How Perception translates blindness into game mechanics

Perception, the Kickstarted indie horror game from developer Deep End Games, is a video game that tries to convey the experience of being blind in a medium primarily known for its visual design. That’s a tough road to walk, since even though it’s easy to understand how not being able to see could be a frightening experience, it also requires a thoughtful balance of what blind people actually go through.

Today, while streaming Perception with Bill and Amanda Gardner of Deep End Games, Bill (who previously gave us some great level design tips from his time on BioShock) did admit that the game wasn’t optimized for blind players. However, he and Amanda did share some useful knowledge about working with blind advocates to properly translate their experience into game form.

Along with watching YouTube videos made by blind players to understand their experience, Bill and Amanda also spent time with Daniel Kish, a blind mountain biker who’s able to use echolocation to navigate tricky environments like the streets of Boston. 

This helped the Gardners create the echolocation mechanic (which raises and lowers the risk and fear for the player in the game), but also led them to creating a mechanic for an in-game phone that helps mimic the experience of how blind people grapple with written text in everyday life. 

“We’re finding many interesting and useful tools to answer those questions—it’s not a simulation [of actual blindness], but we’re trying to capture what it would feel like. [Like] your phone being in accessibility mode, and that sort of thing,” Bill said.

For more analysis of how Perception creates accessibility for its in-game heroine, be sure to watch the full video above. 

And while you’re at it, be sure to follow the Gamaustra Twitch channel for more developer interviews, editor roundtables and gameplay commentary.