The RNIB are great about helping to adapt board games. We sent a game off to them about 6 months ago, and got it back a few weeks ago. They consulted with us throughout as it was an unusual game, but the result was fantastic. It does take a while but it’s worth the wait.

There absolutely are board games that you can play blind, many of them without any adaptation, simply with sighted assistance! I have a blog and podcast where we talk about playing board games as blind or visually impaired people, you can check it out here: https://sightless.fun/podcast/

I also have written about a few games before I started the podcast and you can find those articles here: https://sightless.fun/categories/#boardgames

I recommend listening to our gateway games for the blind episodes which should be a great place to start. Here's the link to the first part: https://sightless.fun/podcast/episode-11-gateway-games-for-the-blind-part-1/

Finally, we have a semi-private mailing list that is all about playing board games blind. If you want to join us, PM me and I will arrange for you to get an invite.

Let me know if you have any questions.

I have a chess set that was built for the blind. The black squares are raised a little higher than the white ones. The black pieces have a tiny nail hammered into the top of each piece, so you can feel which ones are black. Each square on the chess board has a hole in it, and each chess piece has a small dowel on the underside, which fit perfectly into the hole. Your pieces will never move, even if you knock the board around a lot. A friend bought it for me in Poland about 25 years ago, but I am sure you can find one online.

I added braille to my full set of Cards Against Humanity with all the expansions using a brailler, KNFB Reader, and SeeingAI. My sighted wife made QR codes for the Black/Question cards that we affixed.

I made my Dominion set accessible by adding braille to all the cards and created an accessible Dominion Compendium which you can pull up on your phone and accessibly navigate while playing with friends. My friend also 3Dprinted these interlocking card trays that hold the tableau in place so you can't knock everything over when reaching for draw cards. Here is my $1

I used braille to make Exploding Kittens and Sushi Go accessible, but really want to figure out how to make Settlers work.

Yes, loads of non traditional board games, very few adapted, but we’re slowly expanding our collection. The RNIB have been very helpful. Some are easier to adapt than others. Territory capture games and some tile placing games we find are the hardest as the board changes and it’s easy to miss things and be difficult to keep the mental map straight in your head. However, with a bit of work, most things can be adapted.

Favourites are Escape the Dark Castle, Catan (3D printed) and Guillotine. Next to look at for us is something like Azul or Dominion.

I'm bot blind though but I believe cardgames aren’t that impossible.

For example here are Braille playing cards: https://www.amazon.com/The-Braille-Superstore-Playing-Plastic/dp/B0093QD3RO

Currently for board games I have:

Braille scrabble

Braille monopoly

Braille cards

Braille Uno

Braille Pit

chess with a raised up board and distinct black and white pieces

dominoes I got for Christmas that are not specially adapted

I play scrabble a lot using a braille scrabble set. Some ideas: $1

If you know braille there is brown monopoly, ET see. Not a boardgame but there is Uno, phase 10, cards against humanity ET see. You just have to look around.

64 Ounce Games has a nice selection of adapted games. Do you have any specific games you really want to play?

Merry Christmas.

If you live in the UK, I’m quite sure the RNIB has some.