Woman, mother, wife, gamer.
I play for fun and relaxation. Sometimes I make videos and stream.
I do play a lot of #minecraft but also other games.
| YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@HelgaRakel |
| Twitch | https://www.twitch.tv/helgarakel |
Just cried through the new ending of the Cyberpunk 2077 game. It is such a powerful story and deep and a beautiful game. Every single detail. ❤️
When I was 18, some 30 years ago, I read Neil Stevensons "Snow Crash" and played Cyberpunk 2022 TTRPG. Cyberpunk 2077 captures exactly how I have always seen Cyberpunk in my mind.
I might need to go back to the game and play a few more endings as I find it really hard to let go. It has been my home away from home for over 300 hours.
Minecraft Access: A World of Blocks, Blindness, and Brilliance 🌍💎 #MinecraftAccess #InclusiveGaming
Seven years ago, I lost my sight—and with it, I thought I’d lost the chance to play Minecraft. Back in my sighted days, Minecraft was my escape hatch to infinite creativity. Build a castle? Sure. Survive the night? Done. Accidentally set your house on fire because you put lava in the wrong place? Look, we’ve all been there.
But when I lost my vision, Minecraft felt like a closed door. And while games might not be life’s top priority, let’s admit it—they’re a fantastic way to unwind. Losing that world stung.
That’s where Minecraft Access comes in. It’s a mod that makes the game accessible for blind players. Sounds amazing, right? When I first tried it four months ago, though, things didn’t go as planned. I wandered aimlessly, got hopelessly lost, and rage-quit before a creeper even had the chance to blow me up. But yesterday, armed with more patience (and probably less sanity), I decided to give it another go.
And you know what? This time, I crushed it. Well, not literally—I didn’t fall into lava, for once! I set up an underground base, complete with a wheat farm and an infinite water source. I mined iron, found diamonds (yes, diamonds! I’m rich!), and lit up my surroundings so mobs wouldn’t spawn. Because let’s be honest, nothing says “bad day” like being smacked by a zombie you can’t even see.
So how does this all work? Minecraft Access narrates the block in your crosshair, tells you its position, and makes inventory and crafting fully accessible. I navigate with ASDW keys, craft like a pro, and honestly, I feel like I’ve rediscovered a part of myself I thought was gone.
Of course, it’s not all smooth sailing. Navigating the terrain is like playing a guessing game where the prize is not falling into a ravine. And while I can build functional stuff, making it visually appealing? Let’s just say my creations won’t win any beauty contests. But hey, I can still mine, explore, and survive—and that feels like magic.
The real heroes here are the developers of Minecraft Access. Turning a game this visual into something a blind player can enjoy is a Herculean task. They’ve done something incredible, and they deserve all the praise (and maybe some pizza, because who doesn’t love pizza?).
If you’re curious or want to say thank you to these legends, check out their GitHub page or hop on their Discord. They’ve made Minecraft a world for everyone, and that’s worth celebrating.
https://github.com/khanshoaib3/minecraft-access
Minecraft has always been about endless possibilities. Thanks to this mod, those possibilities now extend to players like me. Who knows? Maybe I’ll even build a castle someday... if I can figure out where the stairs go. 😅
A mod for minecraft java (fabric/neoforge) that specifically helps visually impaired players play Minecraft. - minecraft-access/minecraft-access
Last Christmas a stranger on Mastodon gave me Baldur's Gate 1. I played it and then bought Baldur's Gate 2 and 3.
Tonight I finally finished Baldur's Gate 3 and I must say that it is the best Story Rich RPG game series I have ever played. And I do recommend that people play BG1 and BG2 before starting BG3. It deepens the story.
I want to recommend this mobile game #scriptic I found on #netflixgames . It is a murder mystery game where you, as a detective, have to go through the victim's phone to find clues to solve a murder.
It was such a different approach to storytelling and I really liked it.
There are two stories and one of them is about a content creator that gets doxed. It was a bit triggering for me but they were really good at portraying how it really feels like.
I have been twice to London, twice to Paris, I spent 10 days in Barcelona.
But I have also spent two weeks in Night City (#cyberpunk) and now I am on my third visit to #Baldursgate .
When I see pictures from these virtual cities I think "I have been there, walked these streets, heard the sounds and felt the vibe". Just like in a real city.
I just watched both Bladerunner movies (again) and I started to miss Night City as it is basically the same as the vibe in the movie.
There are presidential elections in Iceland today. In the top 3 seats, according to polls, there are 3 women. In the 4 place is an openly gay man.
Women (over the age of 40) got voting rights 109 years ago in Iceland. In Iceland we had world first democratically elected female president and the first openly gay Head of Government.
I am privileged to live in a country where equality has come this far.
That might be the cause why I am so utterly baffled when I come across sexism online.
I was telling my kid that I had started playing Baldur's Gate 3.
Me: So I am this strawberry blond Wood Elf Druid named Firestar.
My kid: Yes I know that mum. But what are you in the game?
This was an extremely proud parenting moment for me. The kid has the same humour as me.
Oleg
Tom Walker