Exploring 6 Video games for Blind People

Pacman Talks

Pacman Talks is a downloadable Pac-Man-style audio game for Windows. It greets players with a nice soundtrack. However, the game felt confusing initially. It lacked clear explanations on how to start playing after launching the executable. There was no prompt within the first 30–40 seconds stating how to begin the game. After about a minute, some explanation appeared on how to get started.

The introductory screen of Pacman Talks displays a high-contrast design, making it easier for visually impaired users. The game shows only a black screen, unsurprising for an audio game. After some experimentation, I figured out that the arrow keys control the Pac-Man character’s movement. However, it was disorienting as it wasn’t clear whether the controls were interpreted from the character’s perspective or as if observing from above. Additionally, some sounds overlapped when pressing keys quickly, and the background music was too loud compared to the gameplay prompts, resulting in a suboptimal first experience with audio games.

Camel (Best Video Game For Blind People)

Camel is a simple text adventure game developed by the now-defunct Braillesoft company. Played in a terminal or command prompt window, it casts the player as a traveler on a camel in the desert, trying to escape from pygmies. Like many text-based games, it can be turned into an audio game by using a screen reader such as Microsoft Narrator or JAWS.

In Camel, the player has several options, bound to number keys 1-8, that dictate the next action, such as moving at a moderate or fast pace, taking a drink, resting, and checking status. I found the game entertaining for a short while due to the storytelling and the race against the pygmies. The small amount of worldbuilding was well-executed and kept me interested in the possible outcomes. However, the game sometimes overloaded the user with information that had to be listened to repeatedly, which only became an issue when processed by a screen reader. This highlights the importance of intentionally designing audio games (or redesigning existing games for audio) rather than simply porting existing games.

BlackJak

BlackJak, made by the same developers as Camel, is another text-based game that can be played as an audio game through a screen reader. It plays like the popular card game, where players aim to put cards on the table until their cumulative value is as close as possible to 21, without exceeding this number.Compared to Camel, BlackJak is a faster-paced game with minimal information overload, making it a more enjoyable audio game experience. It illustrates how a text-based game without repetition of lengthy sentences can lead to a better audio game experience.

Blindfold Hearts

Blindfold Hearts is available on the iOS App Store. As I was unfamiliar with the rules of the Hearts card game and the game did not explain. Them clearly enough for me to play, I had to look up the rules elsewhere. However, once I understood how the game is played, the accessibility for blind individuals became apparent, with plenty of audio prompts guiding the player on how to use and progress through the game.

Blindfold Hearts demonstrates that players of audio games may face a learning curve before they can fully enjoy the game.

Drowning In Problems

Drowning In Problems is a browser-based game where players ‘build’ the life of an individual based on their choices, starting from before birth all the way to adulthood. The game presents a list of problems. Each time players can choose to solve one problem, which then modifies the list of problems. This game was not developed as an audio game, but it can be played through a screen reader.

While Drowning in Problems is a text-based game that allows players to click on solve links within a list of problems. It seems interesting initially but may not offer much replay value.

Sonic Zoom

Sonic Zoom is a racing game that can be downloaded for Windows. In the game, players follow a straight path while collecting coins and dodging obstacles. This simple concept felt like a fun experience. While it offers a visualization, it is also accessible for blind people.

The narrator’s voice, which provides necessary guidance, stands out as clear and pleasant. As players approach coins, they can hear them in the distance, with different sounds indicating whether the coins are on the same line or to the left or right.

In Conclusion

As the examples mention here illustrate, there are not many great audio games for the visually impaire on the market. Some are really old, and many seem to be fan-base games, sometimes using trademarked names from other games. Many of the experiences also seem disorienting, especially the text-based ones that rely on screen reader software. Which comes with its own prompts and controls. This often results in a lack of integrated experience, breaking the game’s immersion.

There is a need to better serve the visually impaired community. One organization constantly advocating for this is AbleGamers. They help game developers make their games more accessible and inclusive, allowing people who would otherwise be left out to enjoy their games.

At PreviewLabs, we always crave a challenge and would be happy to leverage our experience to brainstorm and prototype audio game concepts. If you have a concept for which you need a prototype, don’t hesitate to reach out.

In a future blog post, we will share more about an audio game prototype we developed. Which unlike the examples mentioned in this blog post, features a 3D environment for players to explore.