I had the absolute pleasure of talking with Grant Stoner - an accessibility journalist for IGN, Can I Play That, Wired, and others - about content warnings as mental health accessibility.
The article is titled "Danger Dumplings": How Arachnophobia Inspired a New Type of Gaming Innovation. and largely focuses on Obsidian Entertainment's Grounded, a game that's become well-known for its arachnophobia aka "Danger Dumpling" mode.
Content warnings can sometimes stir up capital F feelings, much of which is based in misunderstanding and lack of accurate information. But having this kind of option - the ability to take one of the most common phobias and neutralize it - just makes sense. The more people who can play your game, the more people who CAN PLAY YOUR GAME.
Let players know what they’re in for, or at least give them the option to be alerted,” says Dunlap. “Give players as many tools as possible to make an informed decision and empower them to navigate difficult content based on their own needs.
Thanks so much to Grant for taking the time to dig into this and for asking such great questions about accessibility, mental health, and design!