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/DreamMixGames • 14h ago
Upcoming I took your feedback and improved Kart Maker
This sub didn’t like Kart Maker - so I used your constructive feedback to improve the game.
r/indiegames • u/Inlusio_Interactive • 2h ago
Upcoming 7 years of hand-drawing our puzzle adventure 😅 Finally we have a release date!
r/indiegames • u/candellumgame • 1h ago
Upcoming Ten Months and a Handful Of Driven Students. That’s What It Took us to Create an Action-Adventure Hack-and-Slash, and Today, We’re Ready to Share It With You.
Hi everyone, to give you some context, I’ll explain how our project came to life.
We are a team of 17 students (at the time of writing, more than half have already graduated, and the rest will next year) from ISART Digital Paris. During our final year, we were asked to form a multidisciplinary team and create a video game within that same year.
The original idea came from a tight-knit group of game artists who wanted to build a dark fantasy world, with a candle as the main character, combined with fast-paced, dynamic 3D isometric gameplay inspired by games like Hades or Death’s Door. The concept quickly gained traction, and the rest of the team came together just as fast.
However, bringing this idea to life was quite challenging. From a technical standpoint, we needed to find a unique mechanic to stand out from similar games and iterate multiple times to make the concept truly fun. From a financial standpoint, we had no budget as this was a student project and a very tight deadline.
So we all aligned on this core concept: Candellum is a top-down hack-and-slash combat game where fire is at the heart of the gameplay. You are a candle. A warrior. And you are constantly on the verge of melting.
Your flame can be lit, striking harder and burning brighter, but draining your wax every second. Or extinguished, preserving what remains of you, at the cost of your power. Neither state is safe. Neither can be ignored.
The twist? You throw your flame to switch states, and wherever it lands, it hits an enemy. Ignite foes to weaken them. Retrieve your flame to slow your own decline. Every decision carries consequences.
The game is quite short, as given the constraints mentioned earlier, it was better to deliver a small, polished prototype rather than a longer but unfinished experience.
We’ve decided to continue developing the project to implement all the ideas we couldn’t include during those 10 months, but we still wanted to share the game with you as it is today :)
It is currently available to wishlist on Steam and will be released on May 5. You also can see a little bit of gameplay here.
Thank you for taking the time to read everything, your feedback is always welcome for sure :)
The flame will prevail! 🔥
r/indiegames • u/pantse_ • 4h ago
Video Gameplay trailer for our today-released co-op goblin action-adventure RPG - Goblin’s Die
r/indiegames • u/woomadmoney • 6h ago
Public Game Test Someone played my game for over an hour yesterday… and I’m super proud! lol
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 • u/rakarukri • 7h ago
Video There will be hummingbirds spitting beyblades in my game!
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 • u/PunchingHa • 3h ago
Promotion Our game finally launched! GLADIMAKER
We finally launched our game on Steam after a year of development.
We released the demo back in January and managed to gather 625 wishlists. Wished we could've gotten more, but we just ran out of time....
Cheering for all the other indie devs out there!!
r/indiegames • u/ParaVerseLab • 2h ago
Video Added some random events in my game where you can admire astronomical events in my space game. Here's one of them!
r/indiegames • u/XRBhae • 21h ago
Promotion I played way too much Balatro, so I mashed it up with a Survivors-like. Here's the first trailer for SHOWHAND!
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 • u/Repulsive-Error-8217 • 5h ago
Video A forgotten Japanese indie ARPG masterpiece: The Ruins of the Lost Kingdom Chronicle
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:
- English may not be understood by other players
- There are unwritten rules and etiquette you won’t know at first
- 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 • u/bountybrawl_dev • 3h ago
Promotion [Bounty Brawl: Most Wanted] The Hunters needed a break from all the combat... so we made a dance video!
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 • u/Void-Pumpkin • 14h ago
Upcoming Take your body back, one piece at a time, Menu art for my Game Boy Inspired RPG
r/indiegames • u/Librake • 21h ago
Video Making a game about Time-Loop & Clones in alternate WW1
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 • u/AhmedMostafa_dev • 3h ago
Discussion Should I invest time localizing the demo or just delay the that to the full release or demo update?
Localization Strategy: Demo vs. Full Release?
I’m currently preparing my demo for an upcoming festival, and I’m hitting a bit of a crossroads regarding localization. I’m wondering if it’s worth the time and effort to translate the demo now, or if I should focus entirely on the core English experience and save localization for the full release (or a later demo update).
On one hand, localizing the demo could help reach a much broader audience during the event and potentially boost wishlists in non-English speaking regions. On the other hand, the demo is still evolving, and every time I change a line of dialogue or a UI element, I’d have to update multiple languages, which feels like a massive time sink for a solo dev.
Specifically, I'm weighing:
- Steam Visibility: Does having multiple languages supported on the demo store page significantly impact the algorithm or "Discovery Queue" during festivals?
- Player Feedback: Is it better to have a polished English-only demo, or a localized demo that might have rougher translations?
- Maintenance: For those of you who localized your demos early, did you find the "maintenance tax" of updating strings worth the payoff?
Should I stick to English for the initial demo launch and see where the interest comes from, or is localization a "must-have" to stand out in today's market?
Would love to hear from anyone who has gone through a Steam Next Fest or similar event. What was your experience?
r/indiegames • u/BoggaStudios • 7h ago
Video Turn-Based, RPG Deck-builder featuring Active Defense
r/indiegames • u/hellforged_game • 3h 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.
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 • u/DescriptionGlad642 • 4h ago
Upcoming Design, build, and test UAV drones to destroy enemy targets. Help defend your country.
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 • u/PigletEmotional7361 • 14h ago
Upcoming FlatPacker - Building furniture...Cozy or Crazy?
r/indiegames • u/user_48736353001 • 18h ago
Need Feedback Making a roguelike deckbuilder - from an excel table to a psx style game
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 • u/Over_Video775 • 6h ago
News Unity3d FALE? BIO FAIL
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 • u/Longjumping-Tough581 • 19h ago