No Barriers to Fun!

We met our friend Giddeon at the AbleGamers Accessibility Arcade in Atlantic City, New Jersey. When he first sat down with the AbleGamers crew, Giddeon didn't want to play any games. He told us that with his disability gaming was difficult. Giddeon has a rare disease that caused the growth of his arms .. Read More
A Window to the World

Shepherd University invited the AbleGamers Foundation to come on campus and do one of our Accessibility Arcades for the students and local disabled community. The event was a roaring success with hundreds of children and adults coming out to see the technology and in some cases experience gaming the first time. Read More

About the AbleGamers Foundation

Since 2004, the AbleGamers Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity, has served more than 56 million members of the disabled community by advocating greater access in video games. Today, AbleGamers is a leader in the development of equipment, programs and services to those living with disabilities, hardships, and quality-of-life issues that are a result of chronic illness or trauma. It is our goal to ensure that all people, regardless of their disability, can use gaming as a tool to have enriched social experiences with friends, family, and the world at large.

AbleGamers' Web Game of the Week: Spike: A Love Story

Written by Patrick Hancock

Published on 03 July 2011

spike-a-love-story

AbleGamers' web game of the week is Spike - A Love Story, a game that flips the player vs. environment situation we've grown accustomed to on its head. This is a one-switch game that has you playing as an environmental hazard that crushes the game protagonist as he comes near. This is where the problem comes in: you, a deadly spike trap, are in love with the hero of the game and the only way you can express it is by smushing his body against yours.

spike-a-love-story-fb It is a truly tragic tale that unfolds right before your eyes. Since the love is not returned in the same way, the hero is constantly trying to get past you with a variety of tricks. Sometimes he'll stop and wait for a bit, or he might try to use a powerup to slip past you. It's up to you to use the Spacebar at the correct time to be reunited with your true love. The hero has 25 lives to try and get past you and you need to perform well enough so that the video game gets good reviews once released from the relentless and narcissistic game journalists. In addition, if you let the hero survive too many times you will be fired from your position! You can also unlock a "survival" mode that asks you to squish 50 heroes in a row without missing a single one.

The game's accessibility is hurt only by the very quick reflexes you'll need to "love" the hero. Since this is a one-switch game, the Spacebar is the only key you will need to play the game. There is a light that lights up green or red depending on whether or not the hero got past you, but it isn't crucial to see the difference since it's pretty obvious when you let the hero go by. Low-vision and hearing-impaired gamers will both be able to play the game easily as well.