Board games, card games, and other analogue approaches are currently recognized as valuable tools for fostering social interaction, cognitive engagement, and motor skill development. However, the cognitive and motor demands of many commercial board games often present significant barriers for neurodivergent individuals, limiting their ability to fully participate and enjoy these experiences. As educational frameworks increasingly emphasize inclusivity, there is a growing recognition of the need to adapt and design recreational activities that align with diverse learning and developmental needs, ensuring equal opportunities for participation, engagement, and skill development. Considering such premises, this exploratory study investigates the cognitive accessibility of commercial analogue games for neurodivergent adults, focusing on how modding strategies can improve gameplay experiences. The study involved 26 neurodivergents that were divided into three separate groups, having their sessions separately. These sessions were part of a participatory design approach where the research team invited the neurodivergent participants to assist in testing and modifying two games – Speed Cups and Team3 – to accommodate their cognitive and motor support needs. These games were selected from Lusófona University’s collection of board games for involving physical interaction with the games’ pieces – requiring both fine-motor skills and quick reflexes, requiring cognitive ability to interpret the games’ visual instructions, and incentivised interaction between players – both cooperation and competition. Through playing the games and commenting on their experiences, the participants helped determine the modifications that would subsequently be explored. The initial testing with the games’ original format revealed that the participants mainly had difficulty in following rules that restricted their means of communication and in interpreting the images of either game representing the goals they had to achieve. Also, the participants demonstrated very little interest in free-for-all competition, hardly recognizing their victories or the element of competition. In response to the gathered observations and comments, the study introduced several modifications including: task simplification, removing the more complex visual elements, encouraging teamwork, and incorporating more physical elements to increase engagement with the activities. Once modifications were introduced, the games were tested again with the new feedback being used to further iterate on the modifications. The final modified activities revealed to be more accessible and enjoyable for the participants, with the integration of cooperation and teamwork proving to be a positive addition to the players’ experience that also resulted in greater social inclusion and interaction among participants. The results of this study suggest that using commercial board games as a starting point for iteration in a co-creation environment with stakeholders – such as neurodivergent individuals – may be a feasible method for effectively arriving at an engaging game activity while directly identifying and addressing the accessibility challenges that may make the original inaccessible for a certain audience. This study's findings highlight the importance of inclusive practices in creating accessible and enjoyable gaming experiences for neurodiverse players.

Keywords: Analogue Games, Neurodiversity, Accessibility, Modding, Inclusive Design.