Cover not available

Article In: Translation Spaces: Online-First Articles

Easy-to-understand language in video games

Empirical findings of an exploratory study among players with dyslexia

ORCiD logo with link | Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
ORCiD logo with link | Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
This content is being prepared for publication; it may be subject to changes.
Abstract
Cognitive accessibility in video games warrants further exploration, as it encompasses a wide range of disorders and learning difficulties that may benefit from easy-to-understand (E2U) language. This study investigates players’ reception of E2U language, comparing individuals with and without dyslexia. A video game was developed, and participants were assigned to one of four conditions in a 2×2 experimental design, based on the type of language used in the game (standard or E2U) and the presence or absence of dyslexia. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected, with a particular focus on player experience and language acceptability. Players with dyslexia reported a more positive experience when playing the E2U version, whereas players without dyslexia reported largely similar experiences across both versions. Nonetheless, participants in both groups expressed a general preference for the standard language. Overall, the findings of this exploratory study suggest that E2U language has the potential to enhance the gaming experience for players with dyslexia.
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Game accessibility user research
    • The challenges of dyslexia
    • The benefits of easy-to-understand language
  • Previous studies
  • Methodology
    • Participants
    • Materials
    • Procedure
    • Analysis
  • Results
    • Player experience
    • Language acceptability
  • Discussion
  • Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • Author queries
  • References
References (61)
References
Abeele, Vero Vanden, Katta Spiel, Lennart Nacke, Daniel Johnson, and Kathrin Gerling. 2020. “Development and validation of the player experience inventory: A scale to measure player experiences at the level of functional and psychosocial consequences.” International Journal of Human-Computer Studies 135: 1–49. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Aguado-Delgado, Juan, José-María Gutiérrez-Martínez, José R. Hilera, Luis de-Marcos, and Salvador Otón. 2020. “Accessibility in video games: a systematic review.” Universal Access in the Information Society 19(1): 169–193. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bernabé Caro, Rocío, and Pilar Orero. 2019: “Easy to Read as Multimode Accessibility Service.” Hermēneus 21: 53–74. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bryman, Alan. 2012. Social research methods (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
ByoWave. 2024. “Proteus Controller”. [URL]
Chandler, Jesse. 2023. “Participant Recruitment.” In The Cambridge Handbook of Research Methods and Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences: Volume 1: Building a Program of Research, edited by Austin Lee Nichols, and John Edlund, 179–201. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Charlton, James I. 1998: Nothing About Us Without Us: Disability Oppression and Empowerment. University of California Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cutting, Joe, Myat Aung, Francis Perrett, and Paul Cairns. 2025. “The development and validation of the Immersion Experience Questionnaire Short Form (IEQ-SF).” International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 203. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cutting, Laurie E., Amy Clements-Stephens, Kenneth R. Pugh, Scott Burns, Aize Cao, James J. Pekar, Nicole Davis, and Sheryl L. Rimrodt. 2013. “Not all reading disabilities are dyslexia: distinct neurobiology of specific comprehension deficits.” Brain Connectivity, 3(2): 199–211. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Deckert, Mikołaj, Krzysztof W. Hejduk, and Miguel Ángel Bernal-Merino. 2024. Towards game translation user research. Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Díaz-Cintas, Jorge, Pilar Orero, and Aline Remael. 2007. “Media for all: a global challenge.” In Media for all: subtitling for the deaf, audio description, and sign language, edited by Jorge Diaz-Cintas, Pilar Orero, and Aline Remael, 11–20. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ellis, Barrie, Gareth Ford-Williams, Lynsey Graham, Dimitris Grammenos, Ian Hamilton, Headstrong Games, Ed Lee, Jake Manion, and Thomas Westin. 2017. Game accessibility guidelines. [URL]
Fang, Xiaowen, Susy Chan, Jacek Brzezinski, and Chitra Nair. 2010. “Development of an Instrument to Measure Enjoyment of Computer Game Play.” International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction 26(9): 868–886. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Field, Andy, and Graham Hole. 2003. How to Design and Report Experiments. Sage. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
García-Redondo, Patricia, Trinidad García, Débora Areces, José Carlos Núñez, and Celestino Rodríguez. 2019. “Serious Games and Their Effect Improving Attention in Students with Learning Disabilities.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 16(14): 2480. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Giofrè, David, Enrico Toffalini, Serena Provazza, Antonio Calcagnì, Gianmarco Altoè, and Daniel J. Roberts. 2019. “Are children with developmental dyslexia all the same? A cluster analysis with more than 300 cases.” Dyslexia 25(3): 284–295. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Good Trouble. 2023. “AbleToPlay.” [URL]
Grootswagers, Tijl. 2020. “A primer on running human behavioural experiments online.” Behavior Research Methods 52(6): 2283–2286. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Haider, Aqeel, Casper Harteveld, Daniel Johnson, Max V. Birk, Regan L. Mandryk, Magy Seif El-Nasr, Lennart E. Nacke, Kathrin Gerling, and Vero Vanden Abeele. 2022. “miniPXI: Development and Validation of an Eleven-Item Measure of the Player Experience Inventory.” Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction 6. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hansen-Schirra, Silvia, and Christiane Maaß. 2020. “Easy language, plain language, easy language plus: Perspectives on comprehensibility and stigmatisation.” In Easy language research: Text and user perspectives, edited by Silvia Hansen-Schirra and Christiane Maaß, 17–38.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hassan, Lobna. 2024. “Accessibility of games and game-based applications: A systematic literature review and mapping of future directions.” New Media & Society 26(4): 2336–2384. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
IGDA-GASIG 2024. The IGDA Game Accessibility Special Interest Group. [URL]
Ikeshita, Hanae, Sho Yamaguchi, Toyoshi Morioka, and Takashi Yamazoe. 2018. “Effects of Highlighting Text on the Reading Ability of Children with Developmental Dyslexia: A Pilot Study.” International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning 13(9): 239–251. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Inclusion Europe. 2010. “Information for all: European standards for making information easy to read and understand.” [URL]
International Organization for Standardization (ISO). 2023. “Information technology — User interfaces — Guidance on making written text easy to read and easy to understand (ISO/IEC 23859).” [URL]
Jamali, Siti N., Novia Admodisastro, Azrina Kamaruddin, and Saadah Hassan. 2023. “Learning Engagement of Children with Dyslexia Through Tangible User Interface: An Experiment.” International Journal of Advanced Computer Science & Applications 14(11). Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Larreina-Morales, María Eugenia. 2024. La accesibilidad a los videojuegos: Estado actual y potencial de la audiodescripción para mejorar la experiencia de las personas con discapacidad visual. [Doctoral dissertation, Autonomous University of Barcelona]. DDD Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB. [URL]
López-Resa, Patricia, and Esther Moraleda-Sepúlveda. 2023. “Working memory capacity and text comprehension performance in children with dyslexia and dyscalculia: a pilot study.” Frontiers in Psychology 14: 1191304. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Maaß, Christiane, and Irene Hernández Garrido. 2020. Easy Language, Plain Language and User-Centred Communication. Frank & Timme.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Mangiron, Carme. 2012. “Exploring New Paths towards Game Accessibility.” In Audiovisual Translation and Media Accessibility at the Crossroads: Media for all 3 edited by Aline Remael, Pilar Orero, and Mary Carroll, 36: 43–59. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Marinelli, Chiara Valeria, Giuliana Nardacchione, Eugenio Trotta, Raffaele Di Fuccio, Paola Palladino, Luigi Traetta, and Pierpaolo Limone. 2023. “The Effectiveness of Serious Games for Enhancing Literacy Skills in Children with Learning Disabilities or Difficulties: A Systematic Review.” Applied Sciences 13(7): 4512. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Matamala, Anna. 2022. “Easy-to-understand language in audiovisual translation and accessibility: State of the art and future challenges.” XLinguae 15(2): 130–144. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Mazur, Beth. 2000. “Revisiting Plain Language.” Technical Communication 47(2): 205–211. [URL]
Melby-Lervåg, Monica, Solveig-Alma Halaas Lyster, and Charles Hulme. 2012. “Phonological skills and their role in learning to read: a meta-analytic review.” Psychological Bulletin 138(2): 322–352. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Microsoft. 2022. “Xbox Accessibility Guidelines”. [URL]
Moonloop Games. Hauntii. Firestoke 2024. [URL]
Morgenthaler, Stephan. 2009. “Exploratory Data Analysis.” Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews. Computational Statistics 1(1), 33–44. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ocampo, Aldo. 2015. “Lectura para todos. El aporte de la fácil lectura como vida para la equiparación de oportunidades.” [URL]
Oliva-Zamora, Miguel Ángel, Aida Villaécija, and Carme Mangiron. Forthcoming. “Game Accessibility for Players with Dyslexia: An Exploratory Reception Study.” [Manuscript submitted for publication]. Department of Translation, Interpreting and East Asian Studies, Autonomous University of Barcelona.
Oliva-Zamora, Miguel Ángel, and Carme Mangiron. Forthcoming. “What do players with dyslexia need? A focus group study on video games.” [Manuscript submitted for publication]. Department of Translation, Interpreting and East Asian Studies, Autonomous University of Barcelona.
Oliva-Zamora, Miguel Ángel. 2025. “Exploring the potential use of easy-to-understand language in video games.” Popular Communication, 1–15. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Purchase, Helen C. 2012. Experimental human-computer interaction: a practical guide with visual examples. Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Rello, Luz, and Ricardo Baeza-Yates. 2016. “The Effect of Font Type on Screen Readability by People with Dyslexia.” ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing 8(4): 1–33. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Rello, Luz, Horacio Saggion, Ricardo Baeza-Yates, and Eduardo Graells. 2012. “Graphical Schemes May Improve Readability but Not Understandability for People with Dyslexia.” Proceedings of the First Workshop on Predicting and Improving Text Readability for target reader populations 25–32. Association for Computational Linguistics. [URL]
Rello, Luz, Ricardo Baeza-Yates, Laura Dempere-Marco, and Horacio Saggion. 2013. “Frequent Words Improve Readability and Short Words Improve Understandability for People with Dyslexia.” In Human-Computer Interaction — INTERACT 2013. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 8120 edited by Paula Kotzé, Gary Marsden, Gitte Lindgaard, Janet Wesson, and Marco Winckler. Springer. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Remael, Aline, Nina Reviers, and Reinhild Vandekerckhove. 2016. “From translation studies and audiovisual translation to media accessibility: Some research trends.” International Journal of Translation Studies 28(2): 248–260. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Schmutz, Sven, Andreas Sonderegger, and Juergen Sauer. 2019. “Easy-to-read language in disability-friendly web sites: Effects on nondisabled users.” Applied Ergonomics 74: 97–106. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
SIE Santa Monica Studio. God of War: Ragnarök. Sony Interactive Entertainment 2022. [URL]
Simoës-Perlant, Aurélie, and Pierre Largy. 2011. “Are implicit learning abilities sensitive to the type of material to be processed? Study on children with and without dyslexia.” Journal of Research in Reading 34(3): 298–314. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Spinelli, Donatella, Maria De Luca, Anna Judica, and Pierluigi Zoccolotti. 2002. “Crowding Effects on Word Identification in Developmental Dyslexia.” Cortex 38(2): 179–200. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Stevens, Elizabeth, Colby Hall, and Sharon Vaughn. 2022. “Language and reading comprehension for students with dyslexia: An introduction to the special issue.” Annals of Dyslexia 72: 197–203. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Suojanen, Tytti, Kaisa Koskinen, and Tiina Tuominen. 2015. User-Centered Translation. Routledge.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Teijlingen, Edwin van, and Vanora Hundley. 2001. “The Importance of Pilot Studies.” Social Research Update 35, 1–4. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Turn 10 Studios. Forza Motorsport. Xbox Game Studios 2023. [URL]
Ubisoft Montpellier. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. Ubisoft 2024. [URL]
Ubisoft Quebec. Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Ubisoft 2025. [URL]
United Nations General Assembly. 2007. “Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.” [URL]
Vollenwyder, Beat, Andrea Schneider, Eva Krueger, Florian Brühlmann, Klaus Opwis, and Elisa D. Mekler. 2018. “How to Use Plain and Easy-to-Read Language for a Positive User Experience on Websites.” Computers Helping People with Special Needs 10896: 514–522. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Wolf, Maryanne, Rebecca J. M. Gotlieb, Sohyun An Kim, Veronica Pedroza, Laura V. Rhinehart, Maria Luisa Gorno Tempini, and Sue Sears. 2024. Towards a dynamic, comprehensive conceptualization of dyslexia. Annals of Dyslexia 74: 303–324. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). 2023. “Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2.” [URL]
Mobile Menu Logo with link to supplementary files background Layer 1 jbe-platform.quadraat-sans-bold jbe-platform.quadraat-sans-bold-dark jbe-platform.quadraat-sans-bold-light jbe-platform.quadraat-sans-bold prag Twitter_Logo_Blue