Q: I need some suggestions for games that can be played with someone blind (age 18). We have Catch Phrase that he really enjoys, but need more games. Any suggestions? Thanks a ton.

A: With regard to “traditional” games, the first thing that comes to our mind are Braille playing cards, several different varieties of which are available (e.g., on Amazon.com), including Poker, Rook, and Tarot decks (although we are not familiar with any actual games that can be played with the latter sorts of cards).

Roleplaying games, of course, would be our first choice. Not many resources are available for blind players, but if at least one person in a gaming group was sighted, they would be able to serve as a game master and narrator for anyone who was not. There is no reason to think that participating in a roleplaying game would be any less enjoyable for a blind player than for any other (although a little assistance from the game master or another player with paperwork might occasionally be helpful). Indeed, having a blind player in a party might even inspire some variants that do not usually turn up in roleplaying game sessions (e.g., the possibility of one or more blind characters in a party).

We hope that helps a little bit! If any of our readers have any other ideas or suggestions, please be sure to post them here!