An Interaction-Centered Perspective on Audio-Based Gameplay for Blind Players

Abstract

Audio is a key modality for blind players to navigate and interact with digital games. This paper presents a qualitative study of blind players engaging with commercial games to examine how audio supports the interaction process. We introduce an interaction-centered perspective structured around a four-stage loop: affordance, actionability, execution, and feedback. Our analysis demonstrates that interaction breakdowns occur when this loop is disrupted, including failures in perception, unclear actionability, problematic execution, and ambiguous feedback. We further identify two design tensions: accessibility vs. challenge and automation vs. player agency. Together, these findings provide an interaction-centered account of audio-based gameplay andhighlight how actionable design supports functional presence in immersive virtual environments, forming a foundation for a broader framework of audio-based interaction.