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.
Comments
Re: outbrick 5.0: experience is worse, game is slower
OutBrick 5.0.1 is now on the App Store, with a much faster VoiceOver experience:
each move is spoken straight away;
hints speak again;
gates explain themselves;
every Accessibility setting says what it does.
I'd be very grateful if you could try level 118 again and tell me how it feels.
Everyone: another update is coming today, with more fixes for the issues raised here. If you try it, please tell me your device, your iOS version and how VoiceOver feels. Every word helps me make OutBrick the best game it can be for you.
Thank you all, and happy puzzling!
Re: the gameplay, true vision now
I missed your question about Remove Ads, sorry! Yes, you keep your free moves. Remove Ads switches advertising off for good, and the rewards you'd normally get by watching a video, such as extra moves, come to you straight away without the video, with the same daily limits. So you lose nothing by buying it.
And about sliding: don't worry, matches and combos aren't going anywhere. Slide & Match keeps the matching and the combos you enjoy, and adds the option to slide bricks out through their gates. You can play it your way.
Re: Questions and suggestions for the developer
yes, the other game is Coverlet, and thank you for giving it a try! There isn't an AppleVis thread for it yet, so I'll start one very soon where I can explain how it plays and answer every question. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/coverlet/id6798020567
a Nasty focuse inconvenience
Hello! So, when I'm playing I flik/swap my finger left and right to select a brick, and down to see if there's a valid combination or not. However, when I'm fliking quickly to one side, or even when I'm fliking normally, voiceover loses focuse randonly and speaks "board: level 'insert level number here, right now seven'", the number of moves left and the objectives of the board. from there, if I flik right, I'm back to roll 1, column 1. inconvenient, because I may be trying to move from roll 8 to roll 5, or from roll 1 to wherever the hint points, and get warped to roll 1. the same thing (board: level "level number" and all objectives), happens if, instead of fliking the finger left and right, you slide the finger through the screen, exploring by touch. the game won't accept it. Voiceover won't read element by element. if it did, I could go to a specific roll and column just by putting my finger on the correct position.
But this focuse loss is really nasty and nulifies the purpose of relaxing.
coverlet
Covernet is a game I can't play, because it requires iOS 18. sad.
Re: a Nasty focuse inconvenience
Explore by touch does work, the problem is how it handles some elements. For example - in a level I'm playing there's a river down the middle of the board. If I touch a cell on the left side of it, say row 1 column 3, and slide right where the river is, it reads out that board status report. slide right again and you're on row 1, column 5. In other words, 4 isn't a normal square.
Strangely, some of these do work - I can see decorations like seashells or whatever, but some of them don't. Basically, when exploring by touch, put your finger where you think you roughly need to be, and slide around not lifting it.
hints for movements
Obviously, I'm not using the absolutely latest version - the app store doesn't have it yet, but believe it or not I'm asking for *less* help with this game. Basically, in 5.0.1 which I think is what I'm playing as far as I can tell there's no way to actually lose as a voiceover player. If you sit still doing nothing for long enough - a hint will get read out telling you exactly what move to make. If you read the board, it's the same. I mean, I like hints, paying for them, having a limited number per board maybe, something, but right now it can feel a bit like the game is playing itself ☺️
Is there a setting I've missed that controls this?
Re: hints for movements
I like the game the way it is because it really helps me because I have trouble exploring the board, but I definitely agree that a setting should be implemented because that way you could have the option to play the way you want without so many hints and for those of us who need the hints, we can still keep them the way they are.
My big bug from earlier about the game not responding
Hello, I had a sighted person play the game for a little while and I was on level eight and they said it froze up for them too. So I guess it isn’t a voiceover issue too much. The status bar issue is still there but the screen actually froze for someone with vision to, so I don’t know if there’s something wrong with that level or if there’s just something wrong with the game in general, but I thought I would bring that to attention.
Re: a Nasty focuse inconvenience
Yeah, I figured that out eventually. Still, if something can be made about this, I'll love it.
this game is great!
I just got this game yesterday and I’m loving it! how do I get to the missions? I think that’s my only confusion. also, yes. There is a very bad lag in the main menu.
The latest version
Ok, wow. I really like this one. I can see the empty spaces, I can slide bricks around, I can merge bricks, it's a lot of fun. Might have to go back to level 1 just to replay all the puzzles I played in the two different puzzle versions.
Just a couple of things. Make sure the actual puzzles work - I ended up in a situation where there was plenty of empty spaces above where I was but I still couldn't push a block up and ended up in an unwinnable state where it could only go left and right. Not sure what happened there. The other interesting point is when I'm trying to push a block a certain number of cells in a particular direction. I was trying to push a block 3 cells right, and the only rotor options were one cell right, or all the way to the end. I mean no, I don't want rotor options like 1 cell right, 2 cells right, 3 cells right etc etc etc, but I'm not sure what the answer is for moving a block accurately in one move because pushing it manually doesn't announce how many cells it's moving. I wouldn't care, except that pushing it one cell at a time could eat up moves. anyway, in that case I actually did manage to push it manually the right number of cells, so it worked, but it's just a thought.
I am really enjoying this though - it's a lot easier to explore the board and actually solve the puzzles. I really need an expert mode or something - it's way too easy to just listen to the spoken hints and play the game like a puppet and not solve the puzzles myself, ☺️.
Re: The latest version
I would recommend you check the settings. I think they added something to turn off the hints for those of us who don’t need them. I’m proud to be a puppet to hints lol but seriously though, I hope this suggestion helps you. I hope you find what you’re looking for in the settings.
This version is very fun.
I like the slide and match mechanics. They are very very satisfying. I want more sounds though. Like a sound for when bricks match and fly out of their gates. One that communicates this. Voiceover does do this well, but I really want a sound, and bigger haptics for that. I love the sliding mechanics too but the matching makes this feel like a true sort puzzle as well.
I don't know if you can do this but I would love it if you could make it so that if we want to manually drag a piece VoiceOver would announce what it's being dragged over. This would help a lot.
I do think there's already a few slide puzzles with gates, but the matching makes this unique. One of these days if you ever make new worlds or a new game, a slide and stack mechanic would be awesome too.
Re: a Nasty focuse inconvenience
Hi Douglas, thank you for describing it so precisely! The focus jumping back to the board summary and row 1 was fixed in 5.1.2, which is now on the App Store, so you can flick or explore from row 8 to row 5 without being sent back. If it ever happens again, please tell us the level and we'll jump on it. Happy, relaxing puzzling!
Re: coverlet
Thank you for wanting to try Coverlet too, Douglas! It needs iOS 18 for now, and I've noted your iPhone 8 on iOS 16. OutBrick will always keep working on older iPhones, and the next update makes it lighter and cooler on them.
Re: a Nasty focuse inconvenience
Thank you, Yvonnezed, for helping Douglas with such a clear tip! You're right that some squares, like the river or the gaps in a board's shape, don't read as normal cells yet. I've added it to our list, so that every square on the board, gaps and scenery included, says what it is when you explore by touch.
Re: hints for movements
I love that you're asking for less help, that's the spirit of a true puzzler! Lexi is right: there's a switch in Settings to turn the automatic hints off, so you can solve every board yourself. Thank you for the idea of a tougher, expert way to play; we're looking at it for a future update.
Re: hints for movements
Thank you, Lexi, that's exactly the balance we want: hints for everyone who likes them, and a switch for those who don't. Everyone gets to play their way.
Re: My big bug from earlier about the game not responding
Thank you so much, Lexi, and please thank your sighted helper too! That told us it wasn't VoiceOver. We found the level 8 freeze and fixed it in 5.1.2, and every one of the first twelve boards is now played start to finish by an automatic freeze test before each release. Please tell us if you ever see it again.
Re: a Nasty focuse inconvenience
So glad you found your way, Douglas! And yes, we're on it: exploring by touch should simply work everywhere, so every square on the board, including the river and the gaps, will say what it is. Thank you for sticking with it!
Re: this game is great!
Welcome, and I'm so happy you're loving OutBrick! Missions are on the Home screen, on the Missions button in the top bar. Thank you for asking, because it showed us they're too hard to find. The next update makes the Missions button clearer, with your progress on it and a little pointer the first time you visit. The Home screen lag is also much better now, and the next update makes it lighter still.
Re: The latest version
Ok, wow, this made our day, thank you! I'm thrilled the new version is fun and easier to explore. The block that wouldn't go up into the empty spaces is really helpful to know about. If you remember the level, please tell me, and I'll make sure no board can get stuck like that. And great news about moving a block an exact number of cells: the next update lets you choose the distance with VoiceOver, hear exactly where the block will stop, and then slide it in one move. While you drag a block by hand, VoiceOver will now also say how many cells it has moved.
Re: The latest version
Thank you, Lexi, for helping Yvonnezed find the hints switch, that's what makes this community so lovely!
Re: This version is very fun.
Leela, thank you, this is wonderful to hear! You'll love the next update: bricks flying out of their gates and matches each get their own satisfying sound, so you can tell them apart by ear, with much bigger haptics for gate exits, matches and finished goals. VoiceOver will also announce what a piece is being dragged over, cell by cell. And your slide-and-stack idea inspired us: we've started building a stacking mechanic to try out, so stay tuned!
Re: Moderator's Note
Hi OutBrick,
First and foremost, we greatly appreciate your commitment to making your game accessible and your engagement on AppleVis.
That said, we are again seeing a pattern of a very high number of posts from your account in a very short amount of time. As just the most recent example, there were eleven comments posted, each an individual reply to a different person, in approximately three minutes.
As I stated in my original note to you about this, please consolidate your replies into one post whenever possible.
Thanks,
Michael
5.x versions: impossible to select powerups
Hello, just to warn you that it seems impossible to select power-ups from the bottom bar, while playing. The ones which eliminate a single brick, or multiple bricks of the same color. VoiceOver seems tot to work any longer there.
Double-tapping on the power up, produces no effect. Even selecting the target brick.
Thanks.
OutBrick 5.3 update and VoiceOver follow-up
Michael, you are absolutely right, and I’m sorry for posting so many separate replies after your earlier reminder. I should have consolidated them. Thank you for your patience and for keeping the discussion welcoming and easy to follow. I’ll keep my updates and replies together in one post.
Hello everyone, and thank you for continuing to tell me what works and what gets in your way. Here is one update covering the recent release and the issues I’m working on now.
OutBrick 5.3 is available on the App Store. It includes 240 rebuilt puzzles across 20 additional villages, bringing the updated village boards through level 372. All 2,000 existing level addresses remain playable, and your progress, stars and purchases stay with you. The remaining village upgrades are still in development; they are not all included in 5.3.
The released accessibility improvements include clearer gate guidance for shaped bricks, keeping hidden colours out of spoken hints, a clearer reading order for modal cards, and more useful descriptions of board offers and purchases. The Shop now communicates unavailable products correctly, and VoiceOver describes unlimited moves when a Move Booster Pass is active. There are also calmer effects with Reduce Motion and simpler character settings.
Elena, thank you for reporting the power-up problem so clearly. I’ve traced a mismatch between the touch and VoiceOver paths: a power-up can be armed, but activating the target brick with VoiceOver can still take the ordinary brick-selection path. I’ve corrected that handling locally for Rocket and UFO, and am checking the target-selection and inventory behaviour for the next update. Please don’t take this as a claim that the fix is already in the App Store.
I’m also continuing to investigate the delayed VoiceOver responses and reports of the app closing. I’ve corrected unnecessary background work at startup, and found another issue in the automatic hint work that starts after a few seconds on the board. The new work reduces that search and cancels outdated requests. Testing is focused on the actual game: selecting and moving bricks, Undo, hints, power-ups and continued board navigation. I’m keeping the delay and closing reports open until the evidence supports calling them resolved.
If you’re on an older version, please update through the App Store. If something is still happening, please tell me your OutBrick version, iPhone or iPad model, iOS version and level number. For power-ups, the name of the tool and what happens after selecting the target would be especially helpful. There’s no need to delete the app or reset your progress.
Thank you again for the honest feedback, the suggestions and the help you give one another. I’m continuing the remaining village upgrades alongside these accessibility fixes, and I’ll share further progress in consolidated updates here. The community update is also at https://www.outbrick.site/community/t/57/outbrick-5-3-is-here-village-upgrades-fixes-and-what-comes-n
Mourad