Accessibility Options

Customize your House of Ashes gameplay with detailed accessibility options. Adjust QTE prompts and visual aids for the best experience in the Sumerian temple.

Supermassive Games has made significant strides in ensuring House of Ashes is enjoyable for a wider audience. This section details the various accessibility features available, allowing you to tailor your gameplay experience to your specific needs. Adjusting these settings can significantly impact your ability to navigate the ancient Sumerian temple, survive Quick Time Events (QTEs), and make critical decisions under pressure.

Gameplay Accessibility

• QTE Difficulty: This is perhaps one of the most impactful settings for many players.
  • Reduced: This option significantly extends the time window for QTE inputs, making them much easier to complete successfully. This is highly recommended for players who struggle with rapid button presses or have slower reaction times. Failing a QTE can often lead to dire consequences for your characters, so this setting can be a lifesaver.
  • Disabled: For a completely narrative-focused experience, you can choose to disable QTEs entirely. When a QTE would normally occur, the game will automatically succeed the action, allowing you to focus solely on the story and character interactions without the pressure of timed inputs. Note that some critical choices might still require a button press, but these are typically untimed.
• Button Mash Difficulty: Similar to QTEs, button mashing sequences can be challenging.
  • Reduced: Lowers the required number of button presses and extends the time limit for these segments. This is particularly useful during intense struggle sequences against the creatures of the underworld.
  • Disabled: Eliminates button mashing entirely. The game will automatically complete these sections for you.
• Aim Assist: When playing as characters like Jason or Nick during combat encounters, aiming can be crucial.
  • High: Provides significant assistance in locking onto enemy weak points, such as the head of a Pazuzu creature. This can be invaluable in high-stress combat scenarios.
  • Medium: Offers moderate assistance, helping to guide your reticle towards targets without fully locking on.
  • Low/Off: For players who prefer precise manual aiming.
• Hold to Interact: Instead of rapidly tapping a button to interact with objects or open doors, this option allows you to hold the button down. This can reduce strain for players with motor control difficulties. This applies to interactions like opening the heavy stone door in the Temple Entrance or picking up a Premonition.

Visual Accessibility

• Subtitles: Essential for understanding dialogue and environmental sounds.
  • On/Off: Toggle subtitles for all spoken dialogue.
  • Subtitle Size: Adjust between Small, Medium, and Large. Larger subtitles can be particularly helpful in dimly lit environments or for players with visual impairments.
  • Subtitle Background: Choose between a transparent or opaque background for improved readability against varying in-game backdrops. An opaque background is recommended for maximum contrast.
• Colorblind Mode: While House of Ashes doesn't feature a dedicated colorblind mode with specific filters, several visual cues are designed to be distinct without relying solely on color. However, if you have specific colorblindness, consider adjusting your display's settings or using platform-level accessibility options.
• Camera Sensitivity: Adjust the speed at which the camera moves when controlled by the right analog stick.
  • Horizontal Sensitivity: Controls left and right camera movement.
  • Vertical Sensitivity: Controls up and down camera movement.
  Finding the right balance here can prevent motion sickness and make exploration of the vast underground caverns more comfortable.

Audio Accessibility

• Volume Controls: Individual sliders for various audio elements.
  • Master Volume: Controls overall game volume.
  • Music Volume: Adjusts the intensity of the atmospheric soundtrack. Lowering this can help you focus on dialogue or sound cues.
  • Sound Effects Volume: Controls the volume of environmental sounds, creature noises, and interaction feedback.
  • Dialogue Volume: Adjusts the volume of character voices. Increasing this can be crucial for following the narrative.
• Audio Mix: While not a direct accessibility feature, experimenting with different audio mixes (e.g., "Headphones," "Home Theater") can sometimes improve clarity for specific setups.

Remember to experiment with these settings in the Options Menu, accessible from the game's main menu or during gameplay via the pause menu. Don't hesitate to adjust them as you progress through the story, especially if you encounter a section that proves particularly challenging due to its mechanics.