> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.parsaghaei.dev/Set-3D/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Accessibility Features and Inclusive Design in SET: 3D

> Planned accessibility features for SET: 3D Edition — colorblind mode, shape assist, adjustable card sizes, text-to-speech, and responsive device layout.

Color is one of the four core attributes in the SET card game. Without accessibility support, a player with red-green colorblindness cannot reliably distinguish Red, Green, and Purple cards — meaning roughly 8 % of male players and 0.5 % of female players are effectively locked out of the game by default. Addressing this is not optional polish; it is a **v1.0 requirement** that appears explicitly in the Hard Boundaries document. This page documents all planned accessibility features, the device responsiveness rules from the UI spec, and the layer-level guidance for where these features are implemented.

<Warning>
  **Pre-production — all features on this page are Planned.** Accessibility features are in-scope for v1.0 and must ship at launch. They have not yet been implemented.
</Warning>

## Why this page exists

Accessibility features in SET: 3D Edition interact with both the **Presentation layer** (how cards are rendered) and the **Settings screen** (how players toggle features). They do **not** touch the Domain layer — `SetValidator`, `Card`, and `Match` are attribute-agnostic; they work with enum values, not with visual representations. Keeping that separation clear prevents accessibility features from accidentally coupling into game logic.

<Tip>
  All accessibility settings are implemented in the Presentation layer and the Settings screen. If you find yourself writing accessibility logic inside `SetValidator`, `GameSession`, or any Domain class, you are in the wrong layer.
</Tip>

***

## Planned accessibility features

All four features below are **in-scope for v1.0** per the Hard Boundaries document. They are toggled independently on the Settings screen under the **Accessibility** section.

| Feature                  | What it does                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     | Toggle location                                     |
| ------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
| **Colorblind Mode**      | Applies distinct pattern or texture overlays to Red, Green, and Purple cards — patterns are readable even in grayscale. Hue alone is never the only distinguishing signal.                                                                                       | Settings → Accessibility → Colorblind Mode (On/Off) |
| **Shape Assist**         | Overlays a label or icon on each card that reinforces the shape type (Diamond, Squiggle, Oval) with additional visual cues — useful for players who find the 3D shapes ambiguous at small sizes.                                                                 | Settings → Accessibility → Shape Assist (On/Off)    |
| **Adjustable Card Size** | Three preset sizes — Small (S), Medium (M), and Large (L) — scale the 3D card prefabs and grid layout. Useful for low-vision players and for tablets vs phones.                                                                                                  | Settings → Accessibility → Card Size (S / M / L)    |
| **Text-to-Speech**       | When enabled, tapping a card reads its attributes aloud: *"Two red striped diamonds."* Reads Number, Color, Shading, then Shape. Uses the Android TalkBack-compatible speech synthesis API. Toggle also silences callouts for players who find them distracting. | Settings → Accessibility → Text-to-Speech (On/Off)  |

<Note>
  Colorblind Mode must remain effective with **any equipped cosmetic symbol pack**. The cosmetic store is explicitly prohibited from shipping symbol sets that undermine accessibility. This is enforced as a content policy, not a code gate.
</Note>

***

## Haptic feedback <span style={{color: "#888", fontSize: "0.85em"}}>(Planned)</span>

Android haptic patterns are triggered by the `HapticsService` (Infrastructure layer) in response to match events. Haptics is a separate toggle (Settings → Gameplay → Haptics On/Off) and is independent of accessibility settings.

| Event               | Haptic pattern                     |
| ------------------- | ---------------------------------- |
| Card selected       | Short, light tap                   |
| Valid Set confirmed | Double pulse (satisfying)          |
| Invalid Set         | Single buzz (brief, not punishing) |
| New cards dealt     | Soft tick per card                 |

***

## In-match settings access <span style={{color: "#888", fontSize: "0.85em"}}>(Planned)</span>

Accessibility settings are reachable **without leaving the match** via the Pause Menu → Settings. In Single Player and Pass & Play, the match pauses while Settings is open. In Online Multiplayer, the match continues on the server (pausing is not allowed mid-match), but Settings is still accessible — a "Match still in progress" banner is shown.

***

## Device responsiveness

The UI Layout specification defines how the game adapts across Android device classes. These are not optional — they are part of the v1.0 UI spec.

| Device class                    | Layout adaptation                                                                                                  |
| ------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Small phones (\< 6")**        | Card grid spacing compressed by 15%; HUD text scaled down; Pass & Play claim zone buttons enlarged for thumb reach |
| **Large phones / phablets**     | Default layout as specified                                                                                        |
| **Tablets (7"+)**               | Larger card prefabs, more breathing room in margins; HUD may show additional stat details (match timeline)         |
| **Notch / punch-hole displays** | 3–5 % safe-zone padding enforced on all top-bar elements                                                           |
| **Foldables**                   | Out of scope for v1.0 — listed as a stretch goal only                                                              |

### Orientation support

| Context                                            | Orientation                                                                               |
| -------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| In-match Game Board                                | **Landscape forced** — auto-rotates on match entry regardless of current menu orientation |
| All menus (Main Menu, Mode Select, Settings, etc.) | **Portrait + landscape both supported**                                                   |

***

## Out of scope for v1.0

The following accessibility-adjacent features are **explicitly deferred** to a post-launch release:

<Accordion title="Out-of-scope accessibility items — click to expand">
  * **Localization / multi-language support** — All text is English-only at launch. String keys are externalized in a localization file to make future translation possible, but no non-English strings will be bundled in v1.0.
  * **Foldable device reflow** — The card grid does not reflow on Android foldables at launch. Cards maintain the 4-column layout regardless of fold state.
  * **Per-player timer accessibility** — No per-player clocks in v1.0 (only global match timer).
  * **Custom sound packs / alternate voice callouts** — The text-to-speech feature uses the system TTS engine; custom recorded callouts are not in scope.
  * **Motor-accessibility gestures** — Switch-access or single-switch navigation is not in the current scope. Standard Android TalkBack support is the target.
</Accordion>

***

## Implementation guidance for engineers

<Steps>
  <Step title="Presentation layer only">
    All accessibility features operate on the visual representation of cards (`CardRenderer`, `CardView3D`) and the UI layer (ViewModels, Views). The `Card` domain object is an enum tuple — it has no concept of "what it looks like." Do not pass accessibility flags into Domain classes.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Settings screen wires to ReactiveProperty">
    Each accessibility toggle in the Settings screen updates a `ReactiveProperty<bool>` (or `ReactiveProperty<CardSizePreset>`) held in an `AccessibilitySettings` model. The `CardRenderer` subscribes to these properties and re-renders cards when they change. No manual "refresh all cards" call is needed.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Colorblind overlay on card material">
    Colorblind Mode swaps the card's color-encoded material for a pattern-encoded variant at the `CardRenderer` level. The pattern must remain legible with any equipped cosmetic symbol pack — validate this in the content pipeline, not at runtime.
  </Step>

  <Step title="TTS integration via Android API">
    Text-to-speech reads card attributes when the player taps a card and TTS is enabled. The speech string is constructed from the `Card` value object's enum fields: `$"{card.Number} {card.Color} {card.Shading} {card.Shape}"`. This string is assembled in the Presentation layer (a presenter or ViewModel), never in Domain code.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Accessibility audit before launch">
    Run the Android TalkBack screen-reader against the full game flow. Run a color-blindness simulator against the card grid with Colorblind Mode both on and off. Both audits are required QA gates before v1.0 release per the Hard Boundaries document.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Common mistakes

<Warning>
  **Common mistakes with accessibility features:**

  1. **Adding colorblind logic to `Card` or `SetValidator`** — These are pure domain objects. They deal with enum values, not visual presentation. Colorblind mode belongs entirely in `CardRenderer` and the material system.

  2. **Making a cosmetic symbol pack that breaks Colorblind Mode** — The store content pipeline must validate that every symbol pack maintains distinct per-color patterns when Colorblind Mode is active. This is a content policy check, not something to enforce in code at runtime.

  3. **Forgetting to keep accessibility settings accessible in-match** — Players should not have to quit a match to toggle card size or colorblind mode. The Settings screen must be reachable from the Pause Menu.

  4. **Treating TTS as a "nice to have"** — Text-to-speech is listed as a v1.0 in-scope requirement in the Hard Boundaries document. It is not optional and must pass an accessibility audit before launch.
</Warning>

## Related pages

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Concept" icon="lightbulb" href="/Set-3D/Set-3D/game-design/concept">
    Design pillars — Accessibility is one of the four core pillars driving every product decision.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Game Modes" icon="gamepad" href="/Set-3D/Set-3D/game-design/modes">
    How accessibility settings (card size, colorblind mode) apply across all three modes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Reactive UI" icon="layout" href="/Set-3D/Set-3D/architecture/reactive-ui">
    Device responsiveness tables, Settings screen component spec, and the full screen-by-screen UI breakdown.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Game Concept" icon="book" href="/Set-3D/Set-3D/game-design/concept">
    The complete in-scope and out-of-scope lists that define exactly what must ship for v1.0.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>