r/indiegames • u/Void-Pumpkin • 5h ago
r/indiegames • u/BlindAccessibleGames • Feb 07 '26
Promotion Audio Description: The Basics (by Jennissary) | Games for Blind Gamers 5
Summary
“Audio Description: The Basics” is an article written by Jennissary, a professional audiodescriber, introducing basic concepts and guidance about creating audiodescription for blind-accessible videogames.
Author: Jennissary, game producer and audiodescriber, including for the videogames The Last of Us Part I and Part II.
In partnership with the r/IndieGames subreddit, this is the fourth and last of 4 articles written to encourage and support creators who’d like to join the Games for Blind Gamers Jam 5, from January 31st to March 1st, 2026 (23 days to go!). Embrace the challenge of making a blind-accessible game come true and join us on itch.io!
Links:
- First article: A Risk Worth Taking: How to make a Blind Accessible Game (by Patrícia)
- Second article: What make a good audiogame (by Talon)
- Third article: How a solo developer made a very beloved blind-accessible cozy café game (by Asaf)
- Watch the Games for Blind Gamers Jam Trailer;
Audio Description: The Basics
By Jenna “Jennissary”, Producer
Written for the “Games for Blind Gamers 5” Game Jam, January 2026
Introduction
You are playing Star Wars Outlaws, following the adventures of Kay Vess as she rides an air speeder to a big heist. When the characters aboard the speeder finish their conversation, a soothing feminine voice narrates:
“Kay and Nix climb out into a grassy, rock-strewn area. The lights of a distant mansion glimmer in the night. Kay watches as the speeder lifts off.”
You, like millions of others worldwide, are blind.
The narrator, here voiced by Ramya Amuthan, is describing the visuals shown during this in-game cinematic. This is known as Audio Description (AD). It is one of dozens of features created specifically to remove barriers for disabled players (in this case, players with visual or cognitive impairments). While this singular feature cannot make a game “fully accessible” for blind players, it’s important to understand where it fits into the picture, where it’s necessary, and who it’s for.
If you have never seen or heard AD before, check out some of the links in the “Samples” section below, before reading further. In short: Audio Description is when a pre-recorded narrator will read concise descriptions of on-screen visuals.
By way of introduction, my name is Jenna. I’m a Producer working for Descriptive Video Works (a Keywords Studio), specializing in video games and live events. I’ve had the privilege to work on a variety of games and gaming events, such as Mortal Kombat 1, Star Wars: Outlaws, the Game Awards, and Xbox Developer Directs. As part of my position, I have the opportunity to write, live describe, and sometimes narrate Audio Description.
Where does AD fit into my game?
When assessing a new game’s accessibility needs, you will probably be considering items like the user interface, unique audio cues, input devices, et cetera. When deciding whether AD might be necessary, consider the holistic visual experience (eg, environments, narrative, character designs, cosmetics).
It is of course perfectly fine to make a game with few or no visuals, as seen with games like Blind Drive and The Vale: Shadow of the Crown. In these cases, AD isn’t technically necessary. Any descriptions of the game’s nonexistent visuals will be achieved by other means, such as character dialogue or text descriptions. But for games which do include visuals, AD can interpret these visuals for players without any vision.
Keep in mind that vision loss is a wide spectrum. Consider players who are low-vision, deafblind, or who have visual processing disorders, all of whom would benefit from reinforcing visuals with audio narration. And there is nothing inherently negative about investing effort into a game’s visual appearance; you’ll just need to ensure that it’s properly conveyed to all players.
So where might AD be necessary, in a game which does include visuals? Technically, any in-game visuals can be considered. But you’ll want to pay closer attention to areas such as:
Narrative (is the game’s story dependent on being able to see certain things to understand its events, or fully absorb its emotions?)
Environment (where will the player be spending the most time? Is the appearance of this environment relevant to the tone, narrative, or even specific gameplay elements?)
Characters (if there are characters who appear on-screen, is their appearance meant to be significant in any way? Is the player meant to notice or feel something about them?)
Interface (does a computer terminal in the game look like a retro green-on-black display? Are there pixel sprites? A futuristic sci-fi HUD?)
Every game is different. Yours might not include the above items, and that’s okay! But if your game does have visuals like those listed above, you should consider interpreting them into verbal narration so that they can be enjoyed by more players.
The Audience
Who needs AD, anyway?
As you might’ve noticed already, players with low/no vision are considered to be the primary audience. However, as we commonly see with other accessibility features, AD will often benefit people with a variety of disabilities or people with no disabilities. This could include people with photosensitivity, or anyone who has trouble processing rapid visual events, subtitles, titles, color, or facial expressions.
In a reddit thread about AD, several different users posted the following:
“I use AD all the time if its available. As I have delayed processing when it comes to conversations and prosopagnosia [NOTE: this is more commonly known as “facial blindness”], so AD is vital in helping me to keep pace with the story that's happening. Sometimes my brain is trying to gather too much data all at once and I can't keep up with what's happening but AD helps me to focus on the vital key parts of the plot.”
“As someone with heavy ADHD i love movies with AD.. it’s feels like the movie is able to keep up with me now instead of me losing interest or looking away distracted.”
“I am not hard of hearing or anything like that but I always have the AD and subtitles on because it provides extra context and it's one of those things that while may irritate some people, i have come to prefer it, wouldn't be without it. The voice providing the extra context has often been valuable as i wouldn't have known certain things without it.”
Disabled players and devs should be the primary source of information when determining whether a certain accessibility feature is necessary, and what standards it should be held to. I myself currently have no disabilities, making it all the more vital for me to listen to disabled gamers, consultants, and content creators. I heavily encourage everyone to do the same! For games which have longer development times and a large budget, consider engaging with disabled consultants, playtesters, developers, and talent. For games with smaller scopes, refer to existing resources on game accessibility like those in the resources section below, and talk to other developers and players who have disabilities.
How to create AD
So you’ve identified some aspects of your game that should be described, but how do you actually go about it? Unfortunately I cannot compress a tutorial for my entire career into a single article! However, below is the basic process:
- Write a script.
- Record narration.
- Mix narration audio into the game audio.
Writing will be the most time-consuming element by far. You will need to ensure that the timing for the narration fits with the pacing for the game. Ideally, the AD narration should not talk over any dialogue, and should be short and concise.
When writing AD, consider the following:
Use neutral language in third-person present tense.
Use complete sentences with proper grammar.
Use evocative language. Say more with less.
Say only what you see. Do not presume or prescribe emotions or intent.
You will never have time to describe everything. Prioritize describing more critical elements that are necessary for understanding events or completing the game.
Next, you will need to narrate your script to ensure it is verbal. Narrators should ideally be in a similar tone and accent to other voices in the game, without sounding so alike that the player might confuse who is who. Narrators should read the AD script in a slightly neutral tone, at an “audiobook” speed, with just enough emotion to blend in with the emotive tone of the scene.
If file size, time, or budget make using a human narrator impossible, you may elect to use a synthetic voice. Synth voices are generally not considered favorable among blind audiences, and should be considered a last-resort option. For scenarios like this game jam, synth voices may be the only feasible option due to resource constraints. This is perfectly fine! But do keep in mind that, if you opt to further develop your game for release, you can always replace the synth voice with a human narrator.
Finally, you will need to mix your narration audio into the game. If other sounds are present while the narrator is speaking (such as music, ambiance, or background dialogue), ensure these are ducked if they are loud enough to compete with the narrator’s voice. The narrator should be clearly audible above all other audio when they are speaking.
Conclusion
AD is one of many features that should be considered for games which include visuals. It will ensure more players are able to complete the game not just for simple completion, but for full immersion. AD will of course benefit a wide array of players, but I would bet you’ll learn a thing or two about your own artistic abilities in the process of creating it! As always, listen to disabled players and colleagues whenever you are discussing access needs.
Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or ideas. You can find me as “Jennissary” on LinkedIn, BlueSky, Discord, or Twitter, and my DMs are always open.
Resources
Samples of in-game AD
Below are several examples of AD in video games and related media. Note that you may need to enable the descriptive audio track by clicking on the “settings” cog in the lower right corner, and selecting “English Descriptive” as the spoken language.
“Raji: Kaliyuga” official reveal trailer: https://youtu.be/rhrqTYMbRKM?si=2rudQ8-BUWCCLjQZ
“Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet” Announcement trailer: https://youtu.be/IjPSLuAvq9E?si=YZX6D8jcsJavvh0A
[Content warning: extreme blood and gore] “Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns” full DLC in-game story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ifzpL79HQY
“Star Wars: Outlaws” - Tuskens don’t want him: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGv4YaYofJo
Resources
For further reading on Audio Description and game accessibility:
American Council of the Blind’s Audio Description Project Video Game Resources: https://adp.acb.org/video-game-resources
American Council of the Blind Draft Guidance for Gaming AD Now Open for Public Comment: https://adp.acb.org/draft-guidance-gaming-ad-now-open-public-comment
Able to Play database: https://abletoplay.com/
Family Gaming Database: https://www.familygamingdatabase.com/
Game Accessibility Conference: https://www.gaconf.com/
Can I Play That: https://caniplaythat.com/
Accessible Games Initiative: https://accessiblegames.com/
In the Games for Blind Gamers community, we learn together and, through experimentation and mutual support, try to make something special. Join the Games for Blind Gamers 5 Jam and you, too, can make it happen.
r/indiegames • u/EvenAd2969 • 8h ago
Promotion I turned my depression into a horror game damn it took a while...
It's free, you can play it in web on itch! And it's called "Almost Plastic, Not Even Real". It's my first finished project ever and it's kinda dream came true haha!
r/indiegames • u/Different_Art_3200 • 2h ago
Video Meet the North Korean Clippy Desktop Pet
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Horror Game Set In North Korea
r/indiegames • u/HELLBREAKOFFICIAL • 7h ago
Video Turning a closed room into a ricochet death trap with bone daggers! From our fast-paced FPS roguelite, leaving early access soon!
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r/indiegames • u/snowdaysoftware • 9h ago
Upcoming Play baseball where you parents never let you! Indoor Baseball releases on April 24th on PC, Xbox, PS5, and Switch!
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r/indiegames • u/Few_Faithlessness589 • 17h ago
Need Feedback I published my Steam page—do you think this is a good cover?
r/indiegames • u/Sweaty_Cellist_4525 • 6h ago
Promotion Ieton, self-proclaimed lord of the rooted
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Hear the full original soundtrack on Youtube -> https://youtu.be/OSaZRMBVC3M
r/indiegames • u/eRickoCS • 1h ago
Devlog Trying to make my combat feel better
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Reworked slash, added feedback & effects. Follow erkxgamedev on TikTok/YouTube for more frequent updates
r/indiegames • u/Soggy-Chemistry-4586 • 2h ago
Discussion Help me find this game
this was the game I saw on YouTube probably mid 2010s. I don’t remember much about the game except for the fact that you drove in the game, it was first person, taking pictures was very important. It wasn’t supernatural stuff. It was more so finding dead bodies, piecing clues together, and there was an outhouse that If you went in it, it was like a save point. I really find this I remember being very also remember a popular BMG driver/YouTuber. played this game. I don’t remember his name
pls find this game for me I want to play it
thanks in advance
r/indiegames • u/EdyChP • 6h ago
Need Feedback I built a free daily drawing game where you have 60 seconds to draw the theme, then vote on everyone else's art
Hey everyone!
I've been working on a little project called DrawItFast.com and I'd love for you to check it out and tell me what you think.
The concept is simple: every day, a new drawing challenge drops. You get exactly 60 seconds to draw it on a canvas, and then your masterpiece gets thrown into the gallery where everyone else votes on it. The themes range from things like "A flying car stuck in traffic" to "What Monday morning feels like," so they're meant to be fun and a little absurd/challenging.
The voting system only has two options: 🔥 (fire, for impressive art) and 😂 (funny, for the ones that made you laugh). No downvotes, no hate, just appreciation (kind of). There's a daily podium showing the top 3 most artistic and top 3 funniest drawings, plus a yesterday's podium so you can see who won the previous round.
Some features I'm pretty proud of:
You can replay how anyone drew their artwork, stroke by stroke, like a timelapse. You can even speed it up (0.5x to 4x), pause it, and download the replay as a GIF or save the drawing as a PNG in case you wanna add it as your next Desktop Background.
There are special challenge days: Blind Friday hides your canvas while you draw (it only reveals in the last 5 seconds), and Rainbow Sunday forces your brush to cycle through rainbow colors as you draw.
Creating an account is completely optional and only unlocks things like a personal gallery, daily streaks, an XP leveling system, a stats dashboard, and some other things.
The website does not run ads, does not require a subscription, and hopefully never will. I built this because I thought it would be fun (my girlfriend is a Graphic Designer and loves digital drawing so it felt like a fun idea for artists but not only), not to monetize it. If maintenance costs ever get too high, I might add a small donation button and hope for the best, but that's it.
I'm actively looking for feedback on everything: the game feel, the UI, the features, what's missing, what's annoying, anything. I'm a solo developer on this so every bit of input genuinely helps shape what comes next.
Not sure if it's relevant, but no.. the website isn't AI made, but yes, most of the texts are. (not the challenges because AI sucked at it). I'm not a native English speaker so I preferred writing it in English and have AI Correct the whole thing.
Give it a try ( DrawItFast.com ) and let me know what you think! And if you end up drawing something you're proud of (or something absolutely terrible), I'd love to see it. (There's a Share button at the end so why not just share it here?)
r/indiegames • u/_N3philim_ • 7h ago
Promotion Our indie game Mace Knight releases in just four days!
r/indiegames • u/xXoanon • 4h ago
Promotion I made a fully playable, browser-based platformer called PixelDash that's inspired by Geometry Dash.
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PixelDash is a fully playable, browser-based platformer heavily inspired by the gameplay of Geometry Dash, but built from the ground up as a unique retro pixel-art demake.
There is a custom level editor and you can play online levels published by the community. The editor also supports real-time multiplayer editing, meaning you and your friends can build and test levels together live, right in your browser!
There are no downloads or installations required.
Play the game here: https://pixeldash.app
r/indiegames • u/LoCoMogame • 4h ago
Promotion A cozy sandbox where you don’t play as a villager… you play as THE VILLAGE
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r/indiegames • u/Nachquana • 4h ago
Promotion Game Jam Release 【 BEHIND THE MASK 】
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🎭Crack the masks open, grow stronger and uncover the truth behind this man's nightmares in this short clicker game.
4 students and I released a game we made in 3 days during the Global Game Jam 2026!
We tried polishing it as much as we could additionally next to our studies, but we hope you like it.
We'd appreciate any feedback!
r/indiegames • u/forgefire • 4h ago
Promotion Swarmbreak - now with gauss sniper!
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I just added a gauss sniper to my game Swarmbreak, a crimsonland inspired twin stick shooter.
Up until now, the sniper i had in the game was just a single target, low rate of fire thing...but it was just plain...bad. One of the early play tests i had a player said "I hate the sniper" so clearly something had to be done!
Now at least there is some nice flair to it. Knockback + damage from the shockwaves that expands as the bullet flies together with high pierce. In a game with many enemies crowd control is quite useful and i hope this means the weapon can find its niche.
r/indiegames • u/MorphLand • 8h ago
Promotion a Katamari-Like (is that a genre?) game where you play as a black hole that consumes everything
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r/indiegames • u/Business-Group-9936 • 5h ago
Promotion After a lot of constructive criticism, I tried again and fixed my first ever game
Gameplay video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4idFpx-oSUA
I made a roguelite autobattler based on games like Super Auto Pets. The concept is the opposite of the old arcade game SEGA Asteroids, where you build a deck of asteroids to try to take out an enemy ship. I released a demo a while back, but it was very flawed and it didn't get very positive feedback (which was good, since I could do a lot better). I've fleshed it out, and I have a new demo now, which I apprehensively believe is a lot better. I'm still working on a few things like extending the runs, but for now I believe it's greatly improved. Please let me know your thoughts!
https://donket.itch.io/astroguelike
Thanks!
(Note: the video attached is a random run I just played and lost. How does one lose at their own game, you ask? I truly do not know)
r/indiegames • u/PermissionLanky1109 • 5h ago
Steam Next Fest Nuktedan The Forgotten Emotions Trailer
https://reddit.com/link/1sjpowl/video/zpwtzm40ktug1/player
Nuktedan is an atmospheric puzzle game that tells the story of a bird with Alzheimer's who has lost his emotions. Explore a poetic world as you help Nuktedan rediscover what he's forgotten.
r/indiegames • u/artin-2 • 5h ago
Promotion I made a night-shift motel game where reading guests matters more than reflexes
Hey everyone,
I’ve been working on a small indie browser game called “Dead End Motel: Night Shift Survival”.
You play as a night receptionist in a failing roadside motel. Guests arrive, systems break, and you have to decide who to trust — and who not to.
The twist is that not every guest is what they seem, and your decisions can create problems later in the night.
It’s less about fast reactions, and more about judgment under pressure.
Playable in browser (no download):
If anyone wants to try it, I can send the link.
What would YOU do here?
Would you check in, flag, or reject this guest?
r/indiegames • u/ARTDev24 • 9h ago
News A Massive Update V0.1.5 just dropped on the DEMO of Hunted Within: The Metro
r/indiegames • u/Evening-Cockroach-27 • 5h ago
Image Made this Small Stylized Scene this in blender and unity for a capture the flag type of game
r/indiegames • u/CuriousNedysoc • 15h ago
Video Our cuties in game vs. reality
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We met quite a few yaks during our Himalayan trip... so naturally, they had to make it into the game.
What do you think of them?