Blind Spot
Sam Friedman
Inspired by an anxiety attack in a Lyft, the purpose of 'Blind Spot' is to focus the player's attention through the sense of touch and without a need for visual or aural input. The game consists entirely of hidden/invisible "targets" that the player finds through a hot-or-cold vibrational feedback system; the player places a finger on the screen and is “guided” to the target(s) by vibration that increases in frequency as the finger gets closer. Harder levels feature more targets, some of which move. The kicker is that the only way to progress is to be touching all targets simultaneously. Harder levels, especially when played on a tablet, invite multiple users to play a game of “Twister” for the hands as they dance around the targets that are already in play and the fingers that are trained on them.
'Blind Spot' is for all ages, and strives for inclusiveness in design. The blind, visually impaired, hearing impaired, deaf, and otherwise differently-abled can all play, so long as they have decent fine motor control and the ability to feel the vibrations of a mobile device. The game can be played in any scenario – on the train, in the car, in a hospital, in the bathroom, at the dinner table, anyplace where the mind could need calm, distraction, or entertainment, without disturbing others around the player or even letting others know there's a game being played. There is no win or lose, only progress and movement.
