A growing library of computer games is being created specially for blind gamers, using sound instead of visuals to give players the necessary cues to compete.

Audio games come in many varieties, from role-playing games to action-adventure, driving games, science fiction thrillers, and puzzle games.

Most of the games run on ordinary PC computers and are controlled by either a joystick or the computer’s keyboard. The player wears a pair of headphones and hears the game in stereo. Programmers find creative ways to use sound to represent everything from attacking helicopters to the kind of surface upon which a character is walking.

"It's a community," said Justin Daubenmire, president of BSC Games, the gaming division of Blindsoftware.com. "There is definitely strong, healthy competition and we like it because it makes us work harder on our products."

For more information, go online to www.wired.com/news/games/0,66879-1.html?tw=wn_story_page_next1