Welcome to the Help & FAQ section of our site.
Here you'll find a comprehensive list of questions and answers surrounding both the site and our products.
If your answer isn't included here, please Contact us
The obvious thing is a computer but make sure that it's running on Windows 98 or above. We recommend that your computer has a minimum of 128MB of RAM and ideally should have 512MB. However, there's no need to worry and start searching for RAM information as most computers have more than enough as it is. Lastly you're going to need DirectX 8 or above, but again, the vast majority of computers are equipped with this straight from the box. You're going to need either speakers or a pair of headphones as the games rely entirely on sound. Headphones are ideal as these allow your child to concentrate more on the sound environment and become more involved in the game whilst external speakers make it more difficult to hear important sounds and reduces the realism of play. Last but not least, you're child will need an active imagination and plenty of spare time to set aside as our games can become addictive!
If you're unsure of which operating system your machine is running on and/or how much RAM you have, it's easy to find out. You should have the "My Computer" icon displayed on your desktop or in the start menu. Go to either one and right-click it. You should get a window popping up with all the handy information about your computer's system. This is an example of what you should be seeing after right-clicking "My Computer"
If, after this, you're still unsure, contact your computer's manufacturer or consult the documentation shipped with your computer. Alternatively you can contact us via e-mail and we'll do everything we can to help.
Unfortunately our games are only compatible with Windows machines at the moment.
Our audio books and learning packs, however, can be used on all operating systems or even through an ordinary CD player so all is not lost!
We have a very simple online ordering system which is not only quick but also secure, so no need to worry about your personal details.
The first thing you need to do is click on the "Products" link in the navigation bar which is always at the top of every page.
This page includes details about every game and book up for sale and also a "Buy Now" button beneath each description. You can either click this button to take you through to PayPal straight away or, if you'd like to read more about the game/book you're considering buying then you can click on the "Read More" link located to the right of "Buy Now". These pages also include "Buy Now" links.
No worries, if you don't have a PayPal account you are still able to make purchases using their system.
PayPal accepts the follwing major credit/debit cards:
Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express.
If, however, you'd prefer not to use PayPal, then you can always send a bank transfer, however, this will take longer due to bank handling and processing.
For those of you who dislike using your credit/debit cards over the internet we're perfectly happy to accept cheques or postal orders. However, please do not send cash in the mail as this can be very risky and we are at no liberty to refund you in the event that your money is lost/stolen.
Please ensure that cheques are made payable to "Gemma Hadfield" and are in GBP (£ Pounds Sterling).
The address to mail all cheques and postal orders to is shown below, but for safety reasons it is an image rather than text.
If, for any reason, you can't see the image, feel free to e-mail us and we will include the address in the reply.
You have a choice of 2 formats for audio games.
As the name suggests the only difference is that games for the blind rely entirely on sound to create the gaming environment with absolutely no images displayed on the screen.
Users move around the gaming world by pressing the corresponding keys on their keyboards and instead of using a visual representation of the virtual environment, they instead use sound effects to create a realistic and engaging atmosphere.
Audio games for the blind typically do not have elaborate sound tracks as this would interfere too much with gameplay, however, music still plays a big part in creating the mood of the game.
Our learning packs contain the following:
You can fully customise a learning pack too, for example, if you would like to purchase only the CD, or only the book and the tactile extras.
To do this you will find a link on the products' page called "Customise". Click on this to be taken to a page listing the various options available.
If the combination of items you want is not listed, don't hesitate to send us an e-mail. Don't forget to include the name of the Learning Pack and a list of the items you would like in your pack.
All stories and activities featured in Toybox Riot books and games are written by the owner; Gemma Hadfield.
Everything on Toybox Riot Games is in English, however, we are hoping to translate a number of our products into several European languages, providing there is demand.
If you would like a book or game in your native language, please contact us for further details.
Anything sound related is thanks to our sound designer; Philip Bennefall who has his own website for blind gamers and software developers.
Pb Soundscape
Anyone! You don't have to be blind or partially sighted to enjoy our games. However, all games are primarily designed for young children aged between the years of 4 and 10 so older players may want more of a challenge.
Of course! As Toybox Riot Games is dedicated to providing educational materials for young children we endeavor to make both our website and our products totally child friendly.
Right now we are working on a "Kids Corner" for the site which will enable our young customers to browse themselves; playing online versions of our games, finding out more about how their books and games are made and more.
All this they can do safely and securely, so you have no need to worry about online safety.
All books are tested before sale to ensure there are no sharp corners or small pieces which could pose a choking hazard.
Rest assured your child can use everything available on sale here at Toybox Riot safely and without you worrying.
All care has been taken to ensure that Toybox Riot Games is compatible with screenreaders.
If you do encounter any problems with navigating through the website (this includes broken links too), we would appreciate it if you could contact us with more details so that we can fix it.
The site is best viewed on either 1024x768 or 1440x900 display, although smaller resolutions should experience very minor differences.
We suggest that if the text is difficult to read or any images appear dull etc. try adjusting your screen's resolution.
It is very difficult to achieve optimum viewing results on all screens as each one differs, sometimes slightly and sometimes greatly, but we've done the best we can.
If you find that even after adjusting your screen resolution, you can't see/read anything, by all means send us an e-mail and we will do our utmost to sort it out.
If you experience any difficulty with or don't think that your computer game is working properly, please contact us as soon as possible. Please ensure that you check your computer is functioning as normal and that no other programs/games encounter the same problem(s).
In the unfortunate event that a Toybox Riot computer game should malfunction, we will refund you the total amount of the product or offer you a replacement along with our apologies.
We're very sorry to hear that you're unhappy with one or more of our products. Please send us an e-mail addressing the reason why you're unhappy with your purchase and we will refund you as soon as possible, providing your reasons are valid.
If your item is in a saleable condition, we do ask that you return it to us at the address below.
Upon receiving the product we will of course reimburse you the shipping and handling expenses.
All donations are gratefully accepted and any amount, large or small, goes towards keeping us online and in business.
Donations to the company can be made via PayPal through the link shown below and on our homepage. For those lovely people out there who do make a donation, if you choose to make a purchase on Toybox Riot Games, as a special thank you, you will receive a 10% discount on your order no matter how big or small your donation!
