Table 1 EdugameAccess’ basic recommendation set

1. Use simple clear text formatting and an easily readable default font size.

2. Provide high contrast between text/UI and background.

3. Ensure no essential information is conveyed by a colour alone

4. Provide separate volume controls or mutes for effects, speech and background/music.

5. Use distinct sound / music design for all objects and events.

6. Provide pre-recorded dubbing for the text, including menus and installers. If it is not possible, ensure the proper functioning of screen reader or game built-in speech synthesizer. (Also ensure the screen reader support when the game is available for mobile devices).

7. Use stereo, binaural or surround sound for game objects localization.

8. Ensure interactive elements / virtual controls are large and well spaced, particularly on small or touch screens.

9. Ensure game controls are consistent, intuitive and naturally mapped.

10. Ensure that all key actions can be performed through keyboard.

11. Ensure a minimal guidance for players (regardless if he/she is visually impaired or not), to introduce the main controls of the game, is provided (e.g. a tutorial phase).

12. Ensure any fatigue or boredom is minimized by varying activities and pacing during the game play.

13. Ensure the game is easy to learn, harder to master, regardless the user is visually impaired or not.

14. Ensure the game world reacts to the player and remembers their passage through it, being perceived by player, including visually impaired ones.

15. Ensure the game goals are clear for player, including the visually impaired ones. The game should provide clear goals and present overriding goals early as well as short term goals throughout game play.

16. Ensure the players (including visually impaired people) have a sense of control and influence on the game world.

17. Ensure player score indicators are clear, obvious and available to players (including the visually impaired ones) and do not interfere with game play.

18. Ensure the game provides appropriate (audiovisual) feedback to users (including the visually impaired ones) and reacts in a consistent, immediate, challenging and exciting way to players’ actions.

19. Ensure the game does not put an unnecessary burden on the player (regardless if he/she is visually impaired or not).

20. Ensure the game interface and screen layout is efficient, consistent and visually pleasing.

21. Ensure the navigation is consistent, logical and minimal for players (including the visually impaired ones).

22. Avoid placing essential temporary information outside the player’s eye-line.

23. Ensure the player (regardless if she/he is visually impaired or not) error is avoided.

24. Game story encourages immersion (If game has story component).

25. Ensure player interruption is supported, so that players (including the visually impaired ones) can easily turn the game on and off and be able to save the games in different states.

26. Co-design. The player, regardless if she/he is visually impaired or not, have to feel that her/his actions have meaning and directly affect the game world.

27. Identity. The player, regardless if she/he is visually impaired or not, builds a sense of identity throughout the game, knows clearly her goals and skills and develops a desire to learn new skills to achieve their goals in the game.

28. Well-Ordered Problems. The game challenges must be ordered that the players (including the visually impaired ones) must apply the knowledge obtained in solving the previous problems to solve the next ones.

29. Pleasantly Frustrating. The game should challenge the players (including the visually impaired ones) while the game evolves but should be easy enough that they believe and can overcome the problem(s) faced. Players must act within the limits of their competency.

30. Cycles of Expertise. The player’s knowledge must be formed from the skills she/he has acquired and the skills she/he is learning. Therefore, these skills must be tested at each level of the game.

31.Information "On Demand" and "Just in Time". Information should be presented at the right time (in small blocks as soon as required in the game) or on demand (larger blocks that can be accessed on demand).