Why You Should Be Talking About Cognitive Load in Game Design
In game accessibility, we often talk about high contrast and remappable keys. But for many players, the biggest barrier isn't always what they see or how they interact with the game. It’s how much they are asked to process at one time.
Cognitive load is the total amount of mental effort and working memory resources required to perform a task. Think of it as a "mental backpack" with a fixed capacity. For players with ADHD, learning disabilities, or sensory processing difficulties, complicated menus and high-speed requirements can cause this backpack to overflow, leading to "cognitive overload". When cognitive load exceeds capabilities, players often experience mental fatigue, reduced performance, frustration, and feeling too burned out to continue a game.
The “mental backpack” doesn't just overflow for neurodiverse players; it fluctuates for all of us based on our environment and circumstances. From the tired parent playing at 11 PM to the student in a noisy environment, everyone benefits from being able to fine-tune the mental cost of a game.
To help manage the cognitive load our studio uses these core considerations:
Layered Complexity: Introduce mechanics one at a time. Establishing routines makes activities more automatic and less mentally taxing.
Granular Difficulty Scaling: Instead of a single "Easy/Hard" toggle, allow players to adjust specific variables, such as the exact number of items they must track at once.
Scaffolding: Provide in-game supports, like visual schedules or checklists, to aid memory and reduce the initial effort required to understand the rules.
Visual Noise Control: Provide settings to reduce "stationary clutter" and toggle off non-essential background animations.
Redundant Coding: Never rely on a single channel (like color) for critical information. Use shapes, icons, and positional cues to make the state of play easier to interpret at a glance.
Decouple Precision from Pacing: Timed challenges and fast-paced action can be unmanageable for players who need more time to process information.
Feedback Loops: Provide clear, immediate, and encouraging feedback.
If cognitive load demands are considered from the beginning of a game’s design, it allows players to not only get started with the game, but also to stay engaged even when their circumstance changes. Adjustable cognitive load settings gives players options that let them continue to engage with your games.
