One-handed iPad games
December 10, 2012 11:36 AM   Subscribe

What are some good video games (preferably iPad) for people with only partial use of one hand?

My father has a degenerative brain condition, and is (mostly) bedridden at this point. He has no use of his left arm, and only partial use of his right. Despite modest memory issues from time to time and occasional fogginess due to medication, however, he is still quite sharp mentally and has always loved video games. I recently gave him a 1st gen iPad with Osmos loaded on it, which he enjoyed and was able to play well. I'd like to put some other games on there as well, but it's difficult to find many that can accomodate his issues.

Physically, as I mentioned, he has no use of his left hand. His right hand is extremely weak and shaky, so anything requiring precise control is going to be difficult for him. Assume that he can tap within about an inch radius, and that he may not be able to control how many times he taps. The iPad seems like the most promising platform to me, but he also has a Wii and a laptop available (though the Wii is particularly difficult for him to control).

Strategy games, RPGs, and arcade-type games are all things that he has enjoyed in the past, though as time progresses simpler arcade games will probably be better.
posted by djspinmonkey to Technology (11 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
Ticket to Ride, Carcasonne, and other board games.
posted by empath at 11:49 AM on December 10, 2012 [1 favorite]


Tiny Wings (arcade style game) might be a good fit for him. You guide a baby bird from island to island by controlling its flight and jumping with screen taps. Here's a demo.
posted by moxiequz at 11:49 AM on December 10, 2012


Majong is available on iOS and I'm sure a number of Bejeweled type games.

There is a game called Zed's Alchemy. You start off with the 4 basic elements and combine them to get other things. Currently you can "create" around 400 things. Very fun.

Where's my water is another good one. You have to trace a line from a spigot to the alligator(crocodile?) to get him his water.
posted by Twain Device at 12:56 PM on December 10, 2012


Yeah most of the board game apps are just right for this. There is no time limit and the "buttons" are pretty large. I suggest Ticket to Ride, Dominion, Settlers of Catan, Puerto Rico, Ingenious and Carcasonne.
posted by saradarlin at 1:00 PM on December 10, 2012


I second Ticket to Ride, Carcassone, and Catan HD.

I also enjoy Outwitters, a quirky, simple turn-based strategy game. It's also free, with a $6 unlock for all the extra teams. The tiles may be a little small for him to be able to tap precisely.

If he likes word games, I can't get enough of Letterpress. It's sort of a territory-control variant of Boggle. Free, with big tiles to tap and a $1 unlock that lets you play unlimited games simultaneously.

Jetpack Joyride is a nice free arcade game. Tap anywhere on the screen to control the height of the character.
posted by whitecedar at 1:57 PM on December 10, 2012


Response by poster: Board games seem like potentially a good fit; I'll definitely load a few on there and see how it goes.

I love Outwitters, and I think he might enjoy the game itself, but I'm not sure he could reliably work the interface. The tiles are a bit small, and an unintentional double-tap could easily send a unit to the wrong tile, which would be pretty bad news in that game. I'm worried it would end up being frustrating.

Jetpack Joyride is definitely an awesome game, but I'm not sure he's got the fine motor control to handle the timing on that one. Tiny Wings *might* work out, though my guess is that he wouldn't be able to get beyond the first couple islands. Still, he may get far enough to enjoy it anyway.

Letterpress is one of my favorite games right now, and might work? One of those memory issues I mentioned is that he often forgets specific words when he's speaking, but if he could sit and think about it for a while that might be ok. I'll ask him what he thinks.

I haven't played Zed's Alchemy or Where's My Water, but they sound promising -- I'll definitely check them out!

Thanks for all the suggestions!
posted by djspinmonkey at 2:46 PM on December 10, 2012


Boomshine
posted by at at 5:19 PM on December 10, 2012 [1 favorite]


He may get a kick out of Enviro Bear
posted by boilermonster at 5:55 PM on December 10, 2012


Temple run? I think it's free, so might as well check it out.
posted by oceanjesse at 10:00 PM on December 10, 2012


I've been playing Little Things a lot lately; it might be worth looking at it to see if you think he'd be able to do it from a physical standpoint.
posted by naturalog at 10:02 AM on December 11, 2012


Slingo? Double or missed taps won't make a bit o' difference and it's nice & addictive.
posted by tigerjade at 9:30 AM on December 14, 2012


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