Reprinted from TidBITS by permission; reuse governed by Creative Commons
license BY-NC-ND 3.0. TidBITS has offered years of thoughtful commentary
on Apple and Internet topics. For free email subscriptions and access to the
entire TidBITS archive, visit http://www.tidbits.com/


   FunBITS: Even the Blind Can Play Vanished

   Josh Centers

   This week, we've heard from a number of visually impaired users who are
   having difficulties with iOS 7. We feel terrible about that, but I
   became excited when I discovered [1]Vanished, a unique game for iOS
   that even the most visually impaired can enjoy. Better yet, it's free
   until 1 October 2013.

   In Vanished, your character wakes up in complete darkness, able to
   navigate only by directional audio clues. The object of the game is to
   wander around each level until you find the exit, which is marked by
   chiming. It's a little like the 1982 [2]Haunted House game for the
   Atari 2600 ' perhaps the first example of the survival horror genre.

   Vanished requires headphones ' Apple's EarPods work nicely here. To
   walk forward, you hold a finger down on the screen, and you rotate your
   body to change direction ' a clever use of the iPhone's compass and a
   nice alternative to most 3D games, where you press an analog stick in
   the direction you'd like to go.

   [3][tn_Vanished-Tutorial.jpg]

   To navigate, you rotate until you hear some kind of beacon sound in
   front of you, perhaps a police radio or creepy whispers, then press
   your finger on the screen to walk toward it. Along the way, you'll pass
   by other creepy sounds. Sometimes you'll hear heavy breathing,
   laughing, or grunting, indicating that a monster is close.

   Monsters? Yes, and unfortunately, combat is where the game falls flat.
   Your phone vibrates when a monster is about to attack. You can either
   run in the other direction, or shake your phone to attack (hold
   tight!). I suggest you run, as the combat is unforgiving. One wrong
   stab in the dark, and you're dead. Some additional guidance would be
   welcome here. But there's no shame in running; after all, the goal is
   to escape anyway.

   Vanished is an interesting approach for a game, and definitely worth
   checking out if you normally avoid games in part because of their
   reliance on visual effects. I think it could be a blast at Halloween
   parties. Put your friends in a dark room with the game and listen for
   the screams!

   From Vanished to Daredevil -- Despite its flaws, Vanished is a fun
   concept piece that's worth checking out while it's free. I've long been
   fascinated by the idea of an audio-only game ' 'The Hitchhiker's Guide
   to the Galaxy' author Douglas Adams was reportedly working on one
   before he passed away. This base idea could be developed into something
   truly great.

   Take the Marvel Comics crime-fighter [4]Daredevil, for instance. Also
   known as attorney Matt Murdock, Daredevil was blinded by radioactive
   chemicals, which robbed him of his sight, but gave him super-powered
   senses. Daredevil can hear and identify an individual heartbeat from a
   block away and even tell if that person is lying. He also uses a
   hand-made '[5]billy club' ' a cane that breaks into two pieces, with a
   long length of cable that he uses to beat up thugs and swing between
   buildings. It's kind of like a nunchaku on steroids.

   Now, imagine a Daredevil iPhone game, if someone were to build on
   Vanished's concepts. You raise your phone until you hear a 'tink'
   indicating a grapple point for your billy club. You flick your iPhone
   at it, and swing up to a roof top. You hear fighting in the distance.
   You press on the screen to run toward the sound. As you get close, you
   aim your phone in the direction of the fight and hear four heartbeats.
   All are beating fast, but one is clearly in a panic. Someone's being
   attacked! You aim your iPhone at one of the attackers and flick to
   throw half of your billy club at him, catching him by surprise. One
   down.

   You press down on the screen to close in on the thugs. You sense an
   attack coming ' your iPhone vibrates ' and you quickly shake it to
   knock the second hoodlum unconscious. You aim the phone and rotate
   around until you hear the heartbeat of another attacker, who's staying
   just outside of reach. You shake the phone to leap across the roof and
   deliver a flying kick to his head. You hear the final punk run off, and
   you go to check on the victim. He's bruised, but he'll be OK. However,
   something's odd, you can sense that there's something he's not telling
   you'¦

   I can also imagine a visual replay, where you can see (and hear) your
   fight again, so you can learn what new sounds mean and perfect your
   skills. And, let's face it, as cool as an audio-only game is, some
   slick graphics will still be appreciated.

   I'm not a developer, but if that sounds as awesome to you as it does to
   me, go bug Marvel until they make it. In the meantime, check out
   Vanished, which hints at the potential of the iPhone for visually
   impaired gamers.

References

   1. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/vanished/id687744410?mt=8&at=10l5PW
   2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haunted_House_(video_game)
   3. http://tidbits.com/resources/2013-09/Vanished-Tutorial.png
   4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daredevil_(Marvel_Comics)
   5. http://marvel.wikia.com/Daredevil'%80%99s_Billy_Club

.