability To Bypass, about letting players skip troublesome bits. True Colors offers options to skip quick-time events and minigames and still get good outcomes.
The Second Channel award for games which give various additional indicators to convey information went to Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy.
Among Us was the winner, and only nominee, for the House Rules award about letting players customise a game’s rules and play the way you want.
Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker scooped the Remapping award for freedom to rebind controls.
The Input Reduction award, all about reducing the amount of clicking and tapping and bashing, went to Before Your Eyes. That’s the vignette ’em up where you can blink at your webcam to advance those scenes (and life).
Improved Precision, for options customising input sensitivity, went to Far Cry 6.
And Halo Infinite took a second prize, the Clear Text award for good subtitle, caption, and UI options.
Good show. Good prizes. May it inspire more developers to make better efforts.