In 2020, Supergiant Games’ 2018 title Hades saw a huge surge in popularity when it launched on the Nintendo Switch. So much so that the game has now sold over 1 million copies and won numerous awards. Now, thanks to modder erumi321 (Thanks, Lirin!), the PC version of the game now has accessibility settings for players who are blind or visually impaired.
Available to download from Nexus Mods, Erumi’s Blind Accessibility Options launched on May 16, 2021, and comes packed with 4 different mods that can be used together or separately to improve Hades’ accessibility.
One mod removes the game’s lava damage, allowing the player to stand in the lava without taking damage, but the audio still plays so that there is that audio cue taking place. Another mod ensures the player takes no damage from traps, and it also disables lava damage like the previous mod, meaning that players can choose to install one to just remove lava damage, or install the other to remove both lava and trap damage.
A resource shower mod introduces a simple menu with text that displays all resources the player has and the amount. This can be used with screen readers with instructions on how to open and use this mod detailed on the page.
…open the boon manager (B on PC, Back Arrow on Xbox Controllers, Share on PS4 Controllers) then press the button to open Codex (C on PC, Left Bumper on Xbox Controllers, and L1 for PS4 Controllers), which doesn’t have to be unlocked to have this work
The fourth mod was created with help from modder “JLove” and as detailed, is the “biggest module in the mod set”. Players will now hear a sound at the space local of the door to help players locate the doors. The sound loops continuously, but has also been designed to not overlap with other sounds in the game. Players will also find that doors have relevant sounds related to their rewards.
Lirin, of whom I saw the initial tweet about the mods, confirmed on Twitter that having these installed doesn’t affect the player from earning achievements. Although there have been apparent reports that there are glitches or bugs with some of the mods. Although I imagine these would be patched.
Hades is available for PC and Nintendo Switch. Although it’s worth reminding that these accessibility mods will only work for the PC version of the game.
