

Ask HN: Gaming with one arm - chrissyb

Hi All,<p>One of my best friends was just caught in an unfortunate explosion, and he has lost his left arm.<p>He&#x27;s pretty into gaming, and i think recently he switched form Xbox to PC. He mentioned to me that gaming is something he&#x27;ll really miss, and i&#x27;ve told him &quot;No, way - we can work something out!&quot;<p>Could anyone suggest what to start looking at? I&#x27;ve been thinking about a Joystick with secondary feet controls maybe? Any info&#x2F;help would be awesome!<p><i></i>edit<i></i> 
- Thanks everyone for replying to this! I came straight here when i started thinking of it because i trust hn community and the power of group think!<p>- Also i think he has been playing mostly FPS stuff.<p>- Razr Naga is coming up a bit so that could be a good starting place.
======
ramLlama
[http://www.benheck.com/controllers/](http://www.benheck.com/controllers/)

Ben Heckendorn is known for very clever console modifications and has forayed
into accessible controllers in recent years. He sells a custom made one-handed
controller for a few hundred dollars, and this may be worth a look!

------
ericdykstra
Hearthstone is a great Collectable Card Game type free-to-play game. A lot of
the top players were pros in faster-paced games, like DotA and Starcraft,
before switching over. It's pretty fun and fairly deep. I've been playing for
about a year. Twitch gaming skills peak at a pretty young age (as young as 25
or earlier) anyway, so switching to something slower is, in some ways, a
natural progression anyway.

[http://playhearthstone.com](http://playhearthstone.com)

~~~
personjerry
Hearthstone is quickly growing too! I often see it as between #2-4 on Twitch,
and just yesterday there was a $10000 grand prize tournament.

[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxgP1UVQyZpm5-1eIjRZd...](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxgP1UVQyZpm5-1eIjRZddIOBL4HcgruV)

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xerophyte12932
What about Strategy games? They are usually mouse-oriented. i haven't played
any in ages, so I don't know what's hot these days. But I have spent countless
hours on

\- Age of Empires Series

\- Command and Conquer series (aka Red Alert Series)

\- Stronghold Series

I am sure there are modern equivalent of these. Isn't starcraft in this genre?

~~~
1a2a3a4a
Starcraft is known for the speed that you need on your keyboard hand to play
well. You can certainly play RTSs badly with one hand though (which is what
most people do, it might even be more fun this way).

There is a player who plays Starcraft at a moderately high level with no hands
though, [http://videosift.com/video/OMG-he-plays-Starcraft-WITH-NO-
HA...](http://videosift.com/video/OMG-he-plays-Starcraft-WITH-NO-HANDS-
LookNoHands-on-ESL-TV) .

~~~
icoder
I agree that there's quite a few leagues you will have a hard time mastering
without that extra keyboard hand. However I think without that but compensated
with strategic skills, you will be able to beat a range of players (plus one
player campaign). Remember Starcraft ranks you among your equals, so unless
you are the 'worst' player, you'll always find wins and losses balanced out to
some extend.

With one hand you can still switch between mouse and keyboard for the most
basic (grouping) shortcuts. Maybe there's even computer mice with some extra
keys that you can configure to act like key presses.

~~~
jon2512chua
I play Starcraft 2 quite a bit, and can confidently say that no matter how
good your strategy is, it just doesn't work without good execution against any
decent player, and by decent I mean anyone above bronze league. This is
because not using keyboard shortcuts slows you down by orders of magnitude,
and your faster opponent can just brute force his/her way to victory.

Using MMORPG mice with all the extra hotkeys might work rather well though,
but I still doubt that it's possible to get into the more serious players'
leagues this way though.

------
yzzxy
First of all - lots of turn-based or slower games can be played with mouse
only. That might not be his interest, however.

Something like a Razer Naga[1], a mouse with a ton of side buttons, could
allow him to play other games with one hand. Probably not FPS though[2]. Other
manufacturers will sell similar mice, I just thought of that one first and
have no idea if it's the best.

You could get an IPAC[3] or other arcade control board (I've used X-Arcade
kits[4] with success for other projects) and build some kind of custom control
surface, maybe using a trackball or joystick and some big arcade buttons.

Final idea, if you're crazy: Bolt WASD onto a mouse, and wire in as extra
mouse buttons or to a keyboard controller.

[1] [http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-mice/razer-naga-
epic](http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-mice/razer-naga-epic)

[2] Maybe sensors or pedals for movement? Seems like it would be hard to WASD
with the side buttons on the mouse. That way you could get good enough mouse
fidelity for aiming and still have enough buttons to do stuff.

[3] [http://www.ultimarc.com/ipac1.html](http://www.ultimarc.com/ipac1.html)

[4] [http://www.xgaming.com/store/arcade-parts-and-
accessories/pr...](http://www.xgaming.com/store/arcade-parts-and-
accessories/product/two-player-build-your-own-arcade-bundle-pcb/)

------
gfosco
Some games that only need one hand, or the mouse:

Nimbus, Desktop Dungeons, Cogs, Osmos, Papers Please, Peggle, Bejeweled, World
of Goo, Any poker game..

Maybes:

Machinarium, Evil Genius, World of Goo, Civilization V

With a controller like the G13 there's many more which could be programmed to
playable state: [http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-G13-Programmable-Gameboard-
Di...](http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-G13-Programmable-Gameboard-
Display/dp/B001NEK2GE)

~~~
mod
2nd poker.

I spent years devoted to it. It has endless depth, it's the best game ever
invented, and one hand is one more than you need to play it well.

Geeking out in one-day fantasy might be a good alternative.

------
timrosenblatt
I'm sorry to hear what happened to your friend.

I have no special knowledge on the subject, but I did a quick Google search.
I'm sure you might have run across some of these before, but I wanted to share
them since I'm pleasantly surprised by the depth of things that are out there.

* [http://www.gamespot.com/articles/modder-creates-single-hande...](http://www.gamespot.com/articles/modder-creates-single-handed-ps4-controller-for-disabled-gamers/1100-6418235/)

* [http://www.oneswitch.org.uk/1/AGS/AGS-bespoke.htm](http://www.oneswitch.org.uk/1/AGS/AGS-bespoke.htm)

* [http://kotaku.com/he-built-a-custom-controller-to-help-disab...](http://kotaku.com/he-built-a-custom-controller-to-help-disabled-kids-play-523988064)

* [http://www.game-accessibility.com/index.php?pagefile=motoric](http://www.game-accessibility.com/index.php?pagefile=motoric)

------
sbrother
I bet you could play League of Legends to a reasonable level with a good mouse
with buttons mapped to QWER and voice communication over skype. The only
tricky part would be activated items, but maybe you could rig something up
with a foot pedal? It would be worth it - LoL has become pretty much the only
game I play; it's got incredible depth, and a nearly unlimited skillcap.

~~~
irmbrady
I agree that League of Legends would be a great game to be played with only a
mouse. You would just need a mouse with lots of buttons!

Take the Razer Naga for example ([http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-mice/razer-
naga](http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-mice/razer-naga)). It has 12
configurable buttons on the side of the mouse, as well as 5 on top.

In League of Legends, you only require the following _default_ key bindings on
the keyboard:

(The following are crucial)

1\. Q [champion ability]

2\. W [champion ability]

3\. E [champion ability]

4\. R [champion ability]

5\. D [summoner ability]

6\. F [summoner ability]

(The following are less crucial, but almost required)

7\. 1 [activate item 1]

8\. 2 [activate item 2]

9\. 4 [activate trinket]

10\. B [teleport back to base]

Pressing numbers 3 and 5 through to 7 on the keyboard, by default, are to
activate additional items, but it is very rare that you would have the need to
activate more than 1 or 2 items in the game. I would say they are not required
to be bound at all (or at least, I never press them).

Other useful keys to use in the game are Ctrl, Alt and Shift. They are
modifier keys, which when pressed with the other key bindings or mouse clicks,
allow the player to perform different tasks.

Of course, not all of this functionality needs to be bound to a key.
Everything can be clicked with the mouse on the game's UI if need be. However,
clicking the UI is rather slow, and I think it would be safe to say that a
mouse similar to the Razer Naga would allow you to play League of Legends at a
rather competitive level, with only using the mouse.

------
randomdrake
There are a lot of really good previous examples of gamers needing alternate
configurations that have been popular on the Internet over the years. From
gamers that use their head for controls[1], to folks in the same position of
having the use of only one hand[2]. Whether it be customized controllers, or
just having to re-map a lot of keys or buttons, there doesn't seem to be a
barrier to enjoy gaming.

You should let your friend know that they are not alone and they almost
certainly can still have plenty of enjoyable gaming ahead of them.

[1] - [http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/video-games/disabled-gamer-
shows...](http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/video-games/disabled-gamer-shows-
unusual-play-style-charity-f1B6037954)

[2] -
[http://www.reddit.com/r/leagueoflegends/comments/120per/ama_...](http://www.reddit.com/r/leagueoflegends/comments/120per/ama_keith_aieron_knight_disabled_gamer/)

~~~
jlees
No Hands Ken is another in the former camp.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrMivdZ-
mbI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrMivdZ-mbI)

[http://www.dailydot.com/geek/ken-worrall-twitch-diablo-
warcr...](http://www.dailydot.com/geek/ken-worrall-twitch-diablo-warcraft/)

Sorry to hear about your friend, chrissyb. Some great suggestions in this
thread; only thing I would add is that so many PC games are getting optimised
for controller these days, so the number of keys is small enough that a Naga
may well be all you need to play them.

------
damonpace
I commend you for helping your friend. When I was a child, my fathers friend
lost his left arm and all but two fingers on his right hand in a train
accident. My dad hired him to work around our yard and help out. He eventually
taught the guy how to tie his shoes with only two fingers. I'm still impressed
by my fathers patience and inventiveness in helping his friend get back on his
feet. I'm sure you'll find a way to make it happen for your friend as well.

My initial thought is there has got to be some kind of foot pedals for the
left handed controls. If you can't find one, take an old keyboard and
eliminate all the keys except the ones needed for gaming. Then attach foot
pads to the gaming keys he needs. It will probably take some time, but he'll
eventually get used to it.

------
kor_
Maybe he could try the OCZ Neural Impulse Actuator (if they still sell it). I
once tried it and after a few weeks' practise it worked quite well. It uses
your brainwaves as input and you can bind different waveforms to certain
actions, like pressing a button.

~~~
icelancer
Whoa, holy shit. I just googled that. Looks amazing. Are there open APIs for
this?

------
cgdangelo
Sorry about your friend. Good on you for helping him out here.

Unfortunately I don't know of anything in the way of custom joysticks/setups
that might be helpful, but maybe I can offer some reassurance for your friend.
Even with the standard input devices (mouse/keyboard, controller) people[1][2]
have been able to adapt to very extraordinary circumstances. Anything's
possible.

[1]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bONUFkP3i8s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bONUFkP3i8s)

[2] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83nSodg-
HTU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83nSodg-HTU)

~~~
chrissyb
Cheers, I totally agree! If i can just help him with this one very small part
of his new life, it might keep in in higher spirits while he adjusts.

------
wguyman
I also have one hand and have been gaming on the XBox 360 (and recently the
One) for a while. One-handed controllers are hard to come by and a couple
links have been posted to this thread.

Many of them were built for the PS2, so you need an adapter to play with
something like the XBOX or Playstation, try
[http://xim4.com/](http://xim4.com/).

Also check out: [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/70308014/kings-
assembly...](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/70308014/kings-assembly-a-
computer-mouse-full-of-awesome)

------
cmonroe13
If he likes PC gaming, there are a few mice that have several extra buttons
that you can bind to keyboard input.

I recommend the Razer Naga, or Razer Naga Hex. The hex has 6 extra buttons
while the original Naga has 12 I believe. Both mice are in the $60-$70 dollar
range but are well worth the purchase.

I stopped in to comment ( my first comment actually ) because games are a big
part of my life, and I couldn't imagine a world without games. I'm a game
developer by day and player by night. My best wishes go out to him and I hope
he continues to keep playing games!

------
VPrime
Have you looked at the Stinky Board?
[http://stinkyboard.com/](http://stinkyboard.com/) Should be able to map
standard WSAD keys to it, then use mouse for aiming.

~~~
rurounijones
Looks like a great product, but what a terrible name

------
brudgers
One of my buds from architecture school is quadriplegic from the neck down. It
was an obstacle not a barrier. It would have been less of one if the Kinnect
existed.

He ran 3D Studio by pushing the trackball and hitting keys with a stick
gripped in his teeth...and with a pen, he could kick most of the studio's ass
sketching - so long as someone set the sketchbook on his lap...he used that as
a pickup line with the ladies.

Your friend is grieving. You can't fix that. But it will work itself out.

------
justinmarsan
My cousin has lost an arm about 10 years ago and now beats me at every single
game he owns on ps3, using the standard controller. For some games he'll use
his feet for the triggers, but other than that, he just plays with one hand
over the controller, and has gotten really good at it.

Looking for alternative controllers might be nice, finding some way to make do
with the standard one could also help him gain more agility with the one hand
he has left, which will be useful for many other things in his life.

------
staunch
With foot pedals and a mouse and he could probably play FPS games at a high
level. It's mostly about the mouse hand.

There are also mice with a lot of buttons, like the Razer Naga:
[http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004AM5RAM](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004AM5RAM)

Voice commands in games is becoming real:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmsuTiuRaog](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmsuTiuRaog)

------
warriar
I hope hes right handed.

For PC FPS i would try a mouse with a lot of buttons on the left so you could
put wasd on 4 buttons on the left so he could control the shooter enirely by
mouse.

Depending on how much use he has with his left arm he could also probably
build a simple custom Joystick to replace wasd movement keys...

Also i would get some One-Handed Keyboards for fast Typing with one Hand.

Hope he gets adjusted quickly!

~~~
chrissyb
Yeah he is dominate right-handed, thankfully. Will look into the one handed
keyboards too!

Thanks for that!

------
jiri
I hearded about joystick-like device that can be controlled with your feet.
Never tried that, but it could solve wasd movement controls for your friend
and other actions can be surely mapped on something like Razr Naga.

I couldn't google any of this device, but I saw one in university lab. It was
circular board - much larger than usual pedal-size with 4 springs at edges. It
may be possible that it was custom built though.

~~~
chrissyb
Yeah a post below mentions [http://stinkyboard.com](http://stinkyboard.com) i
think this would be simliar to what you're referring too.

------
failrate
A coworker in a different department is missing his left arm above the elbow,
and one of his team built him a set of foot switches both to do his job as
well as to participate in gaming nights. A gamer mouse with lots of buttons is
also included. Then, macros to change the contexts of what the different
buttons and foot switches do, and he's able to recover a significant amount of
functionality.

------
kubiiii
Pretty much any rts even if keyboards have practical shortcuts. Some rpg too.
I'm playing shadowrun dragonfall with only the mouse, awesome game (rpg with
turn based combats, bargain price). But its very cool from you to try to come
out with a solution for your friend. It would be useful mostly for fps
shooters or rpg.

------
NamTaf
for FPS, I'd be interested if you could recreate the WSAD setup for moving
with foot pedals? Your feet can be quite dexterious, just most of us never use
them for more than walking. I'm thinking something like using the whole foot
to control the buttons, not toes. Something sort of like how a kick drum works
maybe, but with two degrees of freedom for the heel and toe?

edit: I mean, hell, dance dance revolution sort of does that already and the
savants that play that can do crazy speed with their feet.

There was a girl at my school a couple of years above me who was born with no
arms. She could write reasonably well, feed herself, etc. via her feet by
using her toes like fingers. I was always impressed with just how able she
was. She ended up getting her drivers license and everything with a steering
wheel that she can use with her feet.

~~~
chrissyb
Your foot pedal idea is really interesting, i also just thought that there is
a certain amount of pivoting ankles can perform while seated. So the two feet
holsters could pivot from side to side and forward and backward. If all these
movements were linked to potentiometers, calibrated to an individuals movement
that gives you a total of 6? variable inputs.

You're definitely on the money with your reference to the girl from your
school too, our feet's dexterous movements are surely only limited by
use/practice.

------
robin_reala
A typical FPS control setup maps one hand to movement, and the other to
observation and actions. If he can work out a control scheme that moves
actions to the movement hand (i.e. Q and E on top of WASD if he’s a PC gamer)
then observation controls could be moved to the position recognition of a VR
helmet?

------
thethomaseffect
There's a lot of portable games that are stylus/touch-driven. Kid Icarus came
with a cradle for the 3DS and if he likes RPGs the recent Final Fantasy
Theatrhythm would work great. It supports a one-handed mode for the buttons
too.

------
bowmanb
Maybe the Razer Orbweaver[1] can help. Best of luck.

[1] [http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-keyboards-keypads/razer-
orbw...](http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-keyboards-keypads/razer-orbweaver)

------
dragonbonheur
Get him an Emotiv Headset
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs2GDSYYCoA](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs2GDSYYCoA)

------
Jam0864
Depends what he wants to play. Sim racing could work, as it's mostly foot
control with some arm movement for the wheel. Can be done with one arm and one
leg if need be.

------
iaw
How much of his left arm did he lose? (eg, is there a stump with enough motion
that a rig could be devised for d-pad control?)

What type of games does he play?

~~~
chrissyb
Lost all up to shoulder, i think hes been playing mostly FPS.

------
CmonDev
Oculus + Joystick + Eve Valkyrie could work.

------
zalzane
recommend world of tanks with a footpad set up for wasd

