3530: Candy Crush Accessibility Lessons From a 200 Million Player Game

Dec 24, 2025

In this engaging discussion, Abigail Rindo, Head of Creative at King known for her work on Candy Crush, dives into the evolution of accessibility in gaming. She reveals that over 25% of King's 200 million players identify as having accessibility needs, emphasizing the importance of inclusive design as a core responsibility. Abigail shares innovative changes in Candy Crush, like customizable audio and interaction adjustments, which enhance gameplay for millions. She highlights how diverse teams foster creativity, showcasing constraints as a catalyst for better design.

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INSIGHT

Accessibility Is A Mainstream Need

Over 25% of Candy Crush's monthly players self-identify with an accessibility need, making it a massive design consideration.
Many more benefit from accessibility changes without labeling themselves that way, expanding impact beyond labeled groups.

ANECDOTE

Player Accessibility Day And The Gators

King runs a yearly Player Accessibility Day to speak directly with players and train the studio.
The grassroots 'Gators' group grew into an organized practice that educates teams and shapes design choices.

INSIGHT

Small Features Have Large Daily Impact

Small adjustments like audio controls for tinnitus and reduced flashing measurably improve daily play for millions.
Such subtle features often help players who wouldn't label themselves as having accessibility needs.

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If you have ever opened Candy Crush over the holidays without thinking about the design decisions behind every swipe, this episode offers a rare look behind the curtain.

I sit down with Abigail Rindo, Head of Creative at King, to unpack how accessibility has evolved from a well-meaning afterthought into a core creative and commercial practice inside one of the world's most recognizable gaming studios.

With more than 200 million people playing King's games each month, Abigail explains why inclusive design cannot be treated as charity or compliance, but as a responsibility that directly shapes product quality, player loyalty, and long-term growth.

One of the moments that really stayed with me in this conversation is the data. More than a quarter of King's global player base self identifies as having an accessibility need. Even more players benefit from accessibility features without ever labeling themselves that way. Abigail shares how adjustments like customizable audio for tinnitus, reduced flashing to limit eye strain, and subtle interaction changes can quietly transform everyday play for millions of people. These are not edge cases. They are everyday realities for a massive audience that lives with these games as part of their daily routine.

We also dig into how inclusive design sparks better creativity rather than limiting it. Abigail walks me through updates to Candy Crush Soda Saga, including the "hold and drag" mechanic that allows players to preview a move before committing. Inspired by the logic of holding a chess piece before placing it, this feature emerged directly from player research around visibility, dexterity, and comfort. It is a reminder that creative constraints, when grounded in real human needs, often lead to smarter and more elegant solutions.

Beyond mechanics and metrics, this conversation goes deeper into storytelling, empathy, and team culture. Abigail explains why inclusive design only works when inclusive teams are involved from the start, and how global storytelling choices help King design worlds that resonate everywhere from Stockholm to Antarctica.

We also talk about live service realities, blending quantitative data about what players do with qualitative insight into why they do it, especially when a game has been evolving for more than a decade.