Several of my friends enjoy playing audio games for blind/low vision gamers, which use 3D audio/binaural audio and other audio engineering techniques to create an immersive gaming experience that prioritizes sound over visuals. Since there isn’t a dedicated audio game category on most app stores or video game marketplaces, it can be challenging to find audio games for blind audiences, though I’ve been able to find several accessible games for the visually impaired that can be played on a computer or mobile device. Here are free sources that can help users find audio games for people who are blind, live with low vision, or who are fully sighted.
Disclaimer
I have no association with any of the of the organizations or games featured in this post. Although there are ratings, there are no age verification tools for downloading games, so it is important for parents to use discretion when determining if a game is appropriate, as what may be appropriate for one person may not be appropriate for another. Veroniiiica is not responsible for the content of third-party websites.
Pair with assistive technology: text-based games
Text-based games that are played in the web browser or in the terminal/command prompt, and can be paired with a screen reader or text-to-speech tools to be played as an audio game. Text-based games like Camel are fully accessible with a keyboard, and for users that prefer to play without audio, there are also options for using screen magnification or other tools to increase the font size.
Another popular text-based game that two of my friends really enjoy is AI Dungeon, which is a limitless text-based adventure game powered by artificial intelligence. Some users have reported having to scroll to the left to have text read out loud by VoiceOver when playing the iOS version.
Related links
- Camel | audiogames.net
- AI Dungeon
- Mainstream Technology and Low Vision: Keyboards
- Mainstream Technology and Low Vision: Computers
- A to Z of Assistive Technology For Low Vision
Audio game websites for blind and low vision
Find new releases: AudioGames.net
AudioGames.net provides a comprehensive list of audio games for blind/low vision gamers across multiple platforms, with several options for free games. There are tons of resources for learning more about audio games and the history of game accessibility for the visually impaired as well.
Read game reviews: BlindGamers.com
BlindGamers offers reviews and ratings for various audio games, and has a helpful table for locating the most popular audio games- currently, the top game is A Hero’s Call, which offers a free version as well. For younger gamers, it’s worth noting that some reviews contain explicit language.
Related links
- AudioGames, your resource for audiogames, games for the blind, games for the visually impaired!
- All blind accessible games (blindgamers.com)
Audio games with voice control: audio games on smart speakers
Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant have several options for audio games available for users- one of my friends has raved about playing Skyrim on their Echo Dot, though I have not played this myself. Other games that I’ve played with friends on a Google Home device include Ding Dong Coconut, Riddle Room, and Voice Quest, but my all-time favorite game is SongPop, which encourages users to guess which song is playing.
Related links
- Audio and Nonvisual Entertainment Ideas For Blind and Low Vision
- Audio Workouts and Low Vision
- How Amazon Alexa Can Help You Read
Mobile arcade games: Audio Game Hub
I first learned about Audio Game Hub in 2018, which is a paid iOS and Android app that offers several arcade-style games that are played with spatial audio, with options for enabling a screen curtain to remove visuals. The app is also self-voicing, so users don’t need to have TalkBack or VoiceOver enabled to play. I paid $23 for a lifetime unlock in 2018 to unlock all games on my device.
Related links
- Audio Game Hub – Keep Your Ears Wide Open
- Audio Game Hub – Apps on Google Play
- Audio Game Hub on the App Store (apple.com)
- How To Use VoiceOver With Low Vision
Find audio games for iOS/Mac: AppleVis website
When looking for audio games that can be played on iPhone, iPad, or Mac computers, I recommend checking out the AppleVis website, which maintains a database of accessible applications and games for Apple devices. I’ve shared links to their Game categories for Mac and iOS/iPadOS below.
Related links
- Accessible Games for Mac| AppleVis
- Accessible Games for iOS/iPadOS | AppleVis
- Mainstream Technology and Low Vision: Tablets
- How To Make iPad Accessible for Low Vision
More resources on audio games for blind/low vision gamers
- I’m a fan of word searches, crosswords, and sudoku games, and there are several options for finding accessible versions of these games- I talk about this more in Accessible Puzzle Game Apps For Low Vision
- Want to learn more about video game accessibility for mainstream games? I like this article from Wired that talks about the current state of video games for blind and low vision players- Games Are More Visually Accessible Than Ever. It’s Just the Beginning | WIRED
- Another platform for accessible games for blind and low vision gamers is RS Games, which I played in college with friends. Read more about it in RS Games: Free Online Accessible Games For The Visually Impaired
- Looking for game accessibility reviews? Check out Can I Play That? – For Disabled Gamers, By Disabled Gamers
