Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
26 results found in Game Accessibility.
- Aim Assist (Aim Assistance, Auto-Aim, Bullet Magnetism, Area Cursor)
- A category of input-assistance features in shooter games that help a player acquire or track targets, for example by enlarging the effective cursor area, bending projectile paths toward enemies, or sl…
- Audio-Based Virtual Environment (Audio Virtual Environment, Sound-Based Virtual World, Auditory Virtual Environment)
- An audio-based virtual environment is a computer-generated interactive space that uses sound — including 3D spatial audio, stereo effects, and environmental audio cues — as the primary channel for con…
- Auto-Aim (Lock-On Targeting, Target Assist, Aim Assist)
- An accessibility feature in games and virtual environments that helps users locate and track targets without requiring precise manual aiming. Auto-aim typically scans the environment for objects of in…
- Challenge-Point Framework
- A motor-learning theory proposed by Guadagnoli and Lee (2004) which holds that learning is optimised when the difficulty of a task is appropriately matched to the learner's current skill level. Tasks …
- Copilot (Shared Control) (Gaming Copilot, Assistive Copilot)
- In shared-control video gaming, the copilot is the secondary actor who supports the pilot (the primary player, typically a person with a disability) by taking over game actions the pilot cannot perfor…
- Curse of Dimensionality (Accessibility)
- In an accessibility context, the practical barrier that arises when a player or user must coordinate a large number of distinct inputs simultaneously or in rapid succession — for example, moving, aimi…
- Esports (Competitive Gaming, Electronic Sports, E-Sports)
- Organised, competitive video-game play — typically involving tournaments, teams, audiences, and professional players. Esports has grown into a major global industry and a site of accessibility researc…
- Handicapping (Handicap System, Player Balancing)
- A mechanism that asymmetrically adjusts game or contest conditions so competitors of differing ability have more equal chances to win or participate meaningfully. Long established in sports such as go…
- Human Cooperation (Accessibility) (Cooperative Shared Control)
- In the context of accessible gaming and assistive technology, human cooperation refers to arrangements in which a disabled user (the pilot) and another person (the copilot) jointly operate a single sy…
- Hyperstory (Interactive Story, Branching Narrative, Hypertext Story)
- A hyperstory is an interactive, non-linear narrative structure in which users make choices that influence the direction and outcome of the story. Adapted from hypertext concepts, hyperstories combine …
- Inclusive Esports (Accessible Esports)
- A framing of competitive gaming that enables players with and without disabilities to compete on common terms — through universal input modalities (e.g., EMG, motion sensing, eye tracking), accessible…
- Key Remapping (Key Rebinding, Control Remapping, Custom Key Bindings)
- The ability to reassign keyboard controls to different keys than the software defaults. Key remapping is essential for users with motor disabilities who may only be able to reach certain areas of the …
- Location-Based Game (LBG, Location-Based Puzzle Game, LBPG, Pervasive Game)
- A location-based game (LBG) is a game whose gameplay depends on the player’s real-world physical location, typically determined via GPS, NFC, Bluetooth beacons, or QR codes. Examples include Geocachin…
- PS5 Access Controller (PlayStation Access Controller, Access Controller)
- Sony's highly customisable controller for PlayStation 5, released in 2023 and designed for players with limited motor control. It has a flat disc layout with interchangeable button caps and analog sti…
- Pilot (Shared Control)
- In shared-control video gaming, the pilot is the primary player — usually a person with a disability — who drives the gameplay and makes strategic decisions, while delegating specific inaccessible inp…
- Rhythm Game (Music Game, Music/Rhythm Game)
- A genre of video game in which players must perform actions — such as pressing buttons, tapping a screen, or moving a controller — in time with music or a rhythmic pattern. Popular examples include Gu…
- Rhythm-Action Game (Rhythm Game, Music Rhythm Game, Beat-Matching Game)
- A genre of video game in which players must make timed inputs (button presses, key strokes, or physical movements) synchronised with musical beats or rhythmic patterns. Popular examples include Dance …
- Rubber Banding (Rubber-Band AI, Catch-Up Mechanic)
- A handicapping technique, common in racing games, that dynamically adjusts the speed or performance of leading and trailing players to keep them close together. Traditional rubber banding operates by …
- Sandbagging
- The practice of deliberately underperforming in a competitive setting to obtain a more favourable handicap, ranking, or matchmaking placement, then exploiting that advantage in later matches. Sandbagg…
- Serious Games for Health (SG4H, Health Games, Therapeutic Games)
- Serious Games for Health (SG4H) are video games designed primarily for clinical, rehabilitative, or health-education outcomes rather than entertainment, while still using game mechanics, narrative, an…