Manamon, or Pokémon for the Blind — Review
“Who’s that Pokemon?” – that’s the kind of exclamation from a certain famous animated series that springs to mind when playing Manamon. It’s no coincidence the name sounds familiar — the game clearly draws inspiration from a well-known franchise. But we all know how jealously the Big “N” guards its IP. Fortunately, the resemblance doesn’t harm this audio-game — if anything, it gives it a sense of familiarity. So, what do we have here, and is it worth playing?
Game Overview
Manamon was released for PC in July 2016 and remains one of the most ambitious audio games to date. It was developed by the indie studio VGStorm, well-known among blind gamers for titles like Paladin of the Sky and Psycho Strike. Interestingly, most of the studio’s work is done by a single developer — a clear reminder that making a great game doesn’t always require a large team. But that’s a story for another time.
This is a truly large-scale project, designed to last dozens of hours. Let’s get into the details.
Story
The game takes place in the vast land of Tangeria, where children aged 10 to 14 become “tamers” and catch magical creatures called Manamon. Our protagonist is young but ambitious: the goal is to rise from an unknown rookie to the victor of seven arena challenges and eventually face the Manamon Master. However, a criminal organization with plans for world domination stands in the way. What begins as a sports journey quickly turns into a dangerous adventure full of intrigue.
Genre and gameplay loop
In terms of genre, Manamon is a classic JRPG clearly inspired by the Pokémon series — which means players can expect a grand story-driven adventure, turn-based battles, skill progression, and world exploration.
Gameplay & Key Mechanics
Classic JRPG formula
Gameplay sticks closely to the traditional JRPG structure: exploring large areas, encountering wild creatures or rival tamers, capturing Manamon using mananet traps, building a team (up to six fighters), and progressing toward the next arena. There are 158 creatures across twenty elemental types — from standard Fire and Water to rarer ones like Sound or Electricity.
Random encounters: blessing and curse
Frequent random battles can be a double-edged sword: helpful for grinding, but frustrating when you just want to get from point A to point B without interruptions.
Catching Manamon
Outside of cities, you’ll frequently run into wild Manamon. The chance of encountering rare ones depends on the time of day and terrain type. To capture a creature, you typically need to weaken or put it to sleep before using a mananet. Status effects like Sleep or Paralysis significantly boost your success rate.
Combat System
Combat is turn-based, as expected in a JRPG. When a fight begins — whether story-driven or random — the game shifts to battle mode, with your team on one side and the enemy on the other. Fights can be one-on-one or full 6v6 battles. Players can use skills, items (potions, nets, etc.), or attempt to flee — though fleeing isn’t allowed during key encounters.
Leveling and Customization
Each level gained earns Training Points, which can be freely allocated across different stats, allowing you to shape your fighters for specific roles. Evolutions are also present: most creatures evolve at certain levels, but some require special conditions — adding depth to the experience.
Besides stat growth, leveling unlocks a wide variety of skills. Players can also equip gear that offers passive bonuses. The inventory includes consumables, potions, boosters, and mananets for capturing new allies.
Side Content and Minigames
Cities contain arcade-style machines with various minigames. After completing the main story, players unlock hunts for mythical creatures and high-difficulty dungeons — both necessary for completing the Manapedia 100%.
There’s also a multiplayer battle mode, though I didn’t get to test it firsthand. Still, its very presence is a notable feature.
Accessibility
In addition to solid sound design and music, Manamon boasts excellent screen reader support via SAPI. Full compatibility with NVDA is a huge plus — especially with translation add-ons, which make the game far more accessible to players with limited English skills. This matters because there’s a lot of text to read.
Verdict on Manamon
Manamon is a rare example of an audio game that doesn’t beg for pity with lines like “well, blind players don’t have many options anyway.” This is a full-scale collectible JRPG with 30–40 hours of content, an intricate combat system, a fair challenge level, and a generous demo. If you’re not put off by English text-to-speech and a price point similar to modern indie titles — grab your headphones. Sighted players will find the experience unusual. For blind players, it’s practically unrivaled in scope.
The only real drawback is the complex navigation. There’s no minimap — the game demands attention, memory, and a strong exploratory instinct. You’ll need to remember what NPCs say, what’s written in notes, and keep your orientation sharp.
Tangeria awaits its masters of Poké— er, Manamon!