Vaporum Accessibility Update Available

Fatbot Games’ real-time dungeon crawler Vaporum is now a bit less real-time with the release of the latest patch that introduces a so-called Stop Time Mode. This new mode stops all the action while you’re considering your next move and is supposed to make the game more accessible to people with disabilities and more enjoyable to those who prefer a slower-paced experience. And in addition to that, the patch also adds an on-screen directional keypad and makes it possible to compare items via tooltips.

A bit more on that:

We have a major update for you today! Yesterday (December 3rd) was the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and we wish to address some of the issues people with disabilities may have while playing Vaporum.

In the past patches, we were adding quality of life improvements and some changes to make the game more accessible for people with motion sickness and hearing deficiencies. Today, we’re introducing a Stop Time Mode.

You can turn this mode on and off at any time by pressing CapsLock (default key). When the mode is active, it automatically stops time whenever you are taking no action. This can be very useful in difficult combat situations where you need time to plan the best attack, or retreat for that matter. While you’re taking an action, time goes by as normal. But the moment you stop doing anything, time stops again, giving you the opportunity to plan the next move. Sometimes, the best course of action is to wait. You can hold Shift (default key) to advance time. You can make time tick while holding a weapon attack button too (LMB or RMB).

The Stop Time Mode can also be used in puzzles and hazards that require perfect timing, obstacles you may find too difficult to beat in real time. Using the Shift key, you can time your movement down to the millisecond. Please note that this is not meant as some sort of turn-based combat mode, but rather a more tactical approach to combat that is available in the game. We thought it would be interesting for people who like to play games at a slower pace, or people with physical difficulties, to give them plenty of time to reason about their moves.

We’re also adding an on-screen directional keypad for people who can only play with a mouse or only via touch. Or for those who love the old-school feel!

As usual, here are patch notes:

• Added a Stop Time Mode.
• Added an on-screen directional keypad.
• Added item comparison tooltips.