🔓 Accessible Gaming

Will I be able to play Mystavaria?

Yes — and we hope you do! We believe that everyone should have the chance to be part of the story, explore a world, and find meaning in their play. Accessibility isn't just a feature — it's a foundation. We are deeply committed to making Mystavaria an accessible game in order to allow players of all types to have the best experience possible, and we plan to keep improving alongside your feedback.

🧭 Screen Reader Support for Blind and Low-Vision Gamers

Mystavaria is built on the Evennia framework, which is screen reader friendly by default. We've also added several features in-game to enhance usability and support for blind and visually impaired users with further customisation:

Built-in screenreader mode: Just type SCREENREADER ON to automatically enable a range of recommended settings.
Table display options: Replace tabled information with linear list outputs.
Custom prompt and health/mana display formatting: Show simplified or percentage-based info.
Aliases and synonyms: Create custom command shortcuts and item names for easier typing and identification.
Room description control: Toggle between brief or verbose output to reduce clutter.
IGNORE/NOTICE control: Filter what information you want to receive.

For full syntax and details, we recommend reading the following in-game helps: HELP SCREENREADER, HELP BRIEF, HELP IGNORE, HELP PROMPT, HELP IVIEW, HELP ALIASES, HELP SYNONYMS.

🎧 Note: Our phase one release will not include any soundpacks, however it is on the list of features we would like to have. We would love to collaborate with anyone knowledgeable that might be willing to help with this project!

We are always actively seeking feedback from screenreader users to continue improving our support. If you have suggestions, we'd love to hear them.

🧠 Cognitive Accessibility

We know that complex text-based games can sometimes feel overwhelming — though they can also be deeply rewarding. For gamers with dyslexia, ADHD, autism, or other neurodivergent experiences, we aim to provide:

Predictable mechanics and syntax: While the world is imaginative, the rules are consistent, allowing for familiar structure in how the game behaves.
While combat is real-time, outside of that there is no time pressure: you can read, plan, and act without worrying about a ticking clock.
No penalties for pausing: if you need to step away, take your time and come back when you're ready.
Built-in aliases: Simplify commands and tailor the language to what’s intuitive for you.
Custom prompt and health/mana display formatting: Show simplified or percentage-based info.
Community support: Our Discord is filled with friendly players and devs who are happy to explain systems or help you ease into things.

We understand that every mind works differently — and while Mystavaria has complexity, we also strive to offer structure, rhythm, and room to explore at your own pace.

🖐 Motor Accessibility

Mystavaria is a text-based game, which means typing is the primary method of interaction. We recognise this may present a challenge for some players with limited mobility, and have built in support for custom command aliases to reduce typing effort and make gameplay more manageable where possible.

For more tailored accessibility, we highly recommend using a MUD client of your choice. Many of the most common clients allow you to:

Set up macros, triggers, or hotkeys to reduce repetitive typing
Use external tools such as on-screen keyboards, speech-to-text software, or adaptive input devices
Configure your interface and input style to match your comfort and ability

Mystavaria works with any MUD client, meaning you have full freedom to build a setup that works best for you. If you need help getting started, our community and dev team are always happy to assist with setup advice or recommendations.

🎧 Audio Accessibility

Mystavaria is entirely text-based, so all story, action, and dialogue is displayed through written output. No critical gameplay information is ever conveyed through sound, so players who are deaf or hard of hearing, or have auditory processing differences should be able to enjoy the game without any expected limitations.

💬 Emotional & Sensory Safety

As is the nature of text-based games, Mystavaria has no visual imagery or graphic photos within the game — all content is text only. However, some abilities and combat actions include gruesome descriptions, including depictions of blood, injury, bone-breaking, and death. These are part of the game's fantasy combat flavour, but we recognise that such descriptions can be intense or uncomfortable for some players.

While we do not yet have customisable content filters in place, we are exploring the possibility of adding them in future development phases. These could include options to reduce or soften graphic language in combat text and allow players to opt into trigger warnings for specific content where applicable.

We are committed to creating a safe and respectful space for all players, and we welcome feedback about ways to improve emotional accessibility.

💡 Looking Forward

Mystavaria is constantly evolving, and accessibility is part of that growth. Whether you use a screenreader, type one-handed, navigate with assistive tools, process information differently, or just appreciate thoughtful design — you are welcome here. We're proud to support a diverse range of players, and we're always learning from the experiences you share.

If you have specific accessibility needs not covered here or if there's something we can do to help make Mystavaria better for you — now or in the future — we would love to hear from you.