You've (Not) Been Warned: Developer Best Practices for Content Warnings and Why Compassion Matters

Abstract

Content warnings are an essential accessibility feature in games with distressing and traumatic content. With mixed research findings and even more mixed public opinion, there are very few resources available to support developers who want to have content warnings in their games. The following paper provides a brief historical overview and current research on the use of content warnings, case examples games that have successfully utilized content warnings, and best practice guidelines for content warning language and implementation.