After playing “Hands on ASL” by Play Nice, I got a bit angry. Not angry with myself, because I regularly struggle in learning games if they’re not for kids. I’m not angry with the developers either, but with the general (German) education system for not teaching me sign language during my school years.

I mean, you can talk a lot about the inclusion of people with disabilities, but actions speak louder than words. And putting sign language on the class schedule would be a beacon for participation and integration.

Anyway, I’ve learned more about history in Age of Empires than in my history lessons, so why not broaden my mind with another game? Chop-chop!

Need a helping hand? There it is!

Gaming for a good cause

Like I said in the first paragraph, “Hands on ASL” is a useful expansion of your stock of knowledge and it’s actually even more: It’s gaming for a good cause, where we, as members of the mainstream society, can learn from a small majority and bridge the gap between us and them.

Even the customization options are politically correct, as you can choose between a white, tanned or black hand demonstrating the sign language. Chapeau!

Speaking of presentation: I think that the developers have done a great job with designing the interface and animating the hand. I repeatedly criticize indie developers for being too sloppy with the gift wrap of their presents, but that’s definitely not the case here.

Plus, it’s actually a lot of fun. It’s no secret, that I am into word games, but being able to play one and incidentally learn something is twice as good.

Wish List

As I haven’t found any bugs, no-gos or other issues, I simply go with a wish list for the next (big) update.

1. More languages! This game is about the ASL (=American Sign Language), but wouldn’t it be great to be able to learn Spanish, French or German sign language as well? Especially for Spaniards, French and German people. 🙂
2. Background customization! In this version, it’s possible to unlock customized hands (like a tanned one with tattoos for example), but wouldn’t it be awesome to unlock a couple of well-designed background graphics as well?
3. Global Highscores! I mean, we can compete with ourselves, but why not giving us the chance to compete with people from all over the world?

V stands for Victory

The Verdict

Hands on ASL is a must-have for word gamers and everyone, who doesn’t speak sign language. Download it for Android or iOS.

All pictures are in-game screenshots.