The GAconf Awards 2024, celebrating excellence in game development accessibility, has once again highlighted the significant contributions of Scottish talent to this important and rapidly evolving area of the global games industry. This year, three projects and individuals from Scottish talent are recognised for their commitment to creating inclusive gaming experiences.
Scottish Nominees
The nominees with Scottish connections are:
- Pine Hearts: Nominated for Indie Excellence (Hyper Luminal Games)
- Soundtown: Nominated for Best Blind/Low Vision Accessibility (Alexander Horowitz)
- Cari Watterton: Nominated for MVP Award For Unsung Hero (Rebellion)
Pine Hearts
Pine Hearts, developed by Dundee-based Hyper Luminal Games, is a heartwarming adventure game with a strong focus on accessibility. Led by Scottish Games Diversity Champion award-winner Searra Leishman, Pine Hearts recognises the importance of inclusivity and has implemented a range of features to cater to diverse player needs.
Key accessibility features include:
- Visual Adjustments: Options for text size alteration, text spacing, and a dyslexia-friendly font enhance readability. A “Colour Blocking Mode” improves visibility by simplifying the visual presentation.
- Gameplay Modifications: Simplified controls, customizable button mappings, and options to adjust game speed offer greater flexibility for players with motor impairments.
Sound Town
Born out of the PhD research at the Glasgow School of Art by Alexander Horowitz, SoundTown is a game designed for – and with – children and young people with complex physical and cognitive needs.
The initial brief for SoundTown was developed through consultations with several appropriate organisations, including schools and charities with knowledge of accessible play. Built in the Unity game engine and powered by the Wwise audio engine, SoundTown consists of six minigames accessed directly through the Main Menu.
Players interact with SoundTown using a maximum of two buttons or switches. One button navigates the menus, whilst the other is used to select a minigame or play. Thus, SoundTown is explicitly accessible to players only capable of interaction with a single input device such as a switch, foot pedal, or the Xbox Adaptive Controller.
It was recognised at the Scottish Games Awards 2023 with a nomination in the ‘Diversity Champion’ category, and now at the GAconf Awards 2024, competing against Call of Duty, Star Wars, and Avatar with a nomination in the ‘Best Motor/Mobility Accessibility’ category.
Cari Watterton
Cari is an experienced UX Designer & Accessibility Advocate. A grduate of Abertay University, Cari is passionate about creating games for everyone, with intuitive experiences and player-centred design at the core.
Cari is a BAFTA Games Nominee, two-time Dare To Be Digital contestant and Develop: Brighton speaker with a passion for game jams, board games and dice. Some of her previous speaking engagements include ‘An Indie Approach to Accessibility’, ‘Accessible Accessibility, and ’10 Reasons to Make a Board Game at Your Next Game Jam’.
These nominations highlight the dedication of Scottish developers to creating inclusive gaming experiences. By prioritising accessibility, these studios ensure that people of all abilities can play and enjoy games.
GAconf Awards 2024 Categories and Nominees
The GAconf Awards featured a diverse range of categories, recognizing outstanding achievements in accessibility across the industry. Here’s a breakdown of the categories and the number of nominees:
- AAA Excellence: 3 nominees
- Indie Excellence: 5 nominees
- Best Deaf/Hard of Hearing Accessibility: 5 nominees
- Best Motor/Mobility Accessibility: 5 nominees
- Best Blind/Low Vision Accessibility: 5 nominees
- Best Cognitive Accessibility: 5 nominees
- Best Mental Health Accessibility: 5 nominees
- Best Representation: 7 nominees
- Best Journalism: 5 nominees
- Best Academic Research: 5 nominees
- Best Assistive Technology: 5 nominees
- Best Accessibility Resource: 5 nominees
- Best Comms/Marketing: 5 nominees
- Most Improved: 5 nominees
- Greatest Accessibility Innovation: 5 nominees
- Most Dedicated Publisher: 5 nominees
- Most Dedicated Studio: 5 nominees
- MVP Award for Unsung Hero: 5 nominees
- The Advocacy Award: 5 nominees
Watch The Winners
The winners of the GAconf Awards will revealed in January 2025 by the inimitable Steve Saylor alongside a host of special guests.
You can watch the full ceremony on the IGDA-GASIG YouTube channel, with audio description, ASL, BSL, and full captions.