9 Ways to Measure Accessibility for Tabletop Games

[@nib71286]

Going on my "Liked" videos. Man you release a lot of treasures in your content, its like a free class with MasterClass or Skill Share! I love that you backed up your ideas with things you already did, instead of just sharing what you think others should do. Telling the failings of games you have on print is super vulnerable, transparent, and humble. Way to go!

[@brianbett9196]

I'm glad you're thinking about purchase price in terms of accessibility. It's one that I think people don't want to think about when it comes to how it affects inclusivity. What's really hard is that it will also probably come into direct conflict with other items on your list, e.g., component hook, player count (due to extra player pieces). I'm sure it's also in conflict with making sure you're keeping the lights on as a publisher: Small games can be the most accessible here since an overlooked segment of the population may be priced out at $20-30, yet I know that may leave publishers with too little to show for their time. Definitely a hard topic with no right answers, thanks for bringing it up!

[@jameystegmaier]

Thanks for sharing this thought! It's definitely something we try to keep in mind, and I think Rolling Realms is an example of a game that has some fun component hooks (the dry-erase cards and the big dice) while only costing $20.

[@brianbett9196]

@@jameystegmaier yes it is :)

[@guandjs]

Great video! I esp appreciated your mentioning representation of people with different abilities as I walk with crutches and it is very rare to see representation of people with physical disabilities in games where you can play them as the protagonist.

[@benjaminbaker4810]

These are really not just 9 ways to measure accessibility in tabletop games, but I would venture to say they are 9 ways to make great games. If a game is inaccessible, it would be easy to argue that it is also not very great. This is great list with lots of helpful points for game designers, Jamey. Thank you!

[@unclesamb]

This is a really great list with really great examples! Right after watching this I played Scythe with some friends and pulled out a third-party scoring app (Scythe Calc), and it made me think that "Time" could use another bullet: Scoring. There are a number of games, like Scythe or Feast for Odin, that have really lengthy scoring periods at the end that can get really mathy. I often find myself calculating scores at the end while everyone else goes off and gets drinks or things, and then they come back 5-10 minutes later for the grand reveal of the score. This can sometimes feel super anti-climactic. Some ways to deal with this are to have all points represented on the board at once (like Viticulture or Dune Imperium) so that it becomes a point race, or to include scorecards to make it clear everything that needs to be scored. However, when you can't have a point race, it's hard to top a scoring app. Garphill Games has a fantastic companion app (Garphill Games Companion) that includes scoring modules for all of their games--you enter which expansions or variants you're using, and then it walks you through a scorecard in really easy fashion that keeps everyone at the table engaged the whole time and keeps you from needing to do much math. Scythe Calc does the same thing on a really simple level, and there are nicer (and more expensive) apps out there. I would love to see a Stonemaier companion app in the same vein that had score calculators for games that need them, like Scythe, Wingspan, or even Rolling Realms.

[@jameystegmaier]

That's great feedback, Sam! Some third-party developers have created scoring apps (most of them web-based, though a few are visual, like for Between Two Castles) for our games, but I love the Garphill idea. I'll reach out to Shem to see if he can recommend a developer.

[@Tanks.With.Teeth.Malloy]

Thank you for the in depth video on this. This is something that most of do not think about, we just assume everything has been thought of when creating a game. However looking at my collection I see a lot of games that can learn lessons from this video :) Of course I'm not mad at those publishers or designers. However if we want board games and the tabletop games as a whole to be as accessible as possible so that we can get everyone to the table, this video will be a great place to start.

[@theshogunstein6475]

We appreciated doing a colorblind board gaming perspective video for My Little Scythe a few months back. We look forward to making more content in the future on that topic. Our channel specializes in that. Red Rising is very colorblind Friendly even with the use of so many colors in the game. We appreciate that your games make an excellent effort that trying to be as colorblind friendly as possible.

[@lauralynnwalsh]

Two things, rather related: Conflict: battles, warriors, weapons. It is something that appeals strongly to some people and not at all to others. Some games have options to avoid direct conflict. Gotchas: Are "dinging your opponent" actions prevalent? In some games, there are some options where you have to target one specific opponent out of many. This can make the targeted player feel less positive about the game.

[@CresentSoul]

Compared to video games, there less violence and combat in Board games (it’s still common as large demographic is boys and young men). But interesting point. I think this is shifting a bit more in recent years. There’s more mix of themes now.

[@katforst1808]

Thanks Jamey! I've been working on a game that's heavily color coded and had already been working towards ensuring there was a back up code built in using labeling and icons. I also appreciated the comment about over sexualization. As a female it's off-putting and I feel like a lot more women might get into this hobby if games didn't feel as male-centric. I've been working hard to gender neutralize mine through the use of gender neutral pronouns like "they" rather than the default "he". I also intend to include gender neutral art once I make it into that phase. It's not as difficult as I thought it might be, perhaps due to my personal perspective, to create character art that leaves enough open that players can see what they choose when they look at something. My primary goal with the game I'm working on is to create a gateway that allows for an introduction to high strategy games that is accessible for anyone while keeping avid board gamers interested. Final thought - an expansion on your Age accessibility - a lot of people seem to focus on adding kids, but I like to also consider bringing in the older crowd that grew up with Bridge and Monopoly and quit playing as adults thinking it's a kid activity for rain days. It's time to bring them to the robust community of board gaming!

[@jameystegmaier]

I think that gender-neutral approach is excellent! We try to do that in all of our games (and use the second person "you" in the rulebooks, which is also gender-neutral).

[@gamecadet8679]

good point with this. I actually can not teach friends some games due to this. Example, Rising Sun has such a cool combat system and I love the different powers and cards but it requires someone read things from across the table to prepare when they buy a card.

[@Taltz911]

Thanks Jamey, really appreciate your considerate approach to making board games!

[@svachalek]

Wow, this is a lot of really great experience condensed into one short video. Interesting that you put component hooks in as an accessibility issue, it’s not one I would normally think of and still not sure I’m on board with it, but it is a really interesting way to think about it. There is certainly a physical accessibility to components though, Wingspan eggs in general are easier to handle than dime sized tokens for example. Also when you were showing the red die there it reminded me of something I saw in a museum this weekend, our color perception is affected by neighboring colors. So those colored pips may have been more distinct on a black die, and colors that didn’t look so distinct on a black die may have been more distinct on a red die. But as you say, some symbols would help even more.

[@xandermichael78]

Fantastic video! I really enjoyed seeing these points as they relate to your games. It also gave a better insight into your designs. I also really appreciate that you're able to address the issues where you feel the production didn't do as well.

[@littlebluecubes]

Thanks for covering the color blind issues. Unique token shapes and dual coded icons helps color blinded people to distinguish tokens but it’s still not ideal for me that wheat and gold look exactly the same color while the token shapes are different. I think the first effort should be to ensure the color are as far apart as possible for the color blind people, unless the game and it’s setting badly needs those specific colors.

[@junepaologuarin8762]

On Rolling Realms, I can fit a single round within the available lunch break time.

[@dixaba]

About box sizes: sometimes the original game box is half empty but got filled with 2-3 expansions. But here's the catch: while filling the original box with expansions' things, you're also emptying expansions' boxes, so in the end you have 1 big and heavy box full of components, and a few completely empty boxes on top. Many people don't want to get rid of those empty boxes for various reasons, and if expansions come in half-empty boxes as well - you as a publisher just eating shelf space with air, but in a less obvious way.

[@daveyoungdahl8349]

Love the shirt!

[@simonmcg23]

Great video. A big issue for me is what I call symmetry. Not in the gameplay like Root or Scythe but the way it appears on the table. I really hate having to get up and crane my head around to read something that’s at the other end of the table and upside down. A game like Azul is perfectly symmetrical and it doesn’t matter where you sit at the table. However I tried red rising once with a few players and basically IWas having to read every single card upside down while the person happily sitting in front of the cards could just glance at them to read them. I actually see this as a tremendous handicap for a particular player. Of course that’s just one example of a very assymmetrical game.

[@nib71286]

One has to do this with Fantasy Realms as well, or Innovation, unless players sit side by side. With Innovation the designers suggest just focusing on what you can do rather than opponents, but this is one pro of Language independent games when you dont have to read components to play.

[@hypothesisnyc916]

This is awesome, thanks so much! I'd thought about most of these things but definitely not all of them.

[@sophiewhitton5504]

Love the points on inclusion! Have absolutely not purchased several games recently because the female characters were sexualized with no contextual relevance. Another point to consider, be sure to refer to players as players or use they/them pronouns in rule books. Whenever I'm reading a rulebook and the players are referred to with he/him/his pronouns, I shrink at the table like already, this game isn't meant for me and I'm an intruder earning my seat at the game.

[@StevenStJohn-kj9eb]

Interesting discussion! I have 2 praises of Viticulture and then a suggestion for a category you may have missed. 1. I really love the way all of your starting resources in Viticulture are given by the mama and papa cards. One of the things I often have to look up with a game is what everyone gets at the start for this particular player count. With Viticulture (and Tapestry & Scythe) it's all there in the components you are using anyway. (Viscounts of the West Kingdom is a great example of a non-SM game that does this.) 2. I really love the way the end of round steps are printed on the Viticulture board. Again, one of the things I often have to look up is what step by step do we do at the end of a round. It is great to have a card for this (e.g., Wingspan), but the convenience of having it right there on the board offloads a lot of cognitive stress. (Euphoria also prints some key info on the board itself, and Scythe has the end game scoring table on the board - linked to the popularity track - which is very nice.) For a category you may have missed, it would be designing the board and components of a game to give you an easy to understand user interface for tracking key information. Again with Viticulture, even though I don't love the size of the visitor, vine, and order cards, because they are small they have a dedicated space on the board for the decks and the discard piles. This is great. Some games that need VP tracks or at least score pads don't provide them (e.g., Paladins of the West Kingdom - a game I really love - but compare this to Concordia, which gives you a VP track even though it's only used in end game scoring, which I prefer to a score pad, because there's never a pencil around when you need it). I like the user interface of the Tapestry player mats, which explain the steps of the income turns, and just the overall design of the Tapestry and Scythe player boards that make clear the long term benefits of taking certain actions. Also, not sure if you talked about inserts - maybe in the setup section - but the Between Two Castles and Euphoria inserts are among the best I've ever seen.

[@jameystegmaier]

That's great feedback about the size of the cards, Steven--it's probably the biggest thing I would change about Viticulture if I had a time machine.

[@nib71286]

Id consider the components to be visual, and the trays for set up, so maybe a subcategory example but like Jamey said the list was just his thoughts as a publisher. Thanks for your input though! 🙂

[@katforst1808]

Agreed regarding the easy access to on-board reminders and/or labeled areas for component set up. There's a phrase I like to use with games - "glance-and-glean". I love when games have thoughtfully provided layout suggestions that keep things flowing, neat, and organized. Designers have access to a LOT of research and thought regarding it. As a player it can take many plays before you get a good feel for what makes the most convenient organization for more complex games. And in cases where players should have access to information (whether on the board or regarding other players) a set layout makes that information easier to glance-and-glean is key to game flow.

[@ColonelKurtz]

Would you consider theme as something that can impact accessibility? Much like games with complex rules or a large ruleset might limit the size of a target audience, a niche theme might as well. For example, a game with a high fantasy theme may be avoided by most people while a game with a more universal (or abstract) theme might be less aversive.

[@jameystegmaier]

Definitely! Theme is quite subjective, but considering the impact on accessibility and target audience is important.

[@JoakimEngfors]

Thank you Jamey! Great video :)

[@LizGamerGirl]

Interesting thoughts for sure! Rulebooks can definitely help or deter someone from getting into a game. Our group also really cares about inclusiveness and color blind friendliness. I agree that everyone wants to be able to see themselves in what they love. And that seeing someone who looks like you can subconsciously tell you the game is for you or not. And oversexualizing women is something so annoying and is something way too common in today's world. And Brooks is color blind so we've had to edit games to accommodate his needs in the past, which takes time that could be spent playing or learning a new game.

[@Jaydeblue]

I just wanted to say how much I appreciate everything that you talked about in this video, as these considerations are the main reasons that Stonemaier games are almost insta-buys for me. The two main things I appreciate the most are the player counts and the lack of over-sexualization. The standard 1-5 player count is by far my favourite thing mentioned in this video. My main gaming group (aka my family) consists of 5 people, and it is often difficult to find games we can all play together. Also, I find it hard to find people who like gaming as much as I do, so having a solo mode is incredibly important to me. And over-sexualization is just not something that I want in my games, and is something I will actively avoid. Similarly, I hate rule books with strictly he/him pronouns and appreciate that I don't have to worry about that with your games. Overall great video. Thank you.

[@jameystegmaier]

Thank you!

[@valiantvalryn987]

Awesome video as alwayIs. In regards to accessibility I just wanted to note there are applications especially in iPhone that are very useful such as “seeing AI” to help read text it’s something I use to be able to read small text or text in not so great backgrounds. images and boards that are very busy are always difficult to overcome for people with visual impairments, public information is always tricky when trying to look across the table to see what people have especially when trying to be obvious about it , so on that note I love when game mechanics are streamlined and effects are simple that way I wouldn’t have any problems with trying to read or remember what public information cards people have, When there is a will there is a way I personally have had to make special custom dice to differentiate dice via tactile feeling or track resources through small cards like in roll player where the card will state the color or resource I have pi

[@valiantvalryn987]

Place on it* There are creative but not conventional ways to make it work but it’s also where I get my inspiration for games is to make games accessible Just thought I throw my 2 cents Thanks again for the video ! Very informative

[@jameystegmaier]

That's great! Do you have a recommendation for such an app that I can share with people in the future?

[@valiantvalryn987]

@@jameystegmaier of course the app mentioned Seeing AI is great especially because it’s free although for the time being the iPhone is the only one to currently have it on the App Store iPhones in general are preferred for those people with visual impairments there is a lot of built in tools to help with making things more accessible The other app I believe is called dream reader which is for both IOS and android but I have heard mixed reviews on it from time to time If you want something quick that can scan a card or just text on a board in general the seeing AI app is a good first option in my opinion I have been able to play quick card games like smash up! with ear phones and that app alone. It has other features on it that are still in the works but it can even read objects in a room or colors of a object when given the right lighting There are a few others but the agency that helps me with my blindness does not openly recommend them

[@jameystegmaier]

@@valiantvalryn987 Thank you! I really appreciate this.

[@erichorner8336]

Great video

[@errolwilde1656]

Concerning learning games, have you ever tried to design a rulebook or game in the in the spirit of stronghold games' fast forward series? Where players do not have to read a rulebook to learn the game they simply start playing the game and learn the game during their first play. I'm in the process of making my own game and this is something I really want to pull off. I feel like this is one of the major things that makes video games more accessible than boardgames, and if we could cut that out boardgames could really reach a wider audience.

[@jameystegmaier]

That's essentially what I tried to do with Charterstone, though I pulled back a bit because it wasn't working in playtesting. Playtesters wanted something--even just a little bit--to read in advance. But with a simple enough game, I think it's possible.

[@ColonelKurtz]

On a side topic regarding pricing, I often wonder how designers/publishers determine the value of upgrading a component. How much of it boils down to a financial business decision (e.g. including a custom token will increase the cost $X, and lower margins by $X, increase the sales price by $X, and would possibly result in an estimated increase/decrease in units sold)? How often is the decision to increase component cost because it really improves conveying the theme, or helps with accessibility for persons with impairments, or makes gameplay rules clearer, etc., and what methods does one implement to determine if the changes in component design or quality are ultimately worth while?

[@jameystegmaier]

I think it's always just a balance between all of those different factors. I really like your last question (What methods does one implement if the changes in component design or quality are ultimately worthwhile?), and I think that's a combination of sales figures and listening to feedback from customers.

[@CresentSoul]

Yeah, I found wingspan quite easy to teach to others. But scythe and tapestry were difficult because of the rules overhead was so much (or at least those I was teaching to felt as such). Maybe they just feel big and intimidating? I recall charterstone being the hardest to learn. It got really fiddly and easy to miss crucial rules that can impact significantly on the experience. Which is odd cause chartsterone is meant to start simple and grow in complexity. Not sure what went wrong there. Maybe I messed up as the rules teacher on that one ☹️

[@nib71286]

I find most of those types of games hard to keep track of, where the rules are being unraveled over time, especially with exceptions, and without FAQ's. Did you have the player aid for Wingspan as you were teaching it?

[@CresentSoul]

@@nib71286 no I didn’t use that, and this was before wingspan had those tutorial cards. I just read the rule book and taught it straight. I think cause the board sets out the actions, you really need to remember any tricky little rules. But what, I think your exactly right. Some other games exceptions and all that which make it hard to teach. Wingspan doesn’t really have exceptions I don’t think.

[@CresentSoul]

Sorry, meant ‘don’t need to remember’ in that first para

[@JonTripp115]

"I'm not telling you how to design ... your games." I think this is important: designers should at least *consider* these points when making a game. If you publish and then get complaints that people aren't buying it because it's not color-blind friendly, or because there are 115 characters none of whom are women, or it stinks at 2-players, or something else, then it's much better to be able to say, "We considered that and decided against it for this reason," than "Oh yeah, we messed up. We'll try to do better next time."

[@jameystegmaier]

Well said, Jon!

[@rikhavok]

Visuals - I am not colorblind at all. But your deluxe edition of Red Rising kind of pissed me off. I love the game but the metal bits were really hard to distinguish. I ended up getting your upgrade bits for it because colors were way to similar yellow light. - Red and purple, Blue and green, Gold and the brown.

[@ryanthered5915]

did Jamey just say how unfortunate it was to have perfect vision?

[@jameystegmaier]

I mean, I'm happy to have 20/20 vision, but it makes it difficult for me to quickly identify aspects of our games that aren't as friendly for those with vision challenges.

[@riva0389]

As a Latin American, I NEVER buy games in Spanish. English editions are so much better and more accurate. I have seen so many mistakes in translations that really change the game. Worst offender being Spartacus, photosynthesis, terraforming mars and viticulture. For example, a card saying to "negociate" damage instead of "dealing" damage. Or a complete paragraph missing in a rulebook

[@Dized]

Jamey mentioned the Interactive Tutorial for Scythe that's available on the Dized platform (see 4:10). You can find it in the Dized App (iOS/Android) or online at dzd.to/scythe And, there will be a tutorial for Libertalia soon too!