Game accessibility is a topic that's been on my mind for the past few years as videogames and the controllers used to play them have become increasingly complex.

GameSetWatch points us to Game Over!, a 21-level game built to illustrate the frustrations of inaccessible game design by making each level an example of how limiting certain design decisions can be for disabled gamers. The game, available for Mac OSX, Windows and Linux, is a free download for anyone looking for educational punishment.

From the official Game Over! site:

"Game Over!" is the world's first (and hopefully only) universally inaccessible game. This practically means that it is a game that can be played by no one. But why was such a game created? Well, the goal of Game Over! is to be used as an educational tool for disseminating, understanding and consolidating game accessibility guidelines.

Game Over!'s levels feature such game ruining challenges, with suggested best practices, like the following:

Hunt and Peck
Gameplay: The control keys have been randomly redefined and the player has to find them.
Guideline: Allow redefining the controls.

And:

Piano Man
Gameplay: The player must use awkward key combinations to control the spaceship (e.g., Shift + L + Left Arrow to go left).
Guideline: Avoid simultaneous button pressing.

More info on Game Over! and accessible gaming is available at the official site. Michael McWhertor

Game Over! [via GameSetWatch]

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