A Study on Customizing Interaction in Adaptable Games
Caio Pinheiro de Carvalho, Suzane Santos dos Santos, Gabriel de Magalhães Escudeiro, Kelly Vale Pinheiro, Nelson Cruz Sampaio Neto, Marcelle Pereira Mota · 2019 · Proceedings of the 18th Brazilian Symposium on Human Factors in Computing Systems (IHC) · doi:10.1145/3357155.3358468
Summary
This paper from the Federal University of Pará (Brazil) investigates customization features for adaptable games designed as assistive technology tools for children with disabilities, where healthcare professionals configure the games to match each child's therapeutic needs. The research combines a literature review of adaptable game systems (filtering 31,521 papers down to 10 relevant works from ACM, IEEE Xplore, and ScienceDirect) with the development and evaluation of three games on a platform designed with input from an occupational therapist. The games — Cuca Fresca (a memory card game), AdaptaQuebra-Cabeça (an adaptable jigsaw puzzle), and an auditory memory game — share a common architecture allowing specialists to configure parameters like background colors, number of pieces, timers, audio feedback, difficulty levels, and custom themes with personalized images. The design is grounded in Semiotic Engineering theory, treating the games as meta-communication between healthcare professionals (who configure) and children with disabilities (who play). The platform targets children attending Reference Centers for Educational Inclusion in Brazil, who have conditions including neuropsychomotor developmental delays, cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, and communication difficulties.
Key findings
Testing with 11 healthcare professionals (psychologists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, physiotherapists) across two Reference Centers identified 12 key customization characteristics for adaptable games: number of pieces, colors, timer, personalized themes, theme contrast, audio feedback, label text, label sound, difficulty level, progressive difficulty, social context (multiplayer), and movement type. Three features were present across all three games: background color, number of pieces, and audio feedback. Specialists highlighted several critical design insights: (1) Personalized themes using photos of the child's own family, toys, or familiar objects are essential for engagement — using the child's PACS (communication system) images creates meaningful associations. (2) Real photographs of objects are preferable to cartoon drawings because children with cognitive impairments may not recognize stylized representations. (3) Audio feedback must be toggleable — in early therapy sessions, disabling error sounds prevents frustrating children who are still learning. (4) Color customization helps children with low vision and attention difficulties — certain colors minimize distractions while others may scatter focus. (5) Timer customization is important because children with cerebral palsy need longer display times. (6) Hidden navigation buttons (translucent, corner-placed) prevent children from accidentally leaving the game. Voice recording features were suggested so children could record their own voices for card labels, supporting speech therapy goals.
Relevance
This research addresses an important gap between game accessibility guidelines (which focus on making existing games playable by people with disabilities) and adaptable game design (which empowers professionals to configure games as therapeutic tools). The distinction matters: in clinical settings, the "user" is actually two people — the specialist who configures and the child who plays — each with different needs from the interface. For accessibility practitioners and educational technology developers, the identified customization taxonomy provides a practical checklist for designing adaptable therapeutic games. The emphasis on real photographs over drawings, toggleable feedback, and personalized content using the child's own images reflects deep understanding of cognitive accessibility needs. The Brazilian context — with Reference Centers for Educational Inclusion serving children with diverse disabilities — demonstrates how adaptable game platforms can support inclusive education in developing countries where specialized assistive technology may be scarce.
Tags: game accessibility · assistive technology · cognitive accessibility · intellectual disability · personalization · cerebral palsy · autism · rehabilitation
Standards referenced: IGDA Game Accessibility Guidelines