Palatable game development: lessons learned from Foodbot Factory, accessibility, and audio games

Abstract

To address a lack of serious game work focusing on the development itself, this thesis describes recommendations for developers based on the development of Foodbot Factory, a nutrition-based serious game. Additionally, to push audio game and accessibility research forward, the development and testing of a Foodbot Factory audio game are described. Twenty participants played through Foodbot Factory’s protein foods module with visuals removed, relying on audio alone. The results of the study were overall positive, all players were able to complete the module in the allotted time and spoke positively about their experience. Feedback from participants highlighted a need for better tutorialization and higher-quality voiceovers. Future work with Foodbot Factory should include playtests with players who experience low vision and blindness to fully understand the nuances of their needs and ensure that Foodbot Factory’s accessibility features are as effective as possible.