For people with Intellectual Disability (ID), participatory and inclusive research is a matter of human rights and an increasing concern. Nevertheless, in the field of games, approaches are mainly framed in medical perspectives, linked to the notion of assistive technology, neglecting a sociocultural view of digital media (Sousa, 2020). Although research with this population poses inherent and complex practical challenges (Coons & Watson, 2003), changing the paradigm of approaching the relationship between digital media and ID, from therapy to co-creation, can be a very relevant step in the path for media participation and, ultimately, social inclusion of these individuals. In this paper, we present the insights from a participatory approach in the context of game creation, involving 30 university students (Bachelor’s Degree in Videogames) and 14 institutionalized adults with ID, with 12 of them also having motor disabilities. This represents a comprehensive and player-centric approach, which differs from those normally used in the field of serious games. Therefore, instead of starting from the needs of people with ID perceived by third parties, such as doctors, therapists, or family members, the games were developed based on the interests and needs of these individuals, perceived and verbalized by themselves. One focus group about interests and media habits, nine co-creation sessions with feedback gathered from the target audience, and three playtesting rounds were conducted, between March 2020 and January 2021. This process resulted in 10 accessible games for people with ID, created considering their interests, needs, cognitive and motor characteristics, as well as in a different tangible interface (controller) for each game, adapted to their motor impairments. The ethnographic study of this creative process, based on participant observation, highlights the potential role of digital games and participatory game development processes in the promotion of empowerment and self-determination of people with ID. This study also stresses the importance of tightening the bond between academia and civil society organizations, such as Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) of people with ID, to foster social change through participatory media creation and inclusive learning processes for students.