This March 25th, Zero Day Camp was happy to have hosted the first annual Arcade Switch Hackathon. Our platform of choice... Makecode Arcade! This hackathon was built around creating and building an ongoing repository of single or double switch activated games. Participants learned the basics of the Makecode platform using the Beginner Skills maps and then went on to customize and build on what they learned. Volunteers from the NYC chapter of Makers Making Change were on hand to help guide and debug.
Visit the Arcade Switch Games Padlet we contributed to as part of the hackathon.
Why the Hackathon?
Adaptive gaming is taking off in the disability community leading to a growth in hardware options with more thought placed around designing games with accessibility in mind from the onset. Adaptive gaming refers to video games that are designed to be accessible to players with disabilities. This can include features such as customizable controls, text-to-speech options, and visual aids. The goal of adaptive gaming is to ensure that players with disabilities can enjoy games just as much as those without disabilities, and to promote inclusivity in the gaming community.
Many of the adaptive games currently require access to a gaming console and even the simplest game may prove more challenging for young players just mastering cause and effect toys using switch access. This hackathon aimed to create games where variables around speed, motor access, visual complexity, and cognitive skill could be adapted and customized.
Why Makecode Arcade?
Zero Day Camp has been using this platform for a few years now to teach computer science and programming at the elementary school level with rave reviews. The platform can be either block based on text based for coding and can be accessed using any web browser. The games themselves may be played on any computer or mobile device and are keyboard accessible; significantly reducing the financial entry barrier. We figured... if 10 year olds can code, why not adults? Arcade also has an ever growing menu of hardware options (both commercial or DIY) for playing games ranging from the Makey Makey to full on DIY arcade kiosks.
Can I still help?
You sure can!! As part of the hackathon, a series of videos were created to onboard participants. The following explainer videos were created:
This hackathon was geared toward all skill levels so novices are welcome to dip their toes. Building these games is also a wonderful option for any computer science educators out there looking to connect students with real world examples for how code and help.
Next Steps
Part 2 of this hackathon will take place within the next few months in person. The focus will be to learn about the available hardware and fabricating switch accessible interfaces and access methods. Stay tuned!