Digital games are a part of our everyday life. We play multiplayer games for many reasons—social experiences being one of them. However, for gamers with disabilities, playing with others is often not as easy.
M.Sc. Pauliina Baltzar’s dissertation shows that while people with disabilities are just as eager to play games as anyone else, many avoid multiplayer games altogether, often choosing single player games instead. Why? Too many games still lack the basic accessibility features that players rely on—such as control remapping, visual and audio customization, and compatibility with assistive technologies.
These tools are not just helpful; for many, they are essential for being able to play at all. Unfortunately, these supports are far more common in single player games than in multiplayer games.
Social barriers challenge participating in multiplayer gaming
The challenges are not only technical. Baltzar’s dissertation, which includes two survey studies, and a game analysis also highlights social barriers. Survey respondents reported fears of being a burden to other players, difficulties in finding others at a similar skill level, and being excluded due to limited communication options.
In addition, some gamers felt that they themselves were the problem—not the games. For example, instead of recognizing that the games lacked options to adjust font size or gameplay speed, they blamed themselves for not seeing well enough or not reacting quickly enough.
“I don’t think as a blind person I can play multiplayer games, as I don’t want to annoy someone by being too slow or not good enough,” comments a 35–44-year-old female survey respondent who has vision, physical, and hearing disabilities.
71% Would Play More If Games Were More Accessible
According to Baltzar’s dissertation, 71% of gamers with disabilities would play more if games were more accessible.
“I can't participate in gaming culture as much as I would like because I simply can't play the games I'm interested in,” comments a 45–54-year-old female survey respondent with a neuropsychiatric disability.
To make games truly inclusive, developers should implement a wide range of accessibility features and ensure support for assistive technologies. In addition, Baltzar introduces the concept of social accessibility—which means not just technical improvements but also supporting different ways to communicate and create an inclusive gaming environment. Games are more than entertainment—they are places to connect and share experiences. That experience must be accessible to all.
“This research shows that, even with a limited number of survey participants, games are not accessible enough. The barriers caused by lack of accessibility are bigger than what this dissertation could cover,” Baltzar says.
“We need to normalize the idea that anyone can be a gamer.”
Public defence on Friday 13 June
The doctoral dissertation of M.Sc. Pauliina Baltzar in the field of human-technology interaction titled “It’s easier to play alone”: Social gaming with disabilities will be publicly examined at the Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences at Tampere University on Friday 13 June 2025 at 12 at City centre campus, in Pinni B -building, in room 1096 (Kanslerinrinne 1, Tampere). The opponent will be Associate Professor Lina Eklund from Uppsala University. The Custos will be Professor Markku Turunen from Tampere University.
The doctoral dissertation is available online.
The public defence can be followed via remote connection.