Gaming is for everyone. The thrill of exploring new worlds, meeting new characters, defeating evil bosses, and having tons of fun along the way makes video games stand out among other media. However, for many people, games aren’t accessible, whether due to difficulty, limited options, or other factors.
Helping make games more accessible is a core value at PLITCH, and our cheats are designed to enable gamers of all ages to play the way they want to. In this blog, we want to highlight the accessibility features we’ve added to our website over the past few months and share our ongoing efforts to expand them.
We were also lucky enough to speak with Elias Auxilibus, one of our community members who has a disability and is a survivor of Munchausen’s Syndrome by Proxy, about his gaming journey, his mod-making process, and how cheats have helped him improve his experience of the wonderful world of video games.
New Accessibility Features on Our Website
- One-handed navigation: The PLITCH website can be navigated entirely without a mouse using the Shift key, allowing for use with one hand.
- Contrast: We adjusted the contrast throughout the website. It now complies with legal standards and makes the text easier to read for people with visual impairments and gamers of all ages.
- Screenreader: Our website can be fully read aloud using a screenreader.
For more information about our accessibility features, please visit our website. We’re also working on making our client and app more accessible. If you encounter any barriers or have suggestions, please get in touch with us at accessibility@megadev.com.
Interview with Elias
How long have you been playing video games?
Elias: I’ve been playing since I was young, before I turned 10. An uncle of mine had an original Nintendo in his basement with The Legend of Zelda, the first one. It was my first time playing a game, and I nearly beat it by the end of the day. Turns out, I was kind of a natural.
They saw that I was having a lot of fun, and since they had no use for it, they gave it to me, along with the games they had. I got Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Bros. 3, Duck Hunt (I even had the gun for it!), Rad Racer, and some others I can’t remember. I played them constantly, and I was pretty good at them. Well, except for Rad Racer. I didn’t have the patience to finish that game.
My first cheats (I know a lot of folks say “mods” nowadays, but maybe I’m just old-fashioned) were for the first Syphon Filter on the PS1. My dad had a guidebook for the game that also had cheats. The original kind of cheats: button combinations.
You know, the kind left in mainly to help test the game. Around that time, I also got my hands on a GameShark, complete with the thing you had to plug into one of the memory card slots for it to work. From there, I cheated frequently. I just found it fun to be able to mess around and play games however I wanted.
Which game genres do you enjoy playing?
Elias: I like a variety of genres, including RTS, city-building/management, simulation, RPG, action/adventure, and strategy games. Some of my current favorites are Glyde the Dragon, Stellaris, and Cities: Skylines, Kingdom: Two Crowns, Modern Warships, World of Warships (though I only use aircraft carriers and play co-op), Flashing Lights, Into the Flames, Company of Heroes, Skyrim (with 200 GB of mods, of course), and Infection Free Zone.
Which cheats are most useful to you?
Elias: It really depends on the game. For example, adding resources in Infection Free Zone. The same goes for any similar game. For first-person shooters, I typically use infinite health and ammo or just infinite ammo. If there’s an economic aspect, I might adjust the amount of money I have.
I actually have very specific criteria for when I use infinite resource cheats. I use them for things that are a huge pain to get or for the very basic resources, both of which take up a lot of time and are just busywork. One is finding the resources, and the other is that they’re used in all the recipes and have to be gathered constantly. Of course, there are different things within that as well.
So, you prefer to pick and choose which cheats to use?
Elias: Yep! Take the game Satisfactory, for example. It involves building various production lines and so on. I use resource cheats to set up a basic operation, unlock things, and set up transportation and power networks. Then, I work on the rest myself, such as delivering orders and making more complex items. It’s hard to explain.
I choose my cheats by balancing making things easier and providing a challenge to keep me focused and interested. I do this because I sometimes struggle to stay focused and interested in things for too long.
I use cheats to help me if I’m actually having trouble, to smooth things over, or to compensate if I’m not having a good day, like if I had a seizure earlier.
I also HEAVILY use cheats when I first buy a game so I can explore it and figure out sooner if I should refund it, since there’s a limited timeframe for doing so.
Which games do you use PLITCH for?
Elias: Any game. I’ve used other cheating software before, but PLITCH is definitely my favorite because it works much more smoothly and is much more stable. The staff are also super friendly and responsive.
Sometimes, it’s hard for me to keep up with others. I have trouble using my right hand since I had a stroke a couple of years ago. Sometimes I can’t see well, and sometimes I misread or hallucinate things. PLITCH evens the playing field and makes gaming enjoyable again.
You mentioned that you create mods yourself. What kind do you make, and how do you go about creating them?
Elias: The most important thing for me is texture modifications. In this video, I’m with my IRL first responder group. I created a total conversion of the game. I made literally every texture you see. By default, there is no snow in the game, and the vehicles, people, etc., all look different. I modified everything.
It’s actually not that complex. I just use Paint.NET with plugins. It’s completely free. I also use another program that allows me to add textures.
As long as you have some imagination, you can do it too. You also need some patience. Trying new things can be scary. It’s always intimidating. You don’t know what you’re getting into. Fear of the unknown and fear of failure stop people from achieving things more than anything else.
Do you have any final thoughts on cheats and their impact on you?
Elias: There are times when I’m slow to react, confused, or generally have trouble doing things. Sometimes I’m in so much pain that I can’t leave my room. Games help relieve stress and distract me from my problems. They give me a chance to unwind and cope with things.
As for using cheats, when I’m having one of those days, which happens often, it helps me play without getting frustrated. This helps me cope. It’s a surprisingly valuable tool for someone like me to help cope.
It might sound exaggerated, but if I can’t enjoy the games that help me deal with things, then a major source of coping ability, entertainment, and happiness is gone. Disabled people or those with serious health issues can’t do the same things as others (for example, I can’t drive or safely leave the house by myself). Even going to a movie theater or a park can be daunting, so being able to do something at home helps immensely.
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