Not just Atmosphere: Game Music Design for Accessible In-Game Information Communication

Visual impairment can make gamers more reliant on auditory feedback. Sound effects have been known to have a significant impact on improving gaming experiences for people with visual impairments. Little has been known, however, on the impact music itself could have. How can game music improve game accessibility to Visually Impaired and Blind (VIB)? We employed a design science process where we started with interviews with 6 VIB and 6 sighted participants to develop an initial answer to the question. Based on that we composed and evaluated 3 pieces of game music for the game Returnal by Housemarque. We evaluated the test compositions with the participants along with original Returnal music. Our findings indicated that music generally did not play a significant accessibility role for VIB, however, the test composition designed to provide heightened environmental information and player status feedback was highly appreciated by the participants. We, hence, contribute an approach to game music composition that is likely to increase game accessibility to VIB and sighted.