Asmodee, the international board game company behind Catan, opened a new game studio called Access+ that adapts existing board games for players with cognitive disabilities. Asmodee partnered with an external scientific committee of care professionals to accommodate existing titles for players with disabilities that impact speech, social relation, attention, emotional control, planning, and memory.
Access+ will release accessible versions of Spot It!, Cortex, and Timeline which will be available in France, Belgium, and Canada in late 2022 and worldwide next year. So far, there is no word on exact pricing or distribution, but Asmodee has revealed details of what makes Access+ different from the company’s existing board games.
Some of the new accessibility features of Access+ games include larger cards, adapted rules, various levels of difficulty, and an option to play as a single-player.
“Over several years, Asmodee has invested in scientific research to demonstrate the societal impact board games can have” says Mikaël Le Bourhis, head of Asmodee Research. “Now we’re ready to put that research into practice with Access+, creating games that not only are fun to play but provide real, tested benefits to those with special needs, starting with cognitive impairment.”
Asmodee intends to tailor Access+ titles to medical practitioners, schools, and caregivers who care for people with special needs.
