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Accessibility in indie game development is the most overlooked way to reach more players, sell more copies, and build a bigger community. Zach and Vinny from AbleGamers break it down. Support the Play It Forward campaign (100% goes to AbleGamers):https://www.gofundme.com/f/freakingcoolindies 0:00 - What accessibility really means for indie devs2:55 - What AbleGamers actually does day to day6:58 - New adaptive tech and why it's exploding10:25 - Carlos the blind fighting game champion (and other unreal stories)17:30 - The disability categories devs overlook most20:48 - The Dark Souls difficulty debate23:44 - Controller remapping: the number one requested feature24:13 - 71 million gamers with disabilities (the market you're ignoring)26:24 - The APX accessible player experience training32:53 - Build accessibility in early and save money34:26 - Where your donation actually goes41:29 - Play It Forward: indie games Zach and Vinny love AbleGamers is a charity that has been around for 22 years, getting adaptive equipment into the hands of players with disabilities at no cost to them. Zach runs the Able Player One program and works directly with players. Vinny handles marketing and partnerships. Together they make the case that accessibility is not a guilt trip, it's one of the smartest things an indie dev can do for their game. In this episode we get into the real day to day of helping players game, the stories that stick with you (Carlos beating sighted players while totally blind is worth the watch alone), and the practical dev side: why controller remapping is the single most requested feature, how difficulty options open your game to a whole new audience, why "we don't have the budget for accessibility" falls apart when you build it in from day one, and the 71 million gamers with disabilities in the US that most studios never think about. If you have ever told yourself accessibility is a nice to have you'll get to later, this one is for you. What you'll learn:- Why controller remapping locks out the "mass majority" of players when it's missing- How to add an easy mode without breaking the experience for your core players- The real numbers: 71 million gamers with disabilities in the US, ~400 million worldwide- Why building accessibility in early costs far less than bolting it on later- What the APX (Accessible Player Experience) training actually teaches, and what it costs- How much it really costs to help one player game (~$1,200 on average)- Simple settings devs forget: turn off blood, reduce visual triggers, add a practice mode Support AbleGamers and the Play It Forward campaign!GoFundMe (100% to AbleGamers): https://www.gofundme.com/f/freakingcoolindiesAbleGamers: https://ablegamers.org Links mentioned:- AbleGamers APX training: https://ablegamers.org- Microsoft Adaptive Controller: https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/d/xbox-adaptive-controller/8nsdbhz1n3d8- QuadStick: https://www.quadstick.com/- Below the Stone: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1170230/Below_the_Stone/- Expedition 33: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1903340/Clair_Obscur_Expedition_33/- Rocky No Hands: @RockyNoHands11 - Blind Warrior Sven @BlindWarriorSven Listen to Freaking Cool Indies wherever you get your podcasts.Join the newsletter: [newsletter link]Subscribe for more indie dev conversations: [channel link] 🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES📬 Freaking Cool Indies Newsletter: https://freakingcoolindies.com/FCI_newsletters 🎙️ Hangout on the go:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2doPqk8Q9IKstjLDdSMn9nApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/freaking-cool-indies/id1824774892❤️ CONNECT WITH ME 🕸️ Website: https://freakingcoolindies.com/🐦 Twitter: / https://x.com/F_Cool_Indies🎵 TikTok: / https://www.tiktok.com/@freakingcoolindies💼 LinkedIn: / https://www.linkedin.com/in/marnone/🦋 Bluesky:
