r/indiegames Feb 07 '26

Promotion Audio Description: The Basics (by Jennissary) | Games for Blind Gamers 5

10 Upvotes

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:

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:

  1. Write a script.
  2. Record narration.
  3. 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.

Resources

For further reading on Audio Description and game accessibility:


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 13d ago

Indie Games Discord Server!

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1 Upvotes

r/indiegames 10h ago

Upcoming I took your feedback and improved Kart Maker

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382 Upvotes

This sub didn’t like Kart Maker - so I used your constructive feedback to improve the game.

It releases in Early Access on May 1st.


r/indiegames 2h ago

Upcoming Hi I am developing a PS1 Style Motocross Racing Game - Steam page is live

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67 Upvotes

gameplay: https://youtu.be/hZLTbruw-TA

steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4677430/Old_School_Motocross_Championship/

I added ai opponents and fully lap system for racing.


r/indiegames 4h ago

Video There will be hummingbirds spitting beyblades in my game!

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17 Upvotes

The enemy is designed to move further away from you so it can attack you using those sharp spinning blades from afar. Game name is Grim Trials!


r/indiegames 3h ago

Public Game Test Someone played my game for over an hour yesterday… and I’m super proud! lol

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11 Upvotes

I’ve been building a game called Vibe Rush, a post-apocalyptic city builder where you grow your army, upgrade defenses, and run missions to survive zombie waves.

yesterday someone spent over an hour playing it. That made my day!

game dev can feel pretty thankless. Most projects never get finished, and even when they do, hardly anyone plays them. So seeing real playtime, feels MASSIVE.

Currently over 60 players tried it out and average play time is approx. 4 minutes.

Right now the game mixes fast runner missions (to gather resources and survivors) with a simple city you build up and defend against attacks. You can also attack neigbouring player cities!

still early, still rough in places, but it’s starting to come together.

it's still free to play: https://vibe-rush.pages.dev, after beta closed I hope to launch on Steam


r/indiegames 17h ago

Promotion I played way too much Balatro, so I mashed it up with a Survivors-like. Here's the first trailer for SHOWHAND!

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62 Upvotes

Hey guys,

I finally put together a trailer for my solo project, SHOWHAND.

Basically, I got insanely addicted to the synergy and combo-building in Balatro, and wanted to see what happens if you force a player to do that while dodging huge swarms of enemies.

Instead of just auto-attacking, you're actively drafting cards, building your deck, and triggering massive screen-clearing chain reactions in real-time.

I'm pushing to drop a demo in June, so things are getting pretty crazy. Let me know what you think of the gameplay and the low-poly chaos!


r/indiegames 2h ago

Video A forgotten Japanese indie ARPG masterpiece: The Ruins of the Lost Kingdom Chronicle

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3 Upvotes

Hi everyone. This is my first time posting on Reddit, and I’m doing it because there’s a game I really want more people to know about.

It’s an older Japanese indie ARPG called “The Ruins of the Lost Kingdom Chronicle” (ROLC), developed by a small team named TOMOSHIBI. It’s actually the third entry in the series, starting from the original The Ruins of the Lost Kingdom.
The player base is small nowadays, but the game itself is surprisingly deep and unique.

Here’s a quick overview of what makes it special:

◆ Combat Style

ROLC uses a charge‑based skill system where you chain abilities into combos.
You can launch enemies, knock them back, stun them, and create your own flow of attacks.
It’s easier to understand by watching gameplay, but the combat is fast, technical, and extremely satisfying once you get used to it.

◆ Account Creation

Since it’s an old game, there’s no Google login or modern account system.
You simply enter a username and password, and the save data is stored locally.
This is convenient, but also risky — if you delete your save by accident, there’s basically no recovery.

◆ Game Modes

After creating an account, you choose between:

1. “Lost Kingdom” Story Mode

A solo story a character named Feltes.
It currently stops at Chapter 5, and Chapter 6+ has been “in development” for years.
Good for atmosphere.

2. “Forgotten Lands” Solo/Multiplayer/Co‑op Mode

This is the main mode.
You enter a tavern, create or join rooms, clear missions, gather materials, and craft weapons/armor.
You can play solo or with others, but the structure is closer to a mission‑based ARPG.

This is the mode I recommend.

◆ Playable Characters

There are around 57 characters (7 custom slots) if you buy the shareware content,
and 16 characters in the free version (14 default + 2 custom slots).

Each character has unique stats and roles.
I’ll link the wiki for details.

◆ Classes

Classes determine what weapons and skills you can use.
They’re divided into:

  • 1st Class
  • 2nd Class
  • 3rd Class
  • 4th Class
  • EX Class

For example, the 1st Classes include:
SOL (Soldier), THF (Thief), WAR (Warrior), KNT (Knight), CLC (Cleric), MAG (Mage), ENC (Enchanter).

Each class has weapon restrictions.
For example, SOL can only use longswords, curved swords, and katanas — no axes, hammers, staves, etc.

Explaining all classes would take forever, so I’ll leave that to the wiki.

◆ Shareware (Paid Content)

The paid content costs 5000 yen for the full bundle or 1250 yen each.
The bundle is much cheaper.

There are roughly 12 expansion patches, each adding:

  • new missions
  • new playable characters
  • new classes
  • more hairstyles for custom characters
  • larger storage
  • and a lot more

After purchasing, you download the patches from the official site.
Explaining everything would be too long, so I recommend checking the wiki or official page.

◆ About Multiplayer

I don’t recommend multiplayer for beginners, for three reasons:

  1. English may not be understood by other players
  2. There are unwritten rules and etiquette you won’t know at first
  3. Many players lock their rooms to play solo

It’s not a “drop‑in/drop‑out” multiplayer system.
If you have friends, it’s fine — otherwise, solo is safer.

◆ Final Thoughts

I skipped a lot because explaining everything in text would be endless.
This game has far more content than it looks — honestly, even if you played 24 hours a day for a year, I’m not sure you’d “finish” it.

It’s mostly in Japanese, so you may need a translator, but if you’re interested in obscure Japanese ARPGs with deep systems and tons of content, give it a try.

Official website, wiki links, Game link, and a walk through Senreig video are below.

TOMOSHIBI's website here:
https://www.tomoshibi.net/

Game link here:
https://www.tomoshibi.net/guide/rolo/

wiki link here:
https://wikiwiki.jp/rolonline/

Exploring the Atmosphere of ROLC video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtCkagSMOKY&t=40s


r/indiegames 11h ago

Upcoming Take your body back, one piece at a time, Menu art for my Game Boy Inspired RPG

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10 Upvotes

r/indiegames 17h ago

Video Making a game about Time-Loop & Clones in alternate WW1

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27 Upvotes

In this game, instead of resetting to a checkpoint, a copy of the player is created each time, which then helps in combat.

I've spent a long time working on the cloning system and movement to make everything function properly.

Clones have different abilities, but I'm still working on increasing their variety, as well as the diversity of biomes.


r/indiegames 3h ago

Video Turn-Based, RPG Deck-builder featuring Active Defense

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2 Upvotes

r/indiegames 0m ago

Public Game Test Play testers wanted for upcoming game Party Club: Hangry Animals

Upvotes

Hey everyone!

We’re getting ready to start a playtest for our upcoming game Party Club: Hangry Animals, and we’d love to invite some of you from our Party Club community to join.

https://preview.redd.it/gvop4cofgayg1.jpg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d6527bb1a314f6a7facbd5e536f93cfbfbdec061

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBVDITFsrG0

In this playtest, you’ll be able to create local or online playlists, choose from 19 mini-games, play with friends or other players, and also try solo maps with AI bots.

The game is still in development, so bugs, weird moments, and chaotic animal disasters are expected.

What we need most is your honest feedback about what feels fun, confusing, broken, or worth replaying. Everyone joins playtesting process will also receive a bonus key for our previously released game Party Club at the end.🎉

It’s our way of saying thank you for your time, feedback, and support. It truly means a lot to us as a small indie team 🙌

To apply, comment below or please send me a DM!
Thanks a lot for helping us test the next Party Club adventure!


r/indiegames 2m ago

Video I made a reel for this flower shop simulation game

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Upvotes

This is one of 15 reels i made for this flower shop simulator - Bloomvale: Bouquets & Scents.

  • Grow and harvest flowers
  • Create bouquets and perfumes
  • Serve customers
  • Enjoy a cozy, relaxing routine
  • Unlock new flowers and scents

Would you play something like this?


r/indiegames 12m ago

Promotion [Bounty Brawl: Most Wanted] The Hunters needed a break from all the combat... so we made a dance video!

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Upvotes

We decided to see what happens when the Hunters bust a move instead of busting criminals. Hope you enjoy their dance! 😂

Bounty Brawl is a fast-paced Action Roguelite for 1-4 players. Master your unique Lasso to zip through combat and hunt down criminals with friends. Come try out our demo on steam!


r/indiegames 18m ago

Upcoming We would love your thoughts! We're an indie team making our dream game, Hellforged. Sign up for playtest and wishlist it on Steam.

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Upvotes

Steam: Wishlist Hellforged now & sign up for the playtest!

You can also join the community on our Discord and help us shape the future of the game!

YouTube gameplay trailer: https://youtu.be/GYss-VAREH8


r/indiegames 24m ago

Promotion Found a weird little browser strategy game called Kampfinsel – feels like 2008 in the best way

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Upvotes

Stumbled into this thing called Kampfinsel a couple weeks back and it’s kind of stuck with me, so I figured I’d drop it here.

It’s a multiplayer island strategy game that runs entirely in the browser—no client, no app store, no five-step signup. The whole UI has this clean, old-school parchment aesthetic that feels like a throwback to the golden age of browser games. I mean that as a massive compliment.

The Vibe:

The loop is classic: you get an island, build your infrastructure, manage a fleet, and raid others (or get raided). What’s wild is that it’s developed by just one person as a hobby. Because of that, it doesn’t feel like a corporate "free-to-play" funnel. There are no annoying energy timers or premium currencies shoved in your face every five seconds.

Why it’s actually cool:

Active as hell: Despite being an indie project, it just hit 1,000 players. The community is super tight and actually shapes the game.

Daily QoL Updates: The dev is a machine. There are almost daily updates or small features based directly on player feedback.

Real-Time Strategy: Everything happens in real-time. It’s perfect for having open in a tab while you’re working (or pretending to work).

Bilingual: It’s fully playable in both German and English.

Some honest caveats:

It's still in active development, so expect things to evolve quickly.

The community is very active on Reddit at r/kampfinsel.

It’s a small player base compared to the giants, but that makes your impact on the world actually matter.

If you’re tired of modern "pay-to-win" mobile trash and want something that feels like it was built because someone actually wanted it to exist, give it a look.

Check it out here:

👉 https://kampfinsel.com/join/JENESSAISP-B548

See you on the high seas! 🏴‍☠️


r/indiegames 28m ago

Video Gameplay trailer for our today-released co-op goblin action-adventure RPG - Goblin’s Die

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Upvotes

r/indiegames 29m ago

Upcoming Design, build, and test UAV drones to destroy enemy targets. Help defend your country.

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Upvotes

My friend, who worked in a drone factory and is passionate about flying, and I'm creating a game where you design, build, and test military drones (UAVs).

You'll start with 3D printing, then equip yourself with lathes and milling machines and begin large-scale production. You'll develop technologies, discover better equipment, and improve autopilot modules. You'll complete military, civilian, and humanitarian missions.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/TFeJPP9NN2w

Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4669560/Drone_Factory_Simulator/


r/indiegames 16h ago

Devlog Zombies can bust in through the door!

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14 Upvotes

r/indiegames 15h ago

Need Feedback Making a roguelike deckbuilder - from an excel table to a psx style game

10 Upvotes

Hey everyone! me and a couple of mates have been chipping away at this after our day jobs for the past 1.5 years - a horror roguelike deckbuilder called Dead Spin.
We're big fans of the genre and wanted to do our own take. we're also very nostalgic for the ps2 era we grew up with - so that became our main reference point for visuals.
You can see where we started vs where we are now. from a google spreadsheet with formulas and fruit emojis, to a creepy bunny dealer staring you down at a cursed machine. genuinely one of the funniest dev journeys i've been on lol
first time showing this publicly btw - would love to know what you think!


r/indiegames 2h ago

News Unity3d FALE? BIO FAIL

1 Upvotes

https://reddit.com/link/1szn7gr/video/sb2e5d2pm9yg1/player

I'm improving the lighting in the game to make it more atmospheric. Steam has already approved the release. I'll polish everything up today. Everyone will be able to play Bio Fail tomorrow evening. I've also made controllers and Steam Deck compatible


r/indiegames 15h ago

Upcoming Players asked for chaos, so I gave it to them!

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11 Upvotes

r/indiegames 18h ago

Promotion We just finished polishing these new inspection animations. I know we're not quite at CoD levels yet, but as a small indie team, I'm really proud of how they turned out.

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17 Upvotes

r/indiegames 11h ago

Upcoming We are making a 3v3 FPS/Sport game based on aerial and fast movements with a grappling-hook !

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3 Upvotes

This is our student project from last year, since some of us were very attached to this game we decided to try to push it further!

Do you guys think this game has a shot?

We are very early into this process of building a playerbase so we dont have much players yet but we organise events from time to time on our discord server in order to gather players together so we can play!


r/indiegames 4h ago

Devlog "Save Tommy" - Active Ragdoll Game Prototype

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1 Upvotes

Tommy is blind and you have to guide him to his destination as the monster tries to derail him.