Here at SpecialEffect we are always looking for games with good accessibility settings. In this video we’re going to be showing you the accessibility settings of Tetris Effect [PEGI 3]. So Tetris Effect is a PC and PS4 game that takes an artistic and visual twist on a classic block building game. It features over 30 levels, each with their own unique background design as well as over 10 game modes. In this video we’re going to be looking at the PS4 version. However, all the settings mentioned in this video can also be found on the PC version. The aim of the game is to clear lines by dropping down blocks or tetriminos. You do this by matching up the shapes horizontally to create a line, which is then cleared instantly. You score more points the more lines you clear in one go. Clearing four lines in a single go is called a Tetris. The default controls include using left and right on the D-pad. This moves the block. Down on the D-pad makes the block drop at a faster rate, whilst Up hard drops it. This makes the block drop instantly. Cross rotates it counter clockwise and Circle clockwise. Pressing L1 or R1 allows you to hold a block. This reserves it so you can use it later on in the game. Pressing L1 or R1 again takes out the reserve block and swaps it for the current one falling. So here I’m holding a straight piece, but I can reserve it for later. L2 or R2 activate the Zone feature. This freezes time during gameplay and gives you a chance to clear several lines in one go. This will give you extra points. You can choose how many blocks are displayed in the next cube, so you can plan ahead and decide what to do with the next block. You can choose between one and four blocks. The Ghost display allows you to know exactly where the block has fallen and where it’s going to land. The initial rotate feature allows you to rotate a block before it appears. The initial hold allows you to hold a block before it appears. So you can see the L shape is next in line, but I can hold it straight away and you can see it in the hold queue on the left. In customize controls you can remap the buttons to create a controller setup based on your preference or functional ability. So, for example, you could create a one-handed setup for either the left or right hand. So, for left hand you can remap L1 or L2 to become either one or both of the rotate buttons and keep the D-pad as it is. Any of the Left Stick directions could be used if you want to use to Hold or Zone feature. So Left on the Stick will be hold and Right will be using the Zone feature. For the right hand you could use R1 or R2 to become the Rotate buttons. Square could be move left and Circle move right, Hard Drop could be Triangle, and soft drop could be Cross. The Touchpad could be either Hold or Zone, but you cannot remap L3, R3, Options or the Right Stick. Each function allows you to assign up to two buttons. All functions must be assigned a button before exiting. You can choose whether to have the playing field transparent, so you can see the background of the level, or opaque so it’s a solid black background.
You can change whether to have the blocks appear as the classic colours or the level-specific designs. The traditional colours might help you see the blocks better. The game also features an adjustable camera used by pressing Up or Down on the Left Stick. Pressing L3 restores this to it’s default setting. Using the Right Stick allows you to see the field from different angles. Pressing R3 resets this to its default setting. You can choose whether to turn off the adjustable camera if you find yourself accidentally using it during gameplay. An alternative way of being closer to the playing field is by choosing a preset zoom setting. You can choose between “Zoomed In” or “Zoomed Way In.” If you’re feeling visually overwhelmed by the effects of a line clear, you can reduce them so they’re less bright. You can also turn off the pulsing of the blocks as well as reduce how bright the Zone feature is. How’s he gonna get out of this one?! Thank you for watching and if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
In this video Jacob takes a look at Tetris Effect, which is a visual twist on a classic block building game, available on PS4 and PC.
Jacob goes through the gameplay and controls required, plus some of the settings which some people may be able to use to make the game more accessible to them.
Video by Cara Jessop
Music:
Music from https://filmmusic.io
“Garden Music” by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Developer Resource:

For more video examples of how developers have improved the motor accessibility of their games, please visit https://specialeffectdevkit.info/