Audiogames.net Monthly Digest - May 2024
Welcome to the 4th edition of the audiogames.net monthly digest of 2024! This month, DRG tries to break his record of how many new awesome games he can bring to the community (seriously this guy deserves a huge shoutout with 3 new games this month!), a university student looking for feedback on a navigation feature for audio games, a kickstarted rhythm game getting screen reader support, a jam project being turned into a full visual novel, and as always a sizable updates section featuring both some big updates for mainstream games as well as some beloved classics getting some love.
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New Releases
Bits & Bops demo (Windows, Mac, Linux)
This 100% free-to-play demo features three complete games from Bits & Bops. If you enjoy it, please consider wishlisting on Steam or supporting us!
Bits & Bops is a collection of original rhythm mini-games. Featuring over 20 mini-games filled with catchy music, snappy gameplay and gorgeous, hand-drawn animation, Bits & Bops is sure to brighten your day. Features: - Over 20 unique rhythm mini-games to entertain and challenge you - Super fun gameplay with simple controls that anyone can learn - Catchy, upbeat original tunes sure to have you bopping along - Gorgeous hand-drawn 2D animation that brings everything to life - A custom game engine with lightning fast response times - An adorable dog-bear named Bop to keep you company
Idle RPG Agent of Adventure (iOS, Android)
Create the story of heroes, crafted by you. In this game, you become the ruler of a small village, nurturing heroes who embark on unknown adventures. Use the rewards brought back by the adventurers to grow your village. -- To Adventure First, build a tavern where villagers gather and adventurers are born, and a weapon and armor shop for gearing up. Once they are ready to venture into the outside world, send them off on their adventures. The adventurers will continue their journey on their own will, so it's okay to close the app during their adventures. -- After the Adventure When the adventurers return safely, listen to their tales of adventure. They will surely be looking forward to sharing their stories. Then, use the rewards they bring back to develop your village. The adventurers will also be looking forward to its growth. -- Growth of Adventurers As the village grows, you can provide the adventurers with more powerful equipment. You can teach them skills like swordsmanship, healing arts, and map-making. You'll also be able to prepare preserved food for distant adventures and lights to illuminate the darkness. -- Village Activities The villagers will spare no effort in supporting the adventures. They will heal the wounds of injured adventurers. They will keep records of the adventures in the town. They will search for relics around the world for the adventurers. They will devise various tactics for battles against formidable enemies. However, in return for these services, you will need funds... Now, a new story of heroes begins. As the third installment in the Agent of Adventure series, a new adventure awaits you. There's no direct connection to the previous series, so you can enjoy it even if you are new to the series. Most names in this game can be changed, so you can create your own world.
Bachelor prototype testing (Web)
Hi everyone We are two students from Aarhus University, who are currently writing our bachelor's, where we explore accessibility. Specifically the use of echolocation to gain spatial knowledge in a 3D space. We've developed a prototype, we'd like you to try and test. The following link will take you to the prototype. Link to the prototype: https://ther8r.github.io/ On the website, you will find access to a questionnaire, that we'd really appreciate if you would take the time to answer after the testing. It isn't a criterion for testing, but it's the only way we can collect data for analysis. There's also a help button that will take you to a page explaining all the controls if you were to forget them after the tutorial. You start the testing by clicking the "click to play" button. If you have any comments or questions, feel free to leave them here as well. The testing period will be 2 weeks (until the 12th of May). DISCLAIMER: If you are using a screen reader, we've experienced that they hijack the controls. for NVDA, we found that turning on focus mode allows for the use of our controls. You activate focus mode by clicking the NVDA key and space. If you are using JAWS, then untoggle the virtual cursor by pressing the JAWS key and Z. This will allow you to walk using the W, A, S, and D keys. Also to Skip a level you need to use the Jaws key and backspace. We were unable to figure out how to disable the arrow keys JAWS functionality, but if you know how to, and prefer moving using the arrow keys, we also support those for movement. Thank you in advance
Brailliance TestFlight and Beta (iOS, Android)
We are testing app versions of Brailliance, our new game where you count braille dots to guess the word. It supports all screen readers and includes nice graphics so sighted friends and family can join in. iOS TestFlight: https://testflight.apple.com/join/PSwzeHVM Android Beta: https://play.google.com/apps/testing/co … railliance To download the beta on iOS TestFlight, download Apple's TestFlight app on the App Store. Once you do, you can follow the link above and TestFlight will allow you to register for early access. Once you do, you can find a download button for Brailliance directly within the TestFlight app. To download the beta on Android, so long as you have Google Play, follow the link above and tap "Become a Tester." After a moment, you'll see a link to access Brailliance on the Google Play store. We're particularly interested in the impressions of VoiceOver and TalkBack users on phones and tablets. Brailliance supports a lot of ways to play, from standard web-style navigation to Perkins input via braille displays and the on-screen braille keyboard. The game also supports keyboards on most devices.
Lucky Mayor now fully accessible! (steam, iOS and Android)
Posted by DRG:
Hey everyone! Here's another big surprise from a fantastic developer! after testing and refining the game for you to have the best experience, we're really happy to present to you lucky mayor! available on steam, ios and android! description: In this roguelike mayor simulation game, you will become the leader of a city, taking on the role of a mayor. Your task is to recruit citizens, promote business prosperity, and establish a comprehensive industrial chain to meet the diverse needs of the population. Through wise planning and decision-making, transform your city into a thriving supercity that citizens take pride in, and become their admired leader! We have an extensive deck of cards, currently with over 150 citizens available for use, each with their unique abilities and preferences. You need to meet the citizens' preferences to earn coins and, by the final deadline, obtain enough coins to prove that you are a capable mayor. We also have a wide range of items and different difficulty levels to enrich your gaming experience, and the development team will continue to provide updates for even more game content. https://discord.gg/HrUGhyVvHQ steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2659970/Lucky_Mayor/ android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta … p;hl=en_US ios: https://apps.apple.com/br/app/lucky-mayor/id6467771804 demo: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/4aqcy7j5 … r&dl=0 what makes the game truly special is the ammount of details that you will be able to have for each turn. it's completely possible to view every stat, so you will know what everyone is producing, buying, and can have the exact same great experience compared to a sighted player. I really recommend it! have fun!
Ax roguelike (iOS and Android)
*Supported languages English/Japanese Ax Roguelike is a deck-building roguelike game. Deck-building Over 900 skills can be learned. Depending on the construction, various effects will interact in a complex manner and create synergies. Battle Progress is based on turn-based command selection. Players can connect up to three skills and activate them consecutively. Base At the base, you can prepare in advance before heading to the stage. If it is difficult to conquer, expand the functions of your base and prepare your initial equipment before trying again. Strengthening During the capture, various training is possible in the village. Strengthening weapons, strengthening will, modifying skills, modifying equipment, etc. app store: https://apps.apple.com/br/app/ax-roguelike/id6475224028 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta … &gl=US
15 Puzzle - An Accessible Game for Android, iOS and web
As a small gaming experience accessible on iOS, Android and the web, we created "15 Puzzle - An Accessible Game". We wanted to see how viable it is to create a board game with an identical code on any mobile device, phone, tablet or computer, with simultaneous release in both mobile stores and on the web. It would be a precursor to an eventual cross-platform backgammon game. 15 Puzzle is an addictive puzzle game where players rearrange numbered pieces to achieve a specific pattern. game mode 15 Puzzle offers grids with 9, 16 or 25 cells, offering varying levels of difficulty for all players, regardless of their ability. Your objective is to arrange the numbered pieces in ascending order within the grid. For example, in a 4x4 grid, you will have to arrange the numbers from 1 to 15. The grid contains an empty cell that allows you to slide one of the adjacent tiles into the empty space. To move a tile, simply tap or click on it. If the tile is adjacent to the empty cell, it will slide into the empty space. Keep sliding the pieces strategically until you have successfully arranged them in the correct order, making sure the empty cell reaches the bottom right corner. This game was created to demonstrate how it is possible to develop a game with the same code for iOS and Android while also ensuring compatibility with screen readers. Screen reader users would do well to check the option: "Label cell coordinates" in the settings. 5 stars would be nice... regardless of the store... The following link leads to the corresponding store on the current mobile device or to the WEB version on a desktop or laptop: pontes.ro/puzzlex
The trials of Rosalinda, new text adventure from Agath (Web)
Description by KenshiraTheTrinity:
Today i got an email that Agath has released a new game. The trials of Rosalinda, is the sequel to The bones of rosalinda. These are a pair of browser-based text adventures where you play as a necromancer skeleton who can detach her bones from her body and move them independently of each other. Unlike the 4x4 games Agath is known for around here, these are more straight forward adventures with their own challenges to solve. You can download both of these games from ich.io through the above links. If you happen to be new to the forum, most of Agath's games on ich are accessible as well, including 4x4 galaxy, 4x4 archipelago, the tree that touched the moon, and chukk and the arena, so definitely check them out.
Real Sound: Echoing Sky (Windows,Mac, Linux)
A mysterious crash, the sudden disappearence of a village, a deserted island hosting the first artificial ecosystem...the mysteries of New Ascension Island keep piling up as a young undercover exorcist is sent by the Church to investigate what's really happening on the island. - A visual novel without visuals - Original music by me! - Explore the island with a menu-based adventure game system - 5 endings - Short 6000 words story, each run takes about 30 minutes, total playtime is about 1 hour if you want to read everything! - Unlockable Music Room to listen to the soundtrack - Unlockable Codex Ever since I heard of Kenji Eno's Kaze no regret, I've always wanted to create something similar: it was the first audio-only game and, being mainly a musician, I think that sound is the most fitting way of expression for me. Now, thanks to Games for blind gamers jam #3 and Blind accessible game jam #2 I finally got the chance to do it! The reception the game had during the jam really got me excited and I spent the following month finishing the story and adding more music and content. CONTROLS ENTER/SPACE/A button (controller) Advance dialogue, select item ESC/START controller Open game menu A Accessibility menu V Toggle self-voicing Q Toggle auto-forward TAB Skip already read text (and intro) HOW TO PLAY THE GAME This is an adventure game that plays very similar to a radio drama, you listen to the story and at certain times (when you hear the bell sound) you can interact with the environment to examine things, move, or make decisions. This version of the game uses Ren'Py's self-voicing function, which means that the game will use your operating system's text-to-speech voice to read in-game texts and menus. I know these voice sounds are not that great, I hope to add voice acting in the future. You can toggle self-voicing by pressing the V key. NVDA users can enable text output to the clipboard by pressing "shift+C" To set the self-voicing volume (usually it's very loud!) you can access the Accessibility Menu by pressing A on your keyboard. The two settings that regulate volume are Voice Volume and Self-Voicing Volume Drop (this one determines how much the rest of the game audio is lowered when self-voicing is on). Dialogue will advance automatically. You can press ENTER, SPACE, or A button on a controller to advance manually. If you want to disable auto-forward mode, press Q on your keyboard. One last note: if you are sighted and want to play this game, turn your monitor off! CREDITS Scenario by Wandering Artist Music by Wandering Artist (available on Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple Music) Proofreading and editing by Natasha Luna Testing by Gardiz/Derpy
Game updates
- Sanctuary in Time 1.4.6 adds a new arena minigame letting you send followers to fight for you fore great rewards, includes new follower reactions when you age followers, as well as includes balance changes and bug fixes including with accessibility
- Periphery 3.1.0 refines the game after the Side C preview, including new destinations for portals, more details for each collectable material, access to all information hotkeys on gamepads, as well as other graphical, audio and gameplay improvements. A subsequent 3.1.1 hot fix was also released.
- Warsim had 3 updates in April: - Warsim 1.1.5 (Vassalisation War Update) which added the option to force a kingdom to be your vassal by attacking them, 2 more beyond locations, as well as upgrades to knight recruitment and the generator tools. - Warsim 1.1.6 (New Start Update) added 5 new starting scenarios for you to pick - Warsim 1.1.7 (Siege of Shaian and Godherja Collab Update) Added an option for you to attack Shaian, added more content in collaboration with a mod for Crusader Kings 3, even more recruitment options as well as more bug fixes.
- The April 16th patch for Mortal Kombat 1 introduced Ermac to the playable character roster, started the next season of invasions, added cross play to the king of the hill mode and made many accessibility improvements. On PS5 there is now a speed slider (PC and Xbox users can adjust this in Windows/console speech settings), added audio queues for the button mashing minigame during fatal blows, as well as made many more things talk including multiplayer leaderboards, combos in tutorials, the elemental chart and encounter information in invasions and more.
- Forza update 7.0 includes the usual content updates, this time with the Brands Hatch track and a new series spotlighting vintage race cars. In addition there were some updates to the regulation and driver AI, some car balance changes, new audio quality options on PC and many bug fixes including a few for narration. There were also two subsequent 7.1 and 7.2 hotfixes to fix memory leaks and crashes
- Stardew access had 2 releases in April which added hotkeys to repeat the last spoken text, tweaked the new mail notification, improved reading of the skills menu and fixed many bugs
- Factorio Access had 2 big updates in April which introduced a new, much longer tutorial, simplified steam engine building, a key to get the distance between you and the cursor, launcher improvements, a remote view feature and many bug fixes
- Crossedeyes 0.6 adds support for the inventory menu, a key to announce the Y position of your character, fixes the equipment menu reading and more
- Hearthstone patch 29.2 and the subsequent 29.2.2 balance patch included the usual card balance updates, but the main event was the launch of Battlegrounds Season 7, which introduced over 50 new minions, making spells a permanent part of the game, and introducing the brand new Duos mode allowing you to team up with a friend or stranger to take on 3 other teams, while being able to pass cards to each other and play special spells and minions that are exclusive to this mode. Duos support in Hearthstone Access is being tested in a separate version you can read about and download here. If this link doesn't work, chances are duos support was already added to the main release so just check for updates there.
- Advanced wars 1.0.9 includes some compatibility updates to work better with screen readers as well as includes a number of bug fixes
- Adventure to Fate Lost island had a few updates in April, which included a new ancient archer class and dwarf race, new pets and achievements, added skill previews on the class selection screen, improved the graphics resolution and fixed many bugs
- Wave of the Undead 4.0 introduces new traps, the ability to rotate your weapons, customize the map size and more
- Dawncaster now allows screen reader users to easily select what type of energy they want to use when playing a card (when you get this prompt is customizable in the settings), as well as introduced updates to the Thornwind and Frostwind pass areas.
- Eurofly 3 had a number of bug fixes, made the playback of voice chats more customizable, added a sound when you get penalty points and now allows you to see, hear and talk to other pilots on the same airport as you
- Alter Aeon introduced two new level 40 areas, added a new druid skill to summon flying minions, added a new clobber warrior skill and made tweaks to hunting
- Bokurano Daibouken 3 in version 1.9.6 fixed a crash which could occur on stage 10-4 along with other bugs
- Azmar Quest had a number of updates in April, all of which introduced accessibility improvements as well as music and sound volume sliders
Authors
This edition of the digest has been written by:
- Piotr Machacz (pitermach@dragonscave.space on Mastodon)