The World of Blind & Low-Vision Gaming

Blind and low-vision (BLV) accessibility in games have come a long way!

The journey goes back to at least 1971 with the Optacon, an early precursor to today's refreshable braille displays, which enabled Blind players to enjoy text-based games of the era like Lunar Lander (1969). Just three years later, in 1974, Atari released Touch Me, widely credited as the first digital audio game. The late 1970s and '80s saw the emergence of the first consumer screen-reader software like Votrax Type 'N Talk, Flipper, and Vocalize! This period is often something of a golden age of gaming for Blind and low-vision players, as most games were text-based due to the technical limitations.

However, as games continued to grow and expand (with large worlds, impressive animations, multiple HUD interfaces, and more), BLV accessibility began to fall by the wayside. In 2003, AudioGames.net, an audio game forum, emerged as a hub for hobbyist coders, emerging developers, and others to share knowledge and experiences around making games Blind accessible. Even better, it's still active today and remains an invaluable resource for anyone interested in Blind accessibility!

Popular engines like Unity and Unreal did not offer BLV accessibility features such as screen-reader compatibility or text-to-speech. While plug-ins allowed developers to create workarounds, the lack of native support meant BLV accessibility was often overlooked and depended on developers already being aware of these tools, placing the burden squarely on them.

It wasn't until the 2020s that BLV accessible games began to enter the mainstream industry. Designers started seriously considering how to make games playable for an often overlooked community, catalyzed by The Last of Us Part II from Naughty Dog. This was the first AAA game designed from the ground up with accessibility in mind, incorporating extensive consultation with Blind and low-vision accessibility specialists (Brandon Cole, Steve Saylor, and James Rath). As a result, approaches to BLV accessibility across a wide range of genres expanded enormously. Naughty Dog's work benefited the industry as a whole, and as the saying goes, "a rising tide lifts all boats."

The message was clear: complex 3D games can be made BLV accessible.

So, why do BLV accessible games matter? As Ericbomb, host of the Games for Blind Gamers jam explains: "Everyone growing up had something that they were really excited for, that they were excluded from for reasons outside of their control. Like, you couldn't go to a sleepover because you had a cold, you couldn't play an online game with your friends because the family computer was too weak, couldn't go on a field trip because it was a special one that cost money, or couldn't play that game because family couldn't afford it. So, I'm hoping people make their games accessible, so we can make just a few less people experience that. [...] It's very frustrating that people are being excluded from culture and social activities when they don't have to."

shiftBacktick, moderator and a multi-year participant, in the same jam adds, "When we raise each other up, we raise us all up, and that's why accessibility [is] and will always be important."

Accessibility isn't about making a game easier (an easy mode is not an accessibility solution), but about bringing more people into the games we love. It's not about changing the table; its about allowing more people to sit at it.

BLV gamers are an incredibly motivated and engaged audience, yet so few studios serve their needs. As Patrícia, co-host of the Blind Game Jam explains, "Just because you don’t hear directly from them (or have feedback), doesn’t mean they aren’t jumping through hoops [by] making mods to other mainstream games [and] advocating in contexts where they know they’ll be heard."

Since then, dozens of studios, both indie and AAA, have taken on BLV accessibility. Some standout BLV accessible indie games include:

• The Vale: Shadow of the Crown (2021) is an audio-based action-adventure game that places you in the worn leather boots of a Blind adventurer.
• BROK the InvestiGator (2022) is a beat 'em up adventure game with high-contrast mode, screen narration, and audio descriptions for all tutorials, puzzles, and fights.
• Kilta (2022) is a 2.5D auto-battler with an Accessibility Mode that allows all menus to be narrated.
• 1428: Shadows over Silesia (2022) is a dark fantasy adventure with all in-game text narrated, environmental descriptions, audio cues, a sonar system that helps detect friendly and enemy characters, and more.
• As Dusk Falls (2022) is an interactive drama featuring audio description, menu narration, gameplay narration, and text-to-speech.
• Escape from Norwood (2023) is a text-based adventure game with full screen-reader support.
• Firebird (2023) is a narrative visual novel with full screen-reader support for menus, dialogues, narrations, and the in-game map.
• Luck be a Landlord (2023) a roguelike deckbuilder with full screen-reader support and highly configurable text resizing and contrast.
• Bits & Bops (2025) a rhythm game entirely playable without sighted assistance, featuring text-to-speech narration and description of visual elements.

The list wouldn't be complete without some AAA titles:

• Mortal Kombat 1 (2023) is a 2D fighting game with screen narration support, audio description, enhanced audio feedback, navigation assistance, directional sound, and more.
• Forza Motorsport (2023) is a racing game with Blind Driving Assist, screen narration (with adjustable pitch, volume, and speed), audio description, and text-to-speech.
• EA SPORTS FC™ 26 (2025) is a PvP soccer (or football for you English readers!) game with high contrast mode, menu narration, and adjustable icon visibility.

Please note: this list is not exhaustive. It highlights a small list of games that are natively BLV accessible without plug-ins.

As mentioned earlier, developers not knowing where to start or how to approach BLV accessibility remains one of the highest barriers. According to RNIB's Accessible Gaming Report (2022), 76% of gamers with sight loss reported encountering barriers to playing games, while only 15% of game developers reported having a sufficient understanding of how to make games BLV accessible.

Fortunately, 2025 saw several major wins in the accessibility space that significantly lowered these barriers, raised awareness among sighted developers, and encouraged new innovation. Godot now includes native screen-reader support in version 4.5. Thaddeus Crews, Godot's release coordinator and engine developer puts it bluntly: "Accessibility should be every developer’s top priority, full-stop. Someone being excluded from an experience for factors outside of their control is an area that video games and applications have the potential to circumvent entirely."

Unity also released a native screen-reader in its September 2025 update. Bianca Stana, senior software engineer, shared: "Accessibility is an essential part of app and game development, and this release significantly lowers the barrier to delivering more inclusive experiences." And that's not all! Steam also released accessibility features into beta including UI scaling, high contrast mode, and screen-reader support!

When we first set out to create AbleToPlay, our goal was to ensure BLV games were supported through a wide range of options – from games that require no sight to games that included settings that made gameplay easier. Building a strong foundation for BLV gamers was core to our mission. We also worked with awesome consultants like Ross Minor to test and ensure AbleToPlay can be used without sight.

Blind and Low-Vision Game Jam!

Starting January 30th, the Games for Blind Gamers game jam kicks off and runs through March 1st. Curious sighted developers are invited to participate and create games for BLV players and learn what it takes to make a game accessible regardless of genre! After the jam concludes, public voting will determine a community winner, followed by a jury selection for the judges' choice.

All-in-all, blindness is a spectrum. Only a small percentage of individuals experience total blindness, and creating a BLV accessible game means designing for the entire spectrum, not just a small subset. As an industry, we wouldn't be where we are today without the tireless effort and voices of accessibility champions, past and present, such as the late Brandon Cole, who consulted on numerous games with the goal of making them accessible.

At AbleToPlay, we're committed to pushing the accessibility momentum forward in 2026 and beyond – to bring play to as many as possible.

Join us!

Curious about accessibility? Come hang out in our Discord server. Meet the team behind AbleToPlay, chat about your favorite games, and celebrate accessibility wins together! When everyone plays, we all win.