Rush Play: Free Online Games for Blind and Low-Vision Players, on Phone or Computer

Open Rush Play on your phone, turn on your screen reader, and you can bat and bowl every ball of a cricket match without looking at the screen. No headphones. No extra game sound. Your screen reader is enough.

I am Tuan Rushdi, a blind accessibility specialist in Sri Lanka. I built Rush Play, a set of free online games for blind and low-vision players. This article explains why these games matter, how easy they are to play, and how you can join in.

Why games for blind players matter

Play is not an extra. A quick game on the bus, a match against a friend, a puzzle before bed: these are ordinary parts of life.

Most popular games are built for the eye. When a game does not work with a screen reader, blind and low-vision people are left out of something everyone else takes for granted. That is not a small thing. It is one more place where we are told to wait outside.

I have played competitive chess and blind cricket, so I know what a good game gives you: focus, memory, strategy, and something to talk about with other people. I wanted games that give blind players the same.

Five screen reader games, free

Rush Play has five games now:

• Night House. The house names a path of rooms. You walk it back from memory.
• Tic-tac-toe. Play the computer at three levels, or play a friend.
• Blind Cricket. Tactical cricket with no clock. You bat and bowl every ball.
• Blind Football. Turn-based football. Every shot, tackle and dive is yours.
• Blindfold Chess Training. Hear the pieces, picture the board, and find the mate.

Every game is free. There is nothing to install, no sign-up and no adverts. I am not selling Rush Play, and I am keeping it that way.

Easy to play on a phone or a computer

I made Rush Play first for people who play on a phone, because that is where most of us are.

• On a phone: turn on TalkBack on Android or VoiceOver on iPhone, open the page and choose a game. Everything is a clearly labelled button.
• On a computer: use NVDA or JAWS. Letter and number keys play the games, and every key also has a button, so you can play either way.

Sounds are extra, never needed. You can switch on tones, a cue for a wicket or a crowd for a goal, but your screen reader still tells you everything. You can also shorten the commentary once you know a game.

More games are coming

I am planning to add more games to Rush Play. Your notes help me choose them. After you play, use the feedback form on the Rush Play page to tell me how the game felt and which game you want next. I read the notes myself.

Join the Rush Play WhatsApp community

Games are better with other people. The Rush Play WhatsApp community is free. It is the place to swap tips, ask questions and hear about new games first.

Join the Rush Play WhatsApp community

Play now at www.tuanrushdi.com/games. Then tell another blind or low-vision player. A game is only a game until someone plays it with you.