WaTa Fight! How Situated Multiplayer Competitive Gaming Can Facilitate the Inclusion of Low Vision and Blind Players

"WaTa Fight!" presents the design and early evaluation of a competitive, audio-based mobile party game intended for mixed groups of sighted and blind or low-vision players. The authors argue that while audio game repositories contain many solo or single-player experiences, fast-paced competitive multiplayer audio games remain scarce, and that such play can build community while countering stereotypes about visually impaired people. The game uses a deliberately minimal two-button smartphone interface, a design choice refined through early testing, which found that four- or six-button layouts were uncomfortable for users.

The central findings come from three playtests conducted in 2018 with support from the Italian Blind and Low Vision Association in Novara. Across a playtesting sample of 14 players in the initial evaluation, and 18 playtesters in the broader sessions, participants generally found the game enjoyable and easy to learn. Notably, 16 of the 18 playtesters reported a greater openness toward integration afterward, and blind participants expressed strong interest in playing again against sighted opponents. The authors observe that the game relocates the challenge from visual perception to reflexes, memory, and coordination, which allows players of differing sight levels to compete on comparable terms.

The study's scope is intentionally narrow: it is a small-sample, early-stage prototype evaluated through observation, questionnaires, and focus groups in a single Italian setting. The authors acknowledge that the game is not suitable for players with certain motor disabilities, and that the findings are preliminary rather than generalizable. The work is situated within broader discussions of disability representation, universal design, and accessible game design theory.