Embodying Blindness: Exploring Multimodal Perception in Video Games

Abstract: Video games Perception (2017) and A Blind Legend (2015) are both connected to blindness, though in two distinct ways. While in both games the player embodies a blind narrator, Perception is, in many ways, what we expect a video game to be: visual, while A Blind Legend is an audio game, exploring methods to navigate other than visual. While problematising ocularcentrism, this thesis investigates the multimodal qualities of these two games, emphasising video games as something broader than a visual experience based on sight. It analyses if, how and to what extent the concerned games question aesthetic norms and ocularcentric assumptions while attempting to understand what role they have in an ocularcentric culture. The thesis aims to explore ways to produce visual perception and analyses how blindness is visualised and portrayed, as well as different ways of “seeing”. Furthermore, the topic is approached through a visual culture perspective, utilising research within this field.