Gaming For All - Thumb Culture

19Aug

By Gareth Trueman1 Comment

Top 10 Mobile Games To Play Offline

Playing games on your iPhone, or iPad, or Android device can be a great way to play games on the go. There are so many mobile game users out there that it will blow your mind. But with a mass majority of the games requiring the internet to play them. It can be a pain when you run out of data or lose an internet signal. But don't worry because we got you covered as we look into the Top 10 Mobile Games To Play Offline. If this list was something that you read through right to the end then why not check out my latest list here. You can also check out what the rest of the Thumb Culture team are up to on our social media. Anyway, let us dig in. 10. Solitaire Let's start with a good old classic, shall we? You can never go wrong with Solitaire (Patience to some). This goes right back to the ...

24Mar

By Mike DifferNo Comments

Accessibility In Gaming

Visual Impairment And Accessible Gaming

I am embarrassed but readily admit that I know very little about the struggle that exists. And I don’t always consider how difficult it can be for people not able sighted. Growing up playing video games, the name says it all, as to how prevalent the visuals are when playing. For nearsighted people, it is relatively easy to play games. For those who have low vision or are blind, I found that different ways have been found to still be able to play such as responding to audio cues. However, this is still far from ideal for visual impairment gaming and people within the visual impaired (VI) community. Listen out for how games can work for you I listened recently to The Tale of the Winter Sun, an audio play from Fowk Productions. I have included the YouTube link below. The team at Fowk h...

Colourblind Watch: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

27Nov

By Stu NNo Comments

Accessibility In Gaming

Colourblind Watch: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

After my Colourblind and Gaming article a few weeks ago, I've decided to keep an eye on games that have or add Colourblind options to games. As part of a new series focusing on accessibility in gaming, I'm introducing you all to Colourblind Watch! Today, the topic is Colourblind Watch: Assassin's Creed Valhalla. Colourblind Watch: Assassin's Creed Valhalla - What's New? Recently I purchased Assassin's Creed Valhalla on PC and it's the first game on the Colourblind Watch list. As usual, the first thing I do it check for any colourblind options. As usual, when it comes to the majority of games, they change the way icons and health bars etc. are displayed. Before the latest patch of 1.0.4, you can see here, This is what you used to get: With Patch 1.0.4 they have now added: (A11y) ...

17Nov

By Stu N1 Comment

Accessibility In Gaming

Colourblind and Gaming

I first discovered I was colourblind at the age of 7 while in class at primary school, looking at a chalkboard and struggling to read the yellow writing. After this incident, I went to have my eyes checked and sure enough, I was diagnosed as colourblind. In this post, I'm going to be looking at what it's like being colourblind and being a gamer. What is ColourBlindness? Colourblindness affects 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women. Until recently, I had believed that colourblindness only affected men. This was the common belief when I was growing up. But we now know that even though it is a lot less common for women, they can also suffer from this type of visual impairment. The classic colourblindness test can be carried out using Ishihara plates. If you can’t see the number 3, then you’re pro...

15Jul

By DanNo Comments

Accessibility In Gaming, Gaming, Gaming For All

Gaming and Epilepsy

More and more people are getting diagnosed with Epilepsy, yet there isn’t much awareness surrounding it – Especially when it comes to gaming! The Facts: In the UK alone there are circa 600,000 living with Epilepsy Around 87 people are diagnosed on a daily basis. Approximately 1,000 people die every year with around half of these been related to a sudden unexpected death in Epilepsy (also known as SUDEP) Photosensitive Epilepsy affects roughly 3% which is seizures triggered by flashing and/or flickering lights What is shocking is the fact that not many people are even remotely aware of the above or how serious Epilepsy can be. The effects it has on life alone, never mind the seizures can be extremely difficult to live with. For many people with Epilepsy gaming is a ...

16Jun

By TC Staff WriterNo Comments

Features, Gaming, Gaming For All

How Video Games Saved My Life And Helped My Mental Health – The Healing Power Of Gaming

We've heard it time and time again, "Video games make people violent", "Video games aren't a productive use of your time" and "Video games are a negative and angry place". These words are usually spoken by people who don't know a lot about the gaming world, who fear the unknown and adhere to all the misconceptions, typically brought to the world via the media or frustrated parents. All of these words you have undoubtedly heard, couldn't be further from the truth. How do I know that? Well, because I am a gamer and If it wasn't for video games I wouldn't be here talking to you today. In essence, gaming has saved my life and I'm here, thankfully, to tell you why. I would say that throughout my life Ive always been a very sensitive soul, prone to taking matters to heart hence leaving me quite...

EyeMine Software Allows Disabled Gamers to Play Minecraft With Their Eyes

18Apr

By TC Staff WriterNo Comments

Accessibility In Gaming, News & Updates

EyeMine Software Allows Disabled Gamers to Play Minecraft With Their Eyes

SpecialEffect, a charity dedicated to enabling disabled gamers play video games have developed, EyeMine. A software designed to allow Minecraft to be playable using just the players eyes. SpecialEffect have created an open-source software, EyeMine that is available as a free, Windows-based download for players with a Minecraft account and an eye-tracker. It's compatible only with Windows computers running at least Windows 7 and above, and is not compatible with the mobile, or console versions of Minecraft. A supported eye-tracker is also required, and they have a list of supported trackers available here. The software comes with a number of different ability levels, allowing a range of players to use EyeMine. “For us, EyeMine represents a watershed development. It’s a flagship example ...