Blind chess: Stillborn (2008), Papa Sangre (2010)
Papa Sangre famously had no visuals at all — a black iPhone screen and binaural audio. You moved by tapping, listened for monsters, and learned to navigate a labyrinth in pitch dark. Reviewers called it the most terrifying mobile game ever shipped.
Submarine listening: Cold Waters, UBOAT, We Need to Go Deeper
Modern subsims emphasise passive sonar — listening, not pinging. You hear distant propellers, identify class by signature, plot a firing solution on a wax-pencil map. Ping once and you become the target.
The radar parallel
A radar sweep is sonar's optical cousin. Both reveal a slice of the world per cycle; both punish constant transmission with detection; both create the unforgettable rhythm of look-then-decide. SignalLock leans on the same loop on purpose.
Accessibility benefit
Sound-first games are often the most accessible options for visually impaired players. The Last of Us Part II's accessibility suite borrowed audio-design tricks straight from sonar-game heritage.