Jamie Pauls In the fall of 2022, game developer Play By Ears released their first audio game in the United States. Entitled Evidence 111, the game uses no graphics, and is designed as an audio only experience. The developers of the game did not target the title specifically for blind and low vision players, but realized that the title would be perfect for that audience. To that end, they worked with members of the blind community to ensure the best experience for those who could not see the screen.
In a recent Mosen At Large podcast interview with game developer Tom Oramus, we learn that Tom is an audio designer by trade. When playing through Evidence 111, it becomes abundantly evident that his skills are put to good use in the game. Many scenes are recorded in binaural audio. Assuming you are wearing a good pair of headphones or earbuds, there are times when it sounds as though characters in the game are moving around you instead of simply moving right to left or left to right. A thunderstorm is woven throughout the game, and this along with a great musical score drew me into the game instantly. The voice acting in this game matches the level of music and sound to present one of the best audio gaming experiences I have ever encountered.
Setting the Scene
Although the game costs $4.99 in the Apple or Google Play store, the introductory scenes are available for free, thereby giving you an idea of what to expect. The story of Evidence 111 is set in England, and begins in the year 1975. Officer Alice Wells receives a call on her radio, and is told to be on the lookout for a fast-approaching vehicle. The scene quickly cuts to exactly ten years later. Now Chief Inspector Wells gets a phone call from an unidentified person who knows something about the events of that night ten years earlier than nobody is supposed to know—something that Inspector Wells has kept hidden all this time. Alice Wells is told to go to an old hotel with a folder containing the contents of evidence 111 which relates to the events of that ill-fated incident in 1975. Once there, Alice meets a number of other people all associated in one way or another with the hotel—and, in at least one case, Alice herself.
The game takes about two hours to play through, depending on the choices you cause Alice to make. There are ten different endings depending on Alice’s decisions throughout the game. I have played through the game twice, but I plan to explore further as time permits.
Playing the Game
Once you have downloaded the free demo of the game and opened it, you will hear VoiceOver on iOS tell you that you are in a direct touch area. You need to turn VoiceOver off, and the high-quality game narration will begin giving you instructions on how to navigate the game. Sighted players can turn off this audio help, but the game is smart enough to know that VoiceOver is running at launch, and turns help for the blind/low vision on automatically. Swipe up with two fingers to repeat instructions from help at any time. Swipe right with one finger to start a new game, or swipe left to restore a previous game. Swipe down to purchase the game. You will need to turn VoiceOver back on at this point to complete the process. During game play, a two-finger swipe down pauses game play. A two-finger swipe to the left repeats a section of the game you are currently in or moves you to a previous section, and a two-finger swipe right moves you to the next section of the story.
Throughout the game, you control the actions of only one character--Inspector Alice Wells. At various points in the story, Alice will ask you what she should do. For example, “Should I explore the closet, or go downstairs to talk with the desk clerk?” Very occasionally, there are three choices to pick from. Swipe right with one finger to pick the first option, swipe left to pick the second, and swipe down to pick the third option.
My Thoughts On Game Play
As I played through the game, I was impressed at how responsive to my gestures the game was. At no time did I ever encounter any sluggishness. Scene changes within the story are seamless. There are no pauses in order for a new area of the game to load. Music, sounds, and dialog are uninterrupted. Sounds within the game are very realistic without drawing attention to themselves at any time. The high-quality music tracks also do not intrude into the game play experience. Voice acting and help for blind and low vision players is of the highest quality with no exceptions. The plot of the game is detailed and realistic. The story drew me in from the very start, and kept my attention for the entirety of the game. All game play instructions were very clear, and all commands worked as expected. The only exception was one scene where it sounded as though I should have three choices and only two were available. I’m not sure if there was a bug preventing me from making the third choice, or if there were actually only two options available to me. The ending scene is a bit of a cliff-hanger. I am not sure if the player is supposed to use their imagination to decide how the story really ends, or if there is the possibility of a sequel in the future. Either way, I am happy with how the game ended. I especially enjoyed listening to full game credits read as the musical score played out after I had finished the game.
Although the story involves some dark matters, there is little to no profanity in the game with only references made to violence. There are no graphic sounds in the game that would disturb most people as far as I can determine.
The Bottom Line
Evidence 111 is an audio game that is extremely well designed with a rich plot, excellent sound and music, and superb voice acting. At $4.99 U.S. it was well worth the price, in my opinion. Although the game is available on the iOS and Android platforms, I tested the game using an iPhone 12. I would encourage others to support the developers of this game in hopes that they will release more titles in the future. Perhaps they could branch away from detective fiction and explore other areas such as games with fight scenes. I can only imagine the sound design gems that could be hidden in a game of that sort.
In addition to the Mosen At Large podcast interview referenced earlier, you can also read about Evidence 111 on AppleVis. You can obtain Evidence 111 from the Apple App store or the Google Play store for $4.99 U.S.
