Eyeless Tech: How about gaming? [2. part]

In the last part of the regular series Technika bez očin, we analyzed which game titles you can play even without sight, and we also showed examples of accessible games both for visually impaired users and for normal users. Today we will focus on titles that are intended exclusively for the blind, both for computers and tablets or mobile phones.

Controlling games on computer platforms

As for the computer, both the Windows and macOS operating systems, the vast majority of titles are operated by blind people only with the help of the keyboard. As I mentioned in the article above, a visually impaired person orients himself according to sound, when he reacts to whether sound stimuli come from the right or left side. For movement, the classic forward, backward, right and left arrows are usually used, or one of the W, A, S, D keys. In the vast majority of cases, the developers do not add graphics to the title, but there are also a few paid games that also have graphics available. There is a relatively large number of games mainly for the Windows platform, you can find the game database at these pages.

Controlling games on mobile platforms

Games for mobile platforms are definitely more widespread on iOS, but you can also find a relatively large number of them on Android. Control is carried out with the help of gestures, movements to certain sides are usually carried out by swiping the display to the given side, tapping with one or several fingers is also often used. One of the great games that contains quite wide control options is called The Blind Legend. In this game, you play as a blind father who faces many pitfalls and must somehow overcome them.

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Another less widespread control is that you flick your phone to the side where you hear the sound. You have to swing to hit where the sound is coming from. The smartphone uses the built-in accelerometer to recognize whether you aimed well or badly. But these games are really few, but I can mention, for example, table tennis for the blind - Blindfold Pong.

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Personally, I don't pay much attention to games where I have to wear headphones. What bothers me the most is that I am then almost completely cut off from my surroundings - for example, I am not able to notice if someone is coming behind me and I simply do not perceive my surroundings. Sometimes, however, I find time to play, and despite the fact that many titles did not interest me, there are definitely a few quality games to be found. Unfortunately, games for the blind, unlike those for ordinary users, develop slowly due to low profits. Among the absolutely common practice is that no update is ever released for a title that is more than 5 years old. In addition, games for the blind do not come very quickly, so there is a rather limited selection. So for some players with a handicap, it can be difficult to find a title that really interests them. On the other hand, it's great that at least some developers are programming games for the visually impaired, especially when they get a well-designed game.