Gaming with a Broken Hand: Adaptive Controllers, Game Genres & Ergonomics

Follow doctor's orders first. Healing > gaming. But if cleared for light use, here are adaptive strategies.

One-Handed Controller Options

Xbox Adaptive Controller (XAC): $99. 19× 3.5mm ports + 2 USB. Map any switch/button/joystick to any input. Works on Xbox One/Series, PC (Win10/11). Best investment.
One-Handed Controllers: Evil Controllers One-Handed, Ben Heck Accessible Controller, 8BitDo Lite SE (compact, remappable).
Foot Pedals: Stinky Board, Delcom — map jump, crouch, sprint to feet.
Voice Attack / VoiceBot: Voice commands → keystrokes/macros. Works in any game.
Eye Tracking: Tobii Eye Tracker 5 — aim/look with eyes (supported in Assetto Corsa, Elite Dangerous, Dying Light 2).

Genre	Examples	Why
Turn-Based Strategy	Civilization VI, XCOM 2, Divinity: Original Sin 2	No time pressure, mouse-only viable
Card / Deckbuilder	Slay the Spire, Balatro, Monster Train	Mouse-only, pause anytime
Management / Sim	Factorio, RimWorld, Cities: Skylines	Pause, plan, click
Visual Novel / Narrative	Disco Elysium, Baldur's Gate 3 (turn mode), Coffee Talk	Reading + choices
Puzzle	Baba Is You, Portal 2, The Witness	Think > reflex

Remap Controls: Steam Input / Xbox Accessories App / reWASD — move critical actions to accessible buttons.
Auto-Run / Toggle Aim: Accessibility settings in modern games (Last of Us II, Forza Horizon 5, God of War Ragnarök).
Difficulty Mods: Cheat Engine (offline only) for infinite health, slow motion — single-player only.

Communities: r/DisabledGamers, SpecialEffect (UK charity), AbleGamers (US) offer personalized setups. You're not alone.

Video Games