Accessible strategy games: the features to look for on mobile

Updated 2026-10-26 · IncrediApp

Turn-based strategy should be one of the most accessible genres in gaming. There is no timer, no reflex test and no need to tap fast. Yet many strategy games on mobile are packed with tiny text, colour-coded information and fiddly controls that shut players out. This guide covers the accessibility features that matter most in strategy games and what to look for before you download, with examples from Banners for Hire, our turn-based fantasy hex wargame.

We are a game studio, not accessibility specialists, and every player's needs are different. Treat this as a practical checklist, and always try a game's settings yourself.

Why the genre has a head start

In a turn-based game, the clock stops while you think. You can read every tooltip, check every forecast and take a break mid-turn. That removes the biggest barrier in many other genres. What is left is mostly interface: can you read it, can you tell things apart, and can you operate it comfortably?

1. Text size and contrast

Strategy games are full of numbers: unit strength, forecasts, costs, wages. If those numbers are too small to read on a phone, nothing else matters. Look for real text scaling, not just a slightly bigger font option, and for layouts that still work when text grows.

Banners for Hire supports text scaling up to 200% and a dark UI. Dark interfaces can reduce glare and help some players with light sensitivity, and they are easier on the eyes during a long campaign at night.

2. Colour-blind support

Strategy games love to colour-code: red for enemies, green for allies, yellow for warnings. Players with colour vision deficiency can find that hard or impossible to read, especially on a busy hex map. Good games offer colour-blind options and avoid relying on colour alone, adding shapes, icons or labels.

Banners for Hire includes colour-blind options. If you rely on them, check that unit ownership, forecasts and zones of control are clear on the battle map in the first few minutes.

3. Dyslexia-friendly fonts

Strategy games and story-driven campaigns can involve a lot of reading. A dyslexia-friendly font option can make menus, unit descriptions and dialogue easier to follow for many players. Banners for Hire offers one. Its three-act story is also fully voiced in English, so you can listen to story scenes rather than only reading them.

4. Reduced motion

Camera shakes, flashing effects and sweeping animations can cause discomfort or nausea for some players. A reduced motion setting tones these down. Banners for Hire includes reduced motion, which also makes turns feel snappier if you simply prefer less animation.

5. One-handed play

Not everyone can, or wants to, hold a phone in two hands. One-handed play matters for players with limb differences or motor disabilities, and it is handy on a commute too. Turn-based games are well suited to it, because nothing requires simultaneous inputs. Banners for Hire supports one-handed play. Note that the game runs in landscape, so try a few battles to find the grip that works for you.

6. Keyboard support

Keyboard support helps players who use a tablet with a keyboard, or who find precise tapping difficult. Banners for Hire includes keyboard support.

7. Screen reader support

Screen reader support in games is still rare, and strategy games, with their visual maps, are a hard case. Banners for Hire lists screen reader support among its accessibility features. How far a screen reader can take you through a visual hex battle will vary from player to player, so if you rely on one, try the free Act 1 first and see how it works for you. We would love to hear what works and what does not.

8. Fairness features that help everyone

Some features are not labelled "accessibility" but make a big difference:

• Honest forecasts. Banners for Hire shows what an attack will do before you commit, with no hidden dice. Less guesswork means less cognitive load.
• Undo and rewind. Misclicks happen to everyone, and more often for some players. Being able to undo a move or rewind a turn removes the penalty. See Ironman mode vs undo.
• No timers or energy. Banners for Hire has no energy systems or paid currencies, so you play at your own pace.
• Offline play. The campaign, skirmishes and scenario editor all play offline.

Languages

Language is an accessibility issue too. Banners for Hire is available in English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Polish, Russian, Japanese, Korean and Chinese (Simplified and Traditional). The voiced story is in English.

A quick checklist before you download

1. Can you scale text, and does the layout survive it?
2. Is information shown with more than colour alone?
3. Is there a reduced motion option?
4. Can you play comfortably with one hand, a keyboard or your assistive tech?
5. Are there timers, energy systems or real-time pressure?
6. Can you undo a mistake?

If you are looking for a turn-based game to try with these in mind, see our roundups of the best fantasy strategy games for Android and games like Fantasy General on mobile.

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