OutBrick: a VoiceOver-friendly sliding-block puzzle with no timer

By OutBrick, 24 September, 2026

Forum
iOS and iPadOS Gaming

Hello AppleVis community,

I’m the developer of OutBrick: Block Sort Puzzle, a sliding-block logic game for iPhone and iPad. I’m sharing it here because accessibility shaped how I built it, especially support for colour-blind and VoiceOver players.

Bricks and matching gates pair colour with distinct glyphs, so colour is never the only clue. With VoiceOver on, each brick is labelled with its colour, shape and position and exposes slide actions, so players can identify and move pieces without relying on sight. There’s no timer or countdown; a move target gives each board a strategic constraint while you solve at your own pace.

You can try OutBrick at https://www.outbrick.site and find it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/app/outbrick-block-sort-puzzle/id6807997465.

I made the game and would be glad to answer questions or hear about anything that could work better with VoiceOver. Thanks for taking a look.

Options

Comments

By matheus rheine on Thursday, September 24, 2026 - 22:58

Hey! I want to thank you so much for thinking about blind players when developing this awesome puzzle game! I've completed 3 levels so far and am having so much fun, however I believe I found 2 bugs when playing with Voiceover:
1: Only 2 gates are being announced when exploring the screen with one finger. the third gate can only be found when swiping left and right with one finger, going through every single element visible on screen.
2: in some cases the same behavior also happens with blocks that are being surrounded by other blocks, or that might be blocking a gate of a different color. In some levels I lost because I didn't know what I was doing wrong, and the answer was in front of me, but Voiceover wasn't announcing the block while exploring the screen, only when swiping. Other than that the game is working perfectly!

By Leela on Friday, September 25, 2026 - 10:35

There's not many that are accessible, but I just recently discovered that I love block puzzles. and sorting puzzles. Lol. I'm excited to try this.

By Yvonnezed on Sunday, September 27, 2026 - 02:12

Ok, I really like this one - lost half of yesterday to it, 😏. That's not to say I'm any good at it yet, but this one gets added to the list of game types I haven't really played before.

By Leela on Sunday, September 27, 2026 - 04:12

I've tried this out and love it. It's one of the hardest puzzles I've done in a while. You've got several mechanics going on at once and I find it hard to manage everything. I haven't managed to complete any of the puzzles without going over the required moves, but despite the difficulty for me, I'm loving it. I think everyone should give this a try. I also have your other puzzle, but haven't tried it yet.

By open independence on Sunday, September 27, 2026 - 13:48

Congratulations on the release - pairing every color with a distinct glyph and giving each brick a full VoiceOver label with slide actions is exactly the kind of care this space needs more of. And no timer is a bigger deal than it sounds: solving at your own pace is the difference between a puzzle and a stress test for a lot of us.

I'm a blind developer making accessible games myself, so I know how much of this only surfaces when you actually play with the screen reader running. If you ever want to compare notes on blind game design, I'm around.

By Elena Brescacin on Tuesday, September 29, 2026 - 08:05

Hello, at least for my machine - iPhone 17 pro max with iOS 26.x, when clicking on the shop tab, and trying to buy a package, buttons don't get pressed by VoiceOver. You detect buttons but then the buy in-app product interface doesn't appear.

Second bug: when landing into the main home screen, it's very very slow - I mean the main screen when opening the app.

Another bug: I don't find the frozen gates. And when ice melts during game play, it's not counted into the missions where frozen gates are involved.

I love this game, I'm at level 62.

By charles on Tuesday, September 29, 2026 - 14:51

Is there a way to disable the timer? The time runs out almost before I can even get started. I feel that, even though we have the same boards to work, a Voice-Over user will always be at a disadvantage when playing against a sighted opponent. Sort of like playing blitz Chess, blind against sighted. We have to look at the board bit by bit, while the sighted can see it all at once. As such, I don't play timed games. Thanks. This looks like a fun game if there is no timer.

By honest nan on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 - 01:48

someone mentioned a tutorial, but I can’t find one in the game. I understand that you were supposed to be able to clear bricks out, but if they can only go up and you need to need it to go down, how do you make it work.? frustrated.

By Maranatà on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 - 10:23

The game is also in Italian?

By Elena Brescacin on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 - 15:59

yes the game is in Italian as well. It got an update today. Let's see if it goes. I honestly find it addicting.

By Erdem on Thursday, October 1, 2026 - 15:13

The app works best when navigating with flick gestures. However, since this is a spatial game, being able to explore the board by moving a finger around the screen is important for understanding its layout. Empty cells need to be announced as “empty.” I had difficulty understanding the board because I couldn’t tell which cells were empty.

Overall, the game is very good. Good luck!

Hi Matheus, thank you so much for playing, and for such a clear and precise report. It really helps.

You're right on both points: some gates, and bricks boxed in by other bricks, are not found when you explore the board with one finger, only when you swipe. I'm fixing touch exploration so every gate and every brick is announced exactly where it sits, and I'm adding "empty" announcements for free cells so the whole board can be read by touch. These fixes will be in the next update.

I'm also redesigning every level to make the experience much more enjoyable, starting with the first villages, and I'm keeping VoiceOver at the heart of it.

If you're enjoying OutBrick, would you consider leaving a review on the App Store? It helps so much for more people to discover the game: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6807997465?action=write-review

Thanks again, and happy puzzling!

Hi Leela, thank you so much! I'm really happy you discovered a love for block and sorting puzzles, and I hope OutBrick becomes one of your favourites.

There is no timer at all, so you can take every board at your own pace. I'm also redesigning every level for a much better and friendlier experience, and I'll keep improving VoiceOver with each update.

If you enjoy it, would you consider leaving a review on the App Store? It really helps more people discover the game: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6807997465?action=write-review

Happy puzzling!

Hi Yvonnezed, this made my day, thank you! Losing half a day to a puzzle is the best compliment a game maker can get.

You'll only get better at it, and I'm redesigning every level right now to make the journey even more fun and rewarding, with gentler first boards that teach each idea one at a time.

If you're enjoying OutBrick, would you consider leaving a review on the App Store? It helps so much for more people to find the game: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6807997465?action=write-review

Thanks again for playing!

Hi Leela, thank you for giving it such a good try, and for the honest feedback. It's really valuable.

You're right that several mechanics come at you at once. In the next update I'm redesigning the levels so each new idea arrives on its own, with a short teaching card the first time, a much gentler start, and more moves on the early boards. I'll keep everything fully playable with VoiceOver.

If you're enjoying OutBrick despite the challenge, would you consider leaving a review on the App Store? It helps more people discover the game: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6807997465?action=write-review

And I hope you enjoy my other puzzle too!

Thank you so much for these kind words. They mean a lot, especially coming from a blind developer making accessible games.

I completely agree that so much only shows up when you actually play with the screen reader running, and this community's feedback is helping me fix exactly that. I'd love to compare notes on blind game design. You can reach me through the contact form at https://www.outbrick.site.

I'm redesigning every level for a much better experience, with VoiceOver at the heart of it. If you enjoy the game, a review on the App Store would help a lot for more people to find it: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6807997465?action=write-review

Thanks again!

Hi Elena, thank you so much for playing, and congratulations on reaching level 62!

Thank you for these detailed reports. Here is what I'm fixing for the next update:
- Shop: the buy buttons will respond properly to VoiceOver, so the purchase screen opens.
- Home screen: I'm making it open much faster.
- Frozen gates: they will announce clearly that they are frozen and how many moves until they melt, and melting ice will count towards the frozen-gate missions.

I'm also redesigning every level for a much better experience. If you're enjoying OutBrick, would you consider leaving a review on the App Store? It really helps more people discover the game: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6807997465?action=write-review

Thanks again, and happy puzzling!

By OutBrick on Friday, October 2, 2026 - 21:09

In reply to by charles

Hi Charles, great question, and good news: OutBrick has no timer at all. I removed the timed mode from the game completely. Each board only has a move target, so you can explore the board bit by bit with VoiceOver and take as long as you like. Nothing in the game runs against the clock.

I'm also redesigning every level for a much better experience, keeping VoiceOver at the heart of it. I hope you'll give it a try, and if you enjoy it, a review on the App Store would help so much for more people to discover the game: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6807997465?action=write-review

Thanks for your interest!

Hi, I'm sorry it was frustrating, and thank you for telling me. Here's how it works:
- A brick can slide in any direction, up, down, left or right, as long as there is free space in that direction. It isn't limited to moving up.
- A brick leaves the board through a gate of its own colour, and gates can be on any side.
- If a brick needs to go down but something is in the way, move the other bricks out of its path first.
- With VoiceOver, focus a brick and swipe up or down to pick a slide action: slide up, down, left or right.

In the next update I'm adding short teaching cards on the first boards, which show and explain each idea the first time you meet it, and I'm redesigning the levels so they start much more gently.

Please give it another try. If you end up enjoying it, a review on the App Store would mean a lot: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6807997465?action=write-review

By OutBrick on Friday, October 2, 2026 - 21:10

In reply to by Elena Brescacin

Thank you, Elena, for answering, and for finding it addictive! That's music to my ears.

The next update brings the fixes you reported, plus redesigned levels for a much better experience. If you're enjoying OutBrick, a review on the App Store would really help more people discover it: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6807997465?action=write-review

Grazie mille!

By OutBrick on Friday, October 2, 2026 - 21:10

In reply to by Erdem

Hi Erdem, thank you so much for this suggestion and for the kind words.

You're absolutely right: in a spatial game, exploring by touch has to tell you where the empty cells are. In the next update, empty cells will be announced as "empty" when you explore the board with your finger, and every brick and gate will be found exactly where it sits.

I'm also redesigning every level for a much better experience. If you're enjoying OutBrick, would you consider leaving a review on the App Store? It helps so much for more people to discover the game: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6807997465?action=write-review

Thanks again, and good luck to you too!

By Michael Hansen on Friday, October 2, 2026 - 21:52

Member of the AppleVis Editorial Team

Hello OutBrick,

In future, please can you consolidate all of your replies to users into one comment? For example, when I just checked the site, this topic showed as having 11 new comments. All of them were replies that could have been posted as one single comment.

Thanks.

By douglas on Sunday, October 4, 2026 - 15:13

Hello! I have an old iPhone 8 with iOS 16.4, and the navigation with voiceover is slow in the main screen and in gameplay it's just a little. Also, the phone heats a little.
I like block games. I'm not good at puzzles, and I don't know very well what i'm doing because I forget the directions of the gates. But I love that the game has live events and missions, like a live service game.

Hi Douglas, thank you for playing and for the report, and I'm so glad you're enjoying the live events and missions!

You're right about the iPhone 8. In the next update I'm making OutBrick much lighter on older iPhones: VoiceOver navigation on the main screen and on the boards will respond faster, and the game will use less power so the phone stays cool. It steps down automatically on older models, when the phone gets warm, or in Low Power Mode.

For the gates, every gate will announce which side of the board it's on, each brick will tell you the direction of its gate, and there will be a new Gates rotor to find them all quickly.

The next update also changes how the game plays: you now swap neighbouring bricks to make lines of three or more, with gentler first levels and more moves, and every board is still fully playable with VoiceOver and has no timer.

Thanks again!

By Karok on Monday, October 5, 2026 - 00:29

when do you please hope for this next update to be live?

Thank you

By Yvonnezed on Monday, October 5, 2026 - 03:07

Wait, does this mean you're getting rid of the sliding puzzle mechanic and swapping it for match 3? That's kind of sad, if so. I sort of like the sliding puzzle - it's different.

By Elena Brescacin on Monday, October 5, 2026 - 13:34

Hello, downloaded OutBrick 5.0. first of all, improvements: shop works, there is more information on the main page, buttons to buy stuff at least work.

Then, regressions: the game play has slowed down a lot - VoiceOver has a terrible lag when moving bricks around.

VoiceOver says to swap bricks or to follow a direction, it says where's the door but I honestly don't understand how to place the brick across the door.

And, also, when you select a hint -or clue, I don't know the english translation - when it gives you suggestion on what to move and where, VoiceOver no longer announces the hint.

Then another one, on settings -> accessibility, there are numbers and parameters but no explanation on what they are.

Can I say it's the worst app update I ever tested?

By OutBrick on Monday, October 5, 2026 - 15:28

In reply to by Yvonnezed

great question, and thank you for telling me you like the sliding puzzle.
In 5.0 you swap neighbouring bricks to make lines of three or more, but the gates are still there on every board:
when a brick of a gate's colour is matched right in front of its gate, it flies out through it.

Have you had a chance to try 5.0 yet?

Do you prefer the sliding mechanics to match three, and would you rather slide the bricks yourself?

I'm listening carefully, and all your feedback goes into the next update. :-)

thank you for testing 5.0 so quickly and for such a detailed report.
I'm glad the Shop and its buttons now work for you,

and I'm really sorry about the rest.

Here's what I'm fixing for the next update:

The VoiceOver lag when moving bricks: each move will respond right away and be announced once, briefly.

Gates: every gate will explain in one sentence how to use it.
For example: "Red gate, left side. Match red bricks in the cell next to this gate, and they leave through it." A brick sitting in front of its own gate will say so.

Hints: a hint will be spoken again, telling you which brick to swap and in which direction, and VoiceOver focus will move to that brick.

Settings › Accessibility: every option will get a short explanation, and its values will be words instead of bare numbers.

So I can test on a setup just like yours: which iPhone and which iOS version are you using now? And roughly which level shows the lag the most?

Everyone: if you've tried 5.0, which device and iOS version are you on, and how does VoiceOver feel to you: faster, slower, or about the same?
Do you find swapping to match three or more easier or harder than sliding?
Every answer helps me make the next update better for VoiceOver players.

Thank you again, and happy puzzling!

By charles on Monday, October 5, 2026 - 18:47

For some reason, this game stumps me. What would you think of this idea? Very detailed hints are spoken as we play the lowest levels. As we progress and gain skill, the detail of the hints decrease. Either that, or a skill level selector can be added that we can change. I haven't tried the latest update yet, and am using an iPhone 16 pro on iOS 27's latest beta as of September fifth.

By douglas on Monday, October 5, 2026 - 21:34

Ok, let's start. The gameplay on version 5 is more how I thought it to be. you can actually make combos and eliminate blocks on the sides, feeling like you are playing candy crush. Exactly what I wanted.
I think saying if a move matches or not is not cheating, because we are blind. It's the information a sighted player receives by looking at the screen. A player will never make a move that has no match.
When a combo removes pieces, I don't like that the whole board is read again. I rater know what has just happened.
The main menu and the gameplay are both with terrible lags. slow.

Ok, again, this is my opinion not worth the paper it's not written on etc etc ☺️

I love this game. I love the goofy characters, I love the sounds. I love how the match3 game has a theme and actual tasks. It's fun, since I like match 3 and I like variety.

The problem for me is that, I feel like you've created a completely different game. A game I like, but a game that I've played. The sliding block puzzle from before was something I *hadn't* played before - getting different shaped bricks to different spots on the board and through the gates - it was really satisfying. - yes it was incredibly difficult - things like making blank squares speak when exploring the board and stuff like that would have been great, but what there was I really liked.

So what I'm saying is that - go ahead with this version. A lot of people seem to like it - solve the bugs, fix the lag etc. But if you ever feel moved to - I'd love for you to release a second game and try the brick sliding mechanic again. I at least really enjoyed it, ☺️.

By Lexi on Tuesday, October 6, 2026 - 02:41

Hello, I’m really enjoying your game. I have a suggestion. Could you make it maybe an option in the settings so those of us who enjoy the sliding way of playing our game we can and for those of us who enjoy the match three we can play it that way they’ll be two ways of playing it, and people can make their own choice on which mechanic they prefer. Also, is there a Forum thread for your other game? I unfortunately don’t understand that game at all.

I'm not the developer, but I think the problem there is that the puzzles are now completely different. We went from moving blocks around to a completely different game where we're doing match 3 style puzzles with things like destroying fences and dealing with mud and so on. It's not really just a case of the same puzzles with different mechanics.

Depending how the programming works I *could* imagine creating a new world or land where the match 3 turns into a sliding puzzle instead - but I really think if it comes back it might be better as it's own game - even use the same characters maybe - I don't know.

By David Standen on Tuesday, October 6, 2026 - 09:48

I first gave Outbrick a try nearly 2 weeks ago, and got nowhere with it because of the sliding puzzle mechanic. However, I downloaded it again today and much prefer the match 3 puzzles. I'm a long way behind a lot of you as I'm only on level 3, but I love the sounds and the combos which are possible after certain matches.

By douglas on Tuesday, October 6, 2026 - 11:17

Hello. I was playing the game at night yesterday, and the gameplay doesn't lag anymore. The main menu, mainly the home tab, still largs. And the game still consomes battery power. If possible, consider creating a no-graphics mode for the blind. because they are useless.
I wanted to buy things for the game, particularly the remove ads. If I buy remore ads, can I still get moves for free?

By Lexi on Tuesday, October 6, 2026 - 14:44

Hello, I have found a big bug with this game so hopefully the developer sees this. If I accidentally touch something in my status bar without even trying to, the game stop speaking completely and I have to close out the game. Since there is no way to resume a Level from where you left off, I have to start the whole level all over again. Hopefully there can be a resume level option and this bug can get fixed.

By Lexi on Tuesday, October 6, 2026 - 18:57

In reply to by Lexi

Also, your support form doesn’t work. I tried sending the bug report five times but it said it was not sent. I even tried going through the App Store to do it that way and it still wouldn’t take it. I thought I would let you know about that as well.

Thank you so much for every comment. I read every single one, and I value them enormously.
Your bug reports, ideas and honest opinions are what make OutBrick better with each update, especially for VoiceOver players.

Please keep sharing anything slow, anything confusing, any bug, and above all anything about VoiceOver.

I want to get it right for you.

Douglas: thank you for testing so thoroughly, and for coming back to tell us how it went.

Matches: you're right that knowing whether a move makes a match isn't cheating. It's exactly what a sighted player sees, and VoiceOver keeps telling you on every swap.

Combos: since 5.0.1, a move's result is spoken once and briefly, so you hear what just happened instead of the whole board again.

Speed and battery: I'm very glad the board no longer lags for you. The Home tab and battery use are next on my list.

A lighter mode: your idea of a lighter, no-graphics mode for VoiceOver players is a great one, and I'm looking into it seriously.

Thank you all, your feedback is shaping OutBrick

thank you for such a thoughtful idea.
Hints that are very detailed on the first levels and grow lighter as you gain skill would be a lovely way to learn the game.

Part of it is already there: Settings › Accessibility › Announcement detail lets you choose Brief, Standard or Full, and a hint now tells you exactly which brick to move and which way.

I've noted hints that adapt to your progress for a future update.

When you try the latest version, I'd love to know how it feels on your iPhone 16 Pro with iOS 27.

thank you for such a kind and honest message.

I loved reading that you enjoy the characters, the sounds and the tasks, and I hear you completely about the sliding puzzle: guiding shaped bricks across the board and out through their gates was something special.

So I'm bringing it back.

The next big update is Slide & Match:

you slide bricks, including long, L and T pieces, to their gates again;
a light touch of matching sits on top;
empty squares are spoken when you explore the board.

I'd love you to be one of the first to try it.

By OutBrick on Tuesday, October 6, 2026 - 21:43

In reply to by Lexi

thank you for your suggestions and for the bug report, they help a lot.

Both ways of playing: Slide & Match brings sliding and matching together in one game, so you can slide bricks to their gates and still make matches and combos.

The status bar: I'm investigating the bug where touching it makes the game stop speaking.

Resuming a level: I've noted your request to carry on a level from where you left off.

The contact form: thank you for telling me it wasn't working, and I'm sorry.
It's being fixed right now.

Meanwhile, this thread reaches me directly.

By OutBrick on Tuesday, October 6, 2026 - 21:44

In reply to by David Standen

welcome back, and thank you for giving OutBrick a second try!
I'm so happy you're enjoying the sounds and the combos.
Matches and combos stay a big part of the game, and I hope you'll enjoy what's coming next too.