Two accessible games for children with special needs

The brief

Martin F. needed simple cause-and-effect games that children with disabilities could play in whatever way they are able to: by tapping or clicking, with a one- or two-switch device, or by eye gaze. The games were made for children with special needs, including autistic children, and for children with movement difficulties who use eye gaze. He supplied the characters, backgrounds and sounds; we developed the games.

The two games

Rainbow Fish Makes Friends! Rainbow Fish gives out its shiny scales to its friends. When a fish receives a scale, music plays and the fish swims happily around before joining Rainbow Fish. When all six fish have a scale, the game ends with everyone playing together.
Save the Fish. Fish are caught in a tank. Each fish the child selects is scooped up in a net and released into the ocean, with a click when it is caught and a splash when it enters the water. When all six are free, they swim around with Rainbow Fish.

Many ways to play

The same game works whichever way a child is able to use it:

Touch or mouse — tap or click, or in Rainbow Fish drag a scale onto a fish.
One or two switches — a keyboard key does the choosing, for children who use a switch device.
Eye gaze — the eyes act as the mouse pointer; holding the gaze on a fish for three seconds selects it.

A "Select the Option" screen at the start lets the player choose Eye Gaze, Mouse Click / Touch Screen, Single Switch Keyboard or Dual Switch Keyboard, and the choice can be changed from a settings icon during play. Buttons highlight when pointed at, and every game opens with a short instruction page and ends with a "Well Done" message before it starts over for the next child.

Built from the client's design

The artwork came from the client as Illustrator files, and we adapted it into the games and built the play. Both are HTML5 games made in Construct 3, so they run in a browser on a tablet, a phone or a desktop with nothing to install. The first versions were shared on private links over about two weeks of review rounds, then refined with the client's feedback.

Updated in 2024

The client came back in 2024 with a new interface designed in Illustrator, and we revised both games to use it. We also moved the switch controls to the space bar and Enter key.

Try them

Both are playable in a browser. Choose a way to play on the first screen.

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