Topic: Blind accessible Switch games

This topic is a hard find here as one might have to get help searching the internet for such games. A simple search even harder to figure since there is so limited game selections that this is hard to know. But I would still say it's best to contact Nintendo support as they would have the best contact to find what games listed in their system to show their listing for games for the blind with help of another person to navigate this limited system.

Hello! First of all, I'm so sorry to hear you're struggling with such issues. Sounds awful! Wish there was some kind of treatment available. I've been a Nintendo fan since the 1980s, but this is one area they need to improve on. I'm hearing impaired, and while my issues are nowhere near yours, I've often wished they offered more options to people with hearing or vision impairments. Like voiced commands like you mentioned or increased font size or visual prompts for the hearing impaired. When I play certain mini games like fishing in Animal Crossing, I can't always hear the plonk sound when the fish bites. They really need more accessibility options for all players!

Anyway, I checked some of the visual novel type games I have. Unfortunately, none seem to have voiced commands. I tried the Famicom Detective Club games, and even though dialogue is voiced, commands and other textboxes are not. You need to be able to see prompts and clues that pop up on the screen, too. Same for the Ace Attorney games. I thought The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story by Square Enix might be a possibility because it's really like a drama with all cut scenes fully voiced and acted out. But commands and prompts are not voiced, and neither are hints that pop up onscreen. You also need to able to read different clues to match or select during the Hypotheses stages which aren't voiced.

I checked a few other games but couldn't really find any. The only possibility, maybe something like the Witch & Hero games? There are two games on Switch, I think. The Witch has been turned to stone. As the Hero, you need to bump into enemies that appear onscreen and protect the Witch. You can collect little drops to give to the Witch. Once she collects enough, she releases a special attack. It's a pretty simple game, but I'm not sure how playable it would be for you. Have you checked into any rhythm games like mentioned above? Although the onscreen prompts don't always seem to match the music in my experience.

Going blind or loosing visions for something we take for granted isn't a trivial matter for anyone and this is the hardest part of gaming in general. It's all based on visual for games for visual sensations for all of us since birth to the beyond when that comes calling. But loosing any one of our senses is just cruel fate for anyone.

Coincidentally, NHK World had this 10 minute news story the other day about blind gaming. And how they've gotten game devs to implement some sound cues to make it possible to visually impaired to play Street Fighter. (I think that's street fighter?)

Forgive me blind readers in here for posting a video. Although, part of the video does demonstrate & explain how sound cues added to the game make it possible for blind palyers to play. It's pretty impressive. (that part is at the 4:30 timestamp.)

NHK News Video: Enabling a new vision for e-gamingーNHK WORLD-JAPAN NEWS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqvf73nhZv8
Edit: Pardon me for posting the link rather than embedding. The NHK youtube channel doesn't allow their videos to be embedded.

(@antdickens No need to reply. I know you're a busy guy, but I thought maybe hookshot media could find this interesting.)

Hi I have just been reading all these messages. I have made an account purposely to ask if you found anything on the switch that was accessible for the blind my little brother is 16 and fully blind , he was born blind. He’s been asking for something to play on as my older brother is always on his game and I think he feels abit left out. He’s never had a PS or XBox I have been looking at getting him some sort of game he can play on his own. Does anyone have any suggestions as I don’t play any video games so am rubbish at this stuff. Thank you

Hi,

I am totally blind drummer, singer and accessibility consultant. I am working with game developers and modders on improving games accessibility in games for totally blind gamers.

I worked on game called BROK: The InvestiGator from COWCATGames and it is first and fully accessible point-and-click adventure game with beat em up elements. The accessibility is available on all platforms including Switch.
You can read about it here:
https://www.brokgame.com/accessibility.php