Impressions from Gamescom 2024

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with big game exhibits. One the one hand, I love finding out about new games checking out hardware and connecting with other people that love these things as much as I do. On the other hand, this kind of event tends to be quite inaccessible. I’m deaf so communication barriers are a factor I need to consider at the best of times, but game events are notoriously busy, noisy and “mood lighting” means that many booths are rather dark, making lipreading an even less accurate endeavour than usual.

Booth accessibility at Gamescom improves every year

However, Gamescom in Cologne has become an annual staple in my diary since moving to Germany a couple of years ago. It has been lovely to see the event progress when it comes to removing physical access barriers. This year set a new standard with the event organisers alerting exhibitors to the need to make accessibility provisions ahead of the event by publishing guidelines for best accessibility practice. In addition, 2024 was the first iteration of the event that required every booth to have at least one step-free access to allow wheelchair access. While not every exhibitor has the capacity or knowledge to knock the accessible booth design out of the park like Xbox did, I found these changes noticeable this year. Sadly, my favourite part of Gamescom when it comes to the games themselves- the Indie Arena Booth – is still not fully wheelchair accessible. There may be step free access but the corridors between demo setups in this specific area are extremely narrow and feel claustrophobic. Furthermore, many games can only be accessed from standing desks, so there is still room for improvement on that front.

My favourite part of Gamescom: Indie Highlights

Despite these shortcomings, the Indie Arena Booth is my favourite part of Gamescom every year. I love trying games that I’ve never heard of before and I enjoy being able to chat with their developers in-person. This year’s personal indie highlight is a solo developer project called We Harvest Shadows. Advertised as a first-person horror narrative with farming elements, this game’s branding immediately drew me in. I love both genres but they’re not a common crossover. From what I understand the gameplay loop consists of farming by day and more frightening nighttime events. I was pleasantly surprised to see some very necessary features such as a field-of-view slider and very legible dialogue subtitles. While there could always be more, this is a title I’m genuinely excited for on a personal level and I hope as many people as possible will be able to play it, too. The game has no release date yet but there is already a playable demo on Steam.

I’m also itching to play Cat Detective Albert Wilde – a film noir walking simulator in which you play as an anthropomorphic and chronically broke cat detective. The game has great visuals and atmosphere, paired with a demo that leaves on a cliffhanger. Sadly, no release date yet either, but again a playable Steam demo. However, I really wish this game was also blind accessible – in my opinion it would be relatively straightforward implementation but admittedly does require know-how and the relevant narration and voice-acting to be implemented.

Trying new (and old) accessible hardware

One of the best places to try different hardware set ups at Gamescom is the booth of Gaming ohne Grenzen (Gaming without Borders). This German NGO provides gaming opportunities for disabled kids always showcase different adaptive set ups at Gamescom.

I used an Eyegaze for the first time. While I have heard so much about this technology before, I had never used it myself. Playing a game with literally only my eyes was a truly mindblowing experience for me. The best I way to describe it for me is that it feels different from what you would have imagined it to feel like. It’s also much harder than it looks!

I also tried out the Feelbelt. This belt translates audio into a pattern of vibrations. Unfortunately, the technology is not precise enough yet to really mimic different soundscapes and precision in directional audio. I would describe it more as a nice addition to the atmosphere and vibes of a game, but I’m not rushing out to buy one myself at this stage. I have hopes for the future though!

Gamescom marked the launch of an exciting new piece of hardware, the Byowave Proteus controller. This modular controller can be adapted by stacking the modules in different orders and shapes to personal preference as well as the game that you are playing. The controller does have its limits. I could tell the buttons require to be pressed with quite a bit of strength and they are still relatively small as well. In many cases it will not replace the need for other adaptive controllers. However, I see it as filling a new gap in a very specific niche. In my opinion, the flexibility of this sort of customisation will be an example of accessible design that starts out as a solution for the few that benefits the many. As such it could see use in non-disabled spaces too. Small hands? No problem, just remove a module. Broke your thumb? No worries, quickly restack the controller so you can move both joysticks with the other hand.

All about VR

I’ve not made much use of VR headsets so far. This Gamescom has awakened a desire to delve more into this area of gaming. I have to thank the lady manning the booth of The House of Da Vinci VR for having the patience of a saint, as I was bumbling and stumbling my way through the demo. The House of Da Vinci is a puzzler, originally designed for the two-dimensional screen and now released in a VR version.

For me VR is not an intuitive experience at all. The challenge didn’t lie in solving the puzzles in Da Vinci. Often, I had the correct idea early on. The challenge was figuring out how to get to the solution with the hardware at my disposal. I’m still unsure in how far this is an accessibility issue or “just a me problem” though…

There is a disorienting aspect to using VR as a deaf person thogh. Sound design in VR seems to not yet be translated into visuals most of the time. Moreover, the was the awkwardness of having “to come up for air” to get a hint or tip from the developer assisting me. To talk to her, I had to remove the headset, read her lips, then put the glasses back on and readjust everything. I’m excited to see where future VR development is headed in terms of accessibility as I also see immense potential in the medium and the hardware.

World of Warcraft in 4D – The Future of Gaming?

As part of the now gigantic Xbox booth, Activision Blizzard offered a 4D experience set in the World of Warcraft universe called Escape from Dalaran. This was the first time, I’ve ever queued up for a AAA-booth at Gamescom. Usually, I can’t be bothered, but this one was worth it. Picture a motorcycle-shaped contraption – your Dragon – on a platform that moves in all directions. Fans are blowing wind in your face as your dragon goes for a daring dive as you are trying to escape a vicious attack on your city.

There was a wheelchair accessible version of the ride that I saw being used while I was queuing as well. Unfortunately, the experience was not captioned despite there being some dialogue. While I hope that this is something that would be implemented in the future, I don’t think I need to stress how much I absolutely loved this experience. I truly felt like I got a glimpse of the future possibilities of gaming.

The video shows the visuals of the “Escape from Dalaran” ride at Gamescom. In the bottom right corner you can see the video of the rider, Anni. She is a white woman with long hair, wearing a virtual reality headset. You can see the ride moving her around and the fan blowing her hair.