The Vale: Shadow of the Crown — A Story That United Sighted and Blind Gamers

As someone who has been blind since birth, I’ve often had to answer questions like: “Why do you play video games?” or “How can you even play them?” I’ve also frequently heard comments such as: “I don’t understand why blind people try to play video games—since they can’t see the visuals, what’s the point?”

I’ve always tried to explain that we, too, enjoy games immensely—just in a different way: through storytelling, sound design, and other elements. Not everyone in the sighted gaming community has been fully understanding, but thanks to the creation of the small Canadian indie studio Falling Squirrel, we finally had the opportunity to demonstrate how blind players truly experience games.

The Vale masterfully immerses sighted players into the very atmosphere through which we enjoy any video or audio game—without losing anything to the lack of visuals. And so, The Vale: Shadow of the Crown is a game capable of bridging two worlds of players. Why? Let’s find out.

Development History

Falling Squirrel, a Canadian indie studio, created The Vale as its debut project. Another team, Creative Bytes Studios, also contributed to development. The director, writer, and game designer was Dave Evans, who had previously worked on cinematic projects. The idea of making an audio-driven game came from his desire to tell a large-scale story without running into major budget limitations.

The game was actively tested by the blind community on Audiogames.net, whose feedback helped refine both the sound design and the storyline.

The demo version debuted at the Reboot Develop RED conference, where it won an award and was nominated for Best Audio Trailer. The official release took place on August 19, 2021, on Windows (Steam, Itch.io, Epic Games) and Xbox One. In March 2024, the game was released on Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PS5, with the port handled by Nejcraft and the marketing campaign supported by First Peoples Digital.

In an interview with Digital Trends (December 2021), Evans explained that the core idea—an audio-based narrative, character development, and storytelling—did not come from the wish to simply make the game accessible. Instead, it stemmed from the ambition to tell a sweeping story on a limited budget. At the same time, collaboration with the CNIB helped avoid stereotypical depictions of blindness and shaped the protagonist as confident and independent.

Story and Atmosphere

The player takes on the role of Alexandra, a princess blind from birth. When her brother becomes king, she is sent to live in a remote fortress on the edge of the kingdom. Officially, this is explained as an act of care, but for Alexandra it marks the beginning of a new journey.

On the way to the fortress, the caravan is attacked, and the heroine finds herself alone in a vast and unfamiliar world. She must now reach her destination on her own, relying on hearing, instincts, and the occasional companion.

This is a story about growing up, overcoming hardship, and finding one’s place in a world that will not always adapt to you. Together with Alex, the player embarks on a difficult journey of survival—learning to stand up for herself, meeting friends and enemies, and making tough decisions that will shape the young princess as a person.

The game’s world is a medieval kingdom where life is both simple and harsh: the hum of city streets, the clang of blacksmiths’ hammers, the voices of merchants at the fair, and the dangers that lurk beyond the walls.

The Vale conveys the scale and beauty of this world purely through sound and stellar voice acting. The story unfolds through dialogues, soundscapes, and atmospheric descriptions, making the player feel part of the narrative—as if inside a radio drama.

Gameplay

The gameplay of The Vale covers everything—from moving through locations and interacting with objects to combat and dialogue. Every step and every sound helps the player navigate the world and influence events.

Navigation and World

Sound is the primary means of spatial orientation. There are no traditional visuals; the entire world is perceived through binaural (3D) audio.

• You can hear where a merchant is speaking from, where a blacksmith’s hammer strikes, or where a stream is flowing.
• By turning toward a sound, you can interact: talk, buy items, or start a quest.

Movement between locations.

• Movement is simplified: instead of walking freely, you choose directions based on sounds and audio cues.
• When you “reach” an object, the game automatically transitions into an interactive dialogue, shop, or battle.

Game structure.

The story unfolds through sequential episodes: villages, roads, caves, cities, battlefields. Each scene is clearly separated from the others. This structure resembles interactive cinema with choice-driven gameplay and RPG elements.

Combat System

Fights are static. During combat, the character stands in place while enemies attack from the left, right, or front. The player’s task is to react in time.

The core mechanics use the gamepad sticks: the left stick controls the shield, while the right stick is used for weapon attacks in three directions.

Audio cues: each type of enemy attack comes with a distinct sound—

• footsteps shifting to the side;
• the pull of a bowstring;
• the heavy swing of a weapon;
• the enemy’s breathing before a charge.

Player actions include:

• Block (shield or weapon) — parry incoming attacks;
• Counterattack — strike back immediately after a block;
• Interrupt — stop a heavy attack if the sound gives it away;
• Attack — quick strike or a heavy swing;
• Bow and magic — for ranged combat.

Enemy variety.

Bandits, soldiers, animals, and fantastical creatures. Each type has unique sound effects. With experience, players learn to identify opponents literally “by ear.”

Progression and Items

There is no traditional leveling system or character stat increases. Progression is achieved by purchasing gear from merchants and finding items throughout the story.

Gold is the key resource for upgrades. Never pass up the chance to complete a side quest—new armor and weapons won’t buy themselves.

Dialogues and Choices

The overall structure of The Vale is linear, but with moments where player decisions shape the outcome.

For example, in one quest you can take a character either to his uncle or to his sister, each leading to different consequences. Similar branching moments also appear in dialogues between the main characters.

This creates opportunities to explore new narrative paths. Officially, the game has one main ending, but according to various online sources, its nuances differ depending on the choices made.

Still, because of the game’s long runtime and the inability to skip previously seen dialogue, few players will replay it multiple times to explore every possible variation.

Music

Composer Jesse Inocalla, together with Falling Squirrel’s sound design team, did an outstanding job. The soundtrack is never overwhelming—it is used sparingly so as not to interfere with the player’s reliance on sound. Music enters at key moments: dramatic scenes, boss battles, and emotional turning points.

Style of music:

• a mix of medieval motifs and cinematic orchestral arrangements;
• in towns, simple melodies reminiscent of folk music;
• in dangerous areas, tense rhythms on percussion and strings;
• in dramatic scenes, melancholic themes on flute and viola.

The music underlines the mood: for example, a shift in chords may signal danger or mark a climactic moment in the story.

Sound Design

This is the heart of the game. Everything that players usually “see” in other RPGs is delivered here through sound.

Environment:

• the babbling of a river;
• creaking wooden floorboards in a tavern;
• the ringing of a blacksmith’s hammer;
• dogs barking in the village.

These details create a fully fleshed-out “picture of the world.”

Binaural audio (3D sound):

• if a merchant is to your right, his voice comes from the right;
• if an enemy sneaks up from behind, you hear breathing or footsteps at your back;
• in caves, sound echoes; in forests, it is muted and diffuse.

Combat:

Every enemy action has its own audio signal—an arrow’s whistle, a heavy swing, a quick lunge. Players learn to “read” opponents by ear, down to milliseconds.

Dialogues:

Voice acting is recorded with high quality, without theatrical artificiality. Lines sound natural, as if spoken right next to you. Importantly, the environment is audible during conversations—for example, a market dialogue is layered with crowd noise.

Immersive details:

• wind intensifies on mountain passes;
• fire crackles if you stand near a campfire;
• in battle, you hear the vibration of the shield when blocking (also felt as controller feedback).

The Vale: The Final Chord of an Auditory World

The Vale: Shadow of the Crown is a project that makes the player rely entirely on their ears instead of their eyes. Here, you don’t need to see—you need to listen. Every sound is a living map; every rustle, a clue.

This is not just an RPG—it is an auditory adventure that challenges the very idea of what a video game should be. The combat system, though limited in visual terms, makes every movement, every strike, and every counterattack tangible through sound and tactile feedback.

Yes, patience is required, and your hearing must be fully engaged—but once you walk through the Vale in darkness, you’ll find yourself in a genuine medieval world. It’s an experience that shakes the conventional way games are perceived. In a world where visuals reign supreme, The Vale places sound on the throne—isn’t that a revolution?

I recommend it to everyone, especially to those searching for a truly inclusive and unconventional gaming experience—and most of all to sighted players who still wonder how and why blind people play video games.