Vaudeville gains screen-reader access through a new Windows mod
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In short
Vaudeville Access 0.1.0 connects the menus, conversations, notebook, and accusation in Vaudeville to Windows screen readers. The early mod is free, but requires the Steam edition of the game.
The mod was released on 2 November. Vaudeville is an English-language detective game where players type or speak questions to characters and use their answers to solve a case. With the mod, NVDA can read the opening menu, location map, conversation transcript, notebook, and choices in the final accusation.
The game’s own arrow keys and Enter work on many screens. Some buttons must instead be found and activated with a screen reader’s object navigation. The first launch after installation can remain silent for a minute or longer while the mod loader prepares the game.
Version 0.1.0 has been tested with NVDA. The developer expects JAWS and Windows Narrator to read the same interface, but has not tested either one. The game also uses Left Ctrl for microphone recording, so a common key for stopping speech can accidentally send a question. Arrow keys may move focus in an unexpected order.
Vaudeville Access currently supports only the Windows Steam edition. Steam lists 16 GB of memory and 15 GB of storage as minimum requirements, and the game itself has English interface text, speech, and subtitles only. All claims about completing the game with a screen reader currently come from the mod developer’s documentation, rather than an independent blind playthrough.
Sources: the Vaudeville Access 0.1.0 release, the mod developer’s player guide with features, setup, and known issues, and Vaudeville on Steam with language and system requirements.