BlindFun: Transforming a Video Game Blind Accessible

Publication Date

1-29-2026

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Title

Proceedings of the 2026 20th International Conference on Ubiquitous Information Management and Communication Imcom 2026

DOI

10.1109/IMCOM69009.2026.11360840

Abstract

Video games have become a main source of entertainment, especially among young people. With each new console and game engine announced, the player base expands. However, game players with disabilities are often overlooked. Most commercial video games are inaccessible to blind players, heavily relying on visual cues to relay core game play mechanics. This paper studies the features to transform a video game to be blind-accessible and explores the development of a 2D shooter specifically designed to be played without visual context. The game integrates spatial audio for combat and navigation mechanics, situational sound cues, and text-to-speech (TTS) messages to convey game-state information. This study used an iterative design approach to develop three distinct game builds, each playtested across three structured sessions to obtain feedback from both visually impaired and sighted participants. The first session tested the overall game flow while identifying key accessibility barriers, influencing the playtest that followed the implementation of combining dynamic audio control and traditional Game-AI techniques. The second session focused on game engagement improvements from the previous sessions and overall accessibility effectiveness. The final playtest collected qualitative and quantitative feedback to rate core accessibility features in both builds, providing a comparative measure of perceived improvements. The results showed improved player orientation and increased participation from visually impaired players. Participants responded more confidently to audio cues, which enhanced their ability to navigate the environment. These findings highlight simple yet effective ways for adaptive game design to improve accessibility and inclusion for visually impaired players. We believe that this work is significant towards improving accessibility and inclusiveness of video games, and hope that it will spread the awareness of accessibility within the gaming sphere and inspire more research and development efforts in creating a friendly, inclusive community connected by video games.

Keywords

accessibility, blind accessibility, game design, Godot, Video game

Department

Computer Science

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