Health warnings
Last updated .
Most people play video games without any problems, but a few precautions help everyone play safely and in comfort. This page applies to Unaccounted and every other game we make. Please read it before you play, and go through it with any children who play. It gives general advice, not medical advice. If you’re worried about your health, ask a doctor.
In short
- If you have any of the seizure symptoms below, stop playing at once and see a doctor.
- If you feel dizzy, sick or uncomfortable, stop and rest until it passes. If it doesn’t pass, see a doctor.
- Take a break of 10 to 15 minutes every hour, and don’t play when you’re tired.
- Play in a well-lit room, and keep the volume low enough to hear people talking near you.
- Unaccounted has no strobing or flashing lights, and its camera doesn’t bob or shake. Nothing in it is timed, so you can stop whenever you like.
Photosensitive seizures
A very small number of people may have a seizure when they see certain images, such as flashing lights or patterns, which can appear in video games. This can happen even to people with no history of seizures or epilepsy, because of a condition nobody has diagnosed.
Symptoms can include:
- lightheadedness
- altered vision
- twitching of the eyes or face
- jerking or shaking of the arms or legs
- disorientation or confusion
- a momentary loss of awareness
A seizure can also cause loss of consciousness or convulsions, and you can be hurt by falling or hitting nearby objects. If you have any of these symptoms, stop playing at once and see a doctor. See a doctor too if they happen when you aren’t playing.
Children and teenagers are more likely than adults to have these seizures. Parents should watch their children play, and ask them about these symptoms. If you or anyone in your family has had seizures or epilepsy, ask a doctor before you play.
To lower the risk:
- sit farther from the screen
- play on a smaller screen
- play in a well-lit room
- don’t play when you’re drowsy or tired
Unaccounted has no strobing or flashing lights. Its retro look draws a fine dither pattern over the picture. If patterns bother you, turn off Retro Filter under Display in the game’s settings.
Motion sickness
Moving through a 3D world on a flat screen can make some people feel motion sick, especially in first-person games such as Unaccounted. Signs include dizziness, nausea, sweating, a headache and tired eyes.
If you feel any of them, stop playing and rest until you feel well again. Don’t drive, cycle or do anything else that needs balance and attention until the feeling has passed. If it doesn’t pass, or you notice any of the seizure symptoms above, see a doctor.
In Unaccounted, the camera has no head bob or shake. Under Controls in the game’s settings, Field of View widens or narrows the view, and some people feel better with one or the other. Turning down Mouse Sensitivity or Stick Sensitivity makes the view turn more slowly.
Breaks and comfort
Playing for a long time can make your hands, wrists, arms, shoulders, neck or eyes tired or sore. To avoid it:
- take a break of 10 to 15 minutes every hour, even if you don’t feel you need one
- sit comfortably, with your back supported and the screen at a comfortable distance
- hold the controller or mouse loosely, without gripping hard
- look away from the screen at something in the distance now and then, to rest your eyes
- don’t play when you’re tired or need sleep
If your hands, wrists or arms hurt, tingle, feel numb or stiff, or your eyes are sore, stop and rest. If it doesn’t pass, or comes back when you play, see a doctor.
In Unaccounted, the clock moves only when you act, never on its own, so stopping costs you nothing. You can pause and save whenever you like, and the game autosaves every five minutes by default. In the settings:
- Crouch, Sprint and Scan can be held or toggled, and almost every control can be remapped.
- The Mouse control scheme plays with clicks alone, so nothing has to be held down.
- Vibration sets the strength of a controller’s rumble, or turns it off.
- Text Size makes text larger, and Gamma, Contrast and High Contrast adjust the picture.
Hearing
Listening at a high volume for a long time can damage your hearing for good, especially through headphones or earbuds. Turn the volume down before you put headphones on, then raise it slowly to a level where you can still hear people talking near you. If your ears ring or sounds seem muffled after you play, turn the volume down and give your ears a rest. If the ringing or muffling doesn’t go away, or keeps coming back, have your hearing checked.
In Unaccounted, Main Volume under Audio in the game’s settings sets the overall volume, and Music Volume, Voice Volume, Sound Effects Volume and Ambience Volume set each kind of sound. Sound Captions describe each sound in the game world in words, so you can also play quietly or without sound.
Your equipment
Your computer or handheld, controller, screen and headphones come with their own health and safety information. Follow it too.
Tell us
If something in one of our games made you feel unwell, or an option you need is missing, please tell us on Discord or social media. We want as many people as possible to play comfortably.
Changes
We update this page, and the date at the top, whenever anything it says about our games changes, such as an option or a visual effect.