How do you know if you can play a game? That's the question that started this entire project.
For millions of gamers with disabilities, this question isn't just about preference — it's about access, inclusion, and the fundamental right to play.
We believed solving this challenge would do more than help players find games — it would open up the joy of gaming to more people around the world than ever before.
Years ago, gaming was a much-needed escape during an incredibly difficult chapter of life. I was fighting cancer in the hospital, gaming my way through every rough dose of chemo. For my friends in the hospital, poor accessibility meant they couldn't escape to new worlds like I could.
That moment planted the seed for what would eventually grow into AbleToPlay.
Much of the web, like the world, simply isn't built for people with disabilities. Think about it – if you have a very limiting limb difference, you might not be able to turn a doorknob, which could prevent you from accessing classes, businesses, or community services. In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Act was struck into law, and slowly but surely, a new chapter of inclusive design and planning was opened. Progress has been incrementally making the world a more accessible place for decades, but there is still much work to be done.
For millions of gamers with disabilities, the question of whether a game is playable or not isn't just about preference – it's about access, inclusion, and the fundamental right to play. Every day, millions of people face an invisible barrier: not knowing whether a game will be accessible to them until after they've purchased it. It's a frustrating, expensive, and often disheartening experience that shouldn't exist in 2024.
We dreamed of creating a platform where every gamer could easily discover games that matched their specific needs and preferences. No more hours spent searching through forums, no more disappointing purchases, no more feeling excluded from the joy of gaming.
Today, I'm thrilled to introduce AbleToPlay – a free, personalized platform that empowers gamers with disabilities to discover games based on specific accessibility needs.
Want to find games with support for excellent subtitles? We've got you covered. Need to play with an adaptive controller, and support for colorblindness? We can absolutely help with that. Looking for cross-platform co-op games without any potentially triggering content? No problem.
But AbleToPlay is more than just a database or a tool – at the core, it's a community. We've with organizations like the World Institute on Disability to ensure our standards are rigorously researched and impactful. We've brought together renowned accessibility experts, award winning game developers, and most importantly, gamers with disabilities, to create a free resource dedicated to making an impact.
Every game on AbleToPlay undergoes a rigorous accessibility assessment process – the most robust in the world – to determine exactly what accessibility support a game provides. We even capture partial support, and potential ways certain features might work together or conflict. All of this magic happens behind the scenes. When browsing AbleToPlay, you'll see a personalized accessibility score, which shows exactly how well a game supports your specific needs.
Ultimately, I want to make it as easy as possible for everyone to fall in love with games. The journey so far has been the most meaningful work of my entire life, and we're just getting started. We believe that games are better when everyone can play them, and we're committed to making that vision a reality.
Whether you're a gamer with disabilities looking for your next adventure, a developer wanting to make your games more accessible, or simply someone who believes in making gaming more inclusive, we invite you to join us on AbleToPlay during our early-access preview.
Because everyone deserves to play their way.
Arman Nobari
CEO, Good Trouble