Making Educational Games Accessible: What We Learned from Testing
We care about children’s education, and what’s more, we care about education for children who live with a disability. We live in a world where everyone is different and we all have varying circumstances. As a result, making sure everyone can enjoy and learn from educational games is crucial. At Konnektis, we’ve been working on a point-and-click escape-room style game called The Curious Case Club that helps kids practice math and reading skills. Recently, we tested the game with Imran Akhtar, our accessibility expert who uses a screen reader. He helped us understand how to make our game better for players who are blind or visually impaired. Here’s what we learned that can help all game creators make their games more accessible.
Clear Directions Make a Big Difference
One of the most important things we learned was how much clear directions matter. Imran pointed out that while most of the game was "easy to navigate" and "worked really well," there were times when things could be smoother. For example, when moving between different rooms in the game, instructions like "press continue to go to the room" needed to be clearer. Making sure directions are simple and direct helps players using screen readers know what to do next.
Labels on Text Boxes and Buttons Are Important
Having clear labels on text boxes and buttons is a key part of accessible game design. During testing, we found that some input areas weren’t labeled the same way across different parts of the game. When players need to type in answers or click on buttons, each input box should:
Clearly state the question or prompt
Provide easy-to-understand instructions for typing or clicking
Be placed consistently above the input box
Imran mentioned that having the question included as part of the label helps players using screen readers quickly know what they’re supposed to do.
Descriptive Text Brings the Game to Life
A big highlight from our testing was how well the descriptive text worked. Since The Curious Case Club is mostly a visual game, detailed descriptions were needed to make it come alive for players who can’t see. We described rooms, characters, and objects in great detail. Imran said the descriptions were "absolutely amazing" and helped him "picture it in my head." This shows how important it is to have good alternative text and audio descriptions to create fun experiences for all players.
Tips for Making Games Work Better with Screen Readers
Our testing also taught us a lot about making games easier for people who use screen readers:
Editing Answers: Players using screen readers need an easy way to start and stop editing answers. We noticed some problems with this during the test, so it’s something we’ll keep working on.
Labeled Buttons: Buttons without clear labels can be confusing. It’s important to label every button so players know what they do.
Organized Content: Information needs to appear in the right order. For example, questions should come before their answer boxes so it’s clear what to do.
Clear Instructions for Game Interactions
When we tested The Curious Case Club, we saw how important it is to have clear instructions for game interactions. For example, there was a part where players needed to use a key to unlock something. At first, Imran wasn’t sure if it would work, but thanks to clear labels on the "key" and "keyhole" buttons, it did! This shows that with the right instructions, even tricky parts of the game can be accessible.
Why Testing with Real Users Matters
One of the biggest takeaways from our testing session with Imran is that listening to real users makes a huge difference. Imran helped us find lots of small but important ways to improve the game and told us what worked well. This kind of feedback is incredibly valuable for making educational games that everyone can enjoy.
What’s Next?
Making accessible games takes careful attention to detail and a commitment to including everyone. By using what we learned, we can make learning games more fun and available for all players. Here are some things we’ll keep doing:
Give clear navigation directions
Consistently label buttons and input areas
Include detailed descriptive text
Test with different screen readers (like JAWS and NVDA)
Make sure content works well with screen readers
Always check our work with real users
Accessibility isn’t just about meeting requirements – it’s about giving everyone a fair chance to learn and have fun. When we design games with accessibility in mind from the start, we make better experiences for everyone.
If you’d like to have a go at playing the Curious Case Club, you can sign up here: https://www.curiouscaseclub.com/home
It’s still in development and we’re trying to update it regularly, so we’d love to hear your feedback.