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Game
Game2021
Before Your Eyes
Developer GoodbyeWorld Games, Nice Dream
Before Your Eyes is a 2021 adventure game developed by GoodbyeWorld Games and published by Skybound Games. It was released on Microsoft Windows on 8 April 2021, followed by a port for macOS in September of the same year. Ports for Android and iOS were released in July 2022. The game is noted for its use of eye-tracking technology in its story telling, being a full imagining of the team's previous project Close Your,… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
468 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Nov 4, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
97
LovedLoved
366 positive · 12 negative
95% range 95–98%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 366 | 12 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 36 | 0 | 46 |
| Mastodon * | 3 | 0 | 5 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Overwhelmingly Positive
17,101 of 17,413 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
97% recommend · 261 yes, 9 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 270 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Overwhelmingly Positive (23,598 of 24,094 positive).
Players praise the game's emotional impact and unique blinking mechanic. [1][2][3] Some reviewers complain about a blurry filter that obscures the later half. [4][5][6] A few players find the story superficial or the tone too downbeat. [7][8]
Liked
Representative posts
- [1]
How am I supposed to keep my eyes open when I cry? Before Your Eyes takes a simple, almost playful idea of using your webcam to detect blinks and turns it into one of the most original narrative mechanics I’ve ever experienced. Blinking isn’t just an input; it’s time itself. Moments slip away whether you’re ready or not, mirroring how memory, grief, and life move forward without asking permission. The storytelling …
- [2]
Playtime: ~2 hours Rating: Life-changing A memorable make-you-cry indie. Not your regular game. It revolves around a blinking mechanic. Using your webcam, it tracks your eye movements and advances the story whenever you blink. Why? This game shows you moments of life. Moments which you blink past. Moments that pass before you realize they're gone. Sometimes you desperately want to stay in one just a few seconds …
- [4]
Awful game. You cant even see the later half because of some horrible blurry filter
- [5]
this game sucked so much. 2nd half was unplayable because its too blurry and constantly raining, i couldnt see anything and my allergies started acting up.
- [6]
Great game, sadly couldn't see 90% of the time due to a blurry effect they added on the screen....that can't be turned off...
Summarised from 34 of the 340 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 10, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
97% of the 270 Steam reviewers we collected recommend Before Your Eyes. The complaint that keeps coming up: blurry filter makes later parts unplayable. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Before Your Eyes generally received positive reviews from critics, especially the story, though the controls were often noted as inconsistent. It received "generally favorable reviews" according to review aggregator Metacritic. The story of the game received praise. Andrew King of GameSpot called it "moving", explaining that its thesis has a "beautiful defense". He described the vocal performances as "powerful" and that they "help the game reach new emotional depths". Marcus Stewart of Game Informer commended the game's writing as "earnest and thoughtful", and was surprised by his investment in the cast over the short course of the game. Ben Kuchera of Polygon was initially skeptical to the…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 468 · most liked firstAwful game. You cant even see the later half because of some horrible blurry filter
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →this game sucked so much. 2nd half was unplayable because its too blurry and constantly raining, i couldnt see anything and my allergies started acting up.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →---{ Graphics }--- ☐ You forget what reality is ☑ Beautiful ☐ Good ☐ Decent ☐ Bad ☐ Don‘t look too long at it ☐ MS-DOS ---{ Gameplay }--- ☑ Very good ☐ Good ☐ It's just gameplay ☐ Mehh ☐ Watch paint dry instead ☐ Just don't ---{ Audio }--- ☐ Eargasm ☑ Very good ☐ Good ☐ Not too bad ☐ Bad ☐ I'm now deaf ---{ Audience }--- ☑ Kids ☑ Teens ☑ Adults ☑ Grandma ---{ PC Requirements }--- ☐ Check if you can run paint ☑ Potato ☐ Decent ☐ Fast ☐ Rich boi ☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer ---{…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game, however the end got a lil blurry. Not sure if its a bug or something.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →10/10 Best $15 I've ever spent Most immersive game I've ever played, PLEASE play it with a webcam(if you don't have one, use your phone) you should also play it in one sitting(game is 90-120 mins long). Unfortunately it's really hard not to blink when they randomly apply the blurry/watery filter that gives you a runny nose.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →10/10, in every aspect. My name is Benjamin, like in the game. I've suffered from a progressive illness since I was 10, which takes a part of me each year. I lost part of my childhood and adolescence, often lying down or sitting up, feeling lonely. This game caused something in me that I still can't explain, but it was very bittersweet and that is good. The game is enjoyable for everyone, and it teaches a nice lesson in such a short time.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →How am I supposed to keep my eyes open when I cry? Before Your Eyes takes a simple, almost playful idea of using your webcam to detect blinks and turns it into one of the most original narrative mechanics I’ve ever experienced. Blinking isn’t just an input; it’s time itself. Moments slip away whether you’re ready or not, mirroring how memory, grief, and life move forward without asking permission. The storytelling is perfectly built around this constraint, making every scene feel fragile and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Playtime: ~2 hours Rating: Life-changing A memorable make-you-cry indie. Not your regular game. It revolves around a blinking mechanic. Using your webcam, it tracks your eye movements and advances the story whenever you blink. Why? This game shows you moments of life. Moments which you blink past. Moments that pass before you realize they're gone. Sometimes you desperately want to stay in one just a few seconds longer. You fight the blink. Your eyes water. You do everything you can to hold…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It took me 110 minutes to complete this game and I spent crying half of that which made it really hard to refrain from blinking. Great game but I'll never touch it again. A must play for everybody!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game, sadly couldn't see 90% of the time due to a blurry effect they added on the screen....that can't be turned off...
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →cried so much playing this beautiful story game. when i finished it i immediately played it again with all the other options. 10/10 would recommend good cry sesh
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game is a play one time only because your first time playing will have you in tears 10/10 will not play again gonna go finish crying now
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →DON'T PLAY THIS, IT'S A TRICK THEY MAKE YOU BLINK BY MAKING YOU CRY. I'LL NEVER GET BACK THOSE EMOTIONALLY DAMAGING TWO HOURS. (great game)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Before Your Eyes was an incredibly emotional roller coaster. One of the best experiences I’ve ever had in a game. I’ll say nothing more to avoid spoilers, but I was bawling my eyes out at the end. 😭 It’s a must play.
positive · AI labelView post →kept uninstalling, reinstalling graphics drivers, verifying file integrity etc but each time i played the game there was a watery filter on the screen
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Walking Dead (Telltale) and Before Your Eyes - Steam codes will be free via Lenovo on Aug 19th / Sept 2nd gaming.lenovo.com/game-key-drops
neutral · AI labelView post →oh god it's a trap they make you not blink throughout the game so your eyes are dry but its ok they have a solution called the ending
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The 15th Indie Game Tarot card is Before Your Eyes. There were a lot of suggestions for Judgement, but this series has always been about celebrating the unique things indie devs have been creating and Before Your Eyes is unlike any other game I've ever played.
positive · AI labelView post →so i found this game on sale, right after my gf broke up with me yesterday, and it got me so f up real bad, i swear this game is something. it hits u so hard, i cried the entire game cus obviously the break up and the game is so heartwarming but broken at the same time. i don't expect anyone to read this, but i love you all. i will sign off now, and probably disappear not that im harming myself just completely alone you know haha, well just yeah.. life.. bye..
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →would you look at the time it's Rare Ship o'clock #throwback 2023 Death the Wolf (from 'Puss in Boots: The Last Wish') and the Ferryman of souls (from the intensely emotional game 'Before Your Eyes') The afterlife is a lotta work so they unwind with each other <3 #TribdinosaurArt ...Soul-mates?
neutral · AI labelView post →I cried throughout the entire gameplay, it was incredible
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Check out my gameplay of "Before Your Eyes". It's an emotional narrative short indie game with gorgeous graphics and amazing story. Enjoy~ 💛 youtu.be/GpEUL85CNAE
neutral · AI labelView post →This is a short but intensely hitting game especially if you are into mainly story games with themes like depression/sadness but also hope. Maybe it was not the best idea to play this shortly after loosing a family member to sickness, game obliterated me. But also helped working through some stuff. Oh you kinda should play it with a camera to actually blink, it 100% changes the experience when you fight to keep your eyes open.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you're unaware, Goodnight Universe is being made by a bunch of the people that made Before Your Eyes, the really sad game that you controlled with your webcam. I played the demo for this new experience earlier in the week, and I gotta say... they've done it again!
neutral · AI labelView post →Few games ever get a grown man to cry by the end of it. This game achieves just that however. If you just want to have a nice cry and don't want to invest 40+ hours on a great story, this is a masterpiece that takes just under 2 hours to finish, and delivers a bigger emotional impact than the vast majority of other games strives for.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I’m live with an out of this world #sponsored stream playing Goodnight Universe!! The new game from the team who made Before Your Eyes!! You control the game with your camera!!!!! 🚀 come be a baby with superpowers with me 💫 ✨ twitch.tv/elliejoypanic ✨
neutral · AI labelView post →I don't think I've ever experienced a game like this in my life. I recently lost someone to cancer, so the themes of life, the passage of time, memories, and death really resonated with me. If only I could forget about this game every time I finish it. I recommend this game to anyone. Please play it. You'll thank me later. 11/10. I rarely say this, but this game is perfection.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Not many games have ever had me ugly crying like this one has. Other games have had me in a few tears here and there, but this game had me straight up sobbing and ugly crying.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Okay, first of all a huge shoutout (and maybe a little side-eye) to my friend Savince for gifting me Before Your Eyes. Seriously, thank you, and also, ♥♥♥♥ you, because this game is emotional warfare disguised as an innocent artsy narrative experience, this is the type of game that could lure me into a white van. I thought I was just getting into a cool indie game where you “blink” through memories, not a full on existential therapy session about childhood, ambition, and grief. I didn’t even…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Its the kind of game that makes you sit in silent and just think about how we are forcibly given the thought that our lives only has meaning if you're destined to do great things or have big achievements. Its the kind of game you play once and have a different perspective about your own life and how much one can mean to someone even if you feel like you did not accomplish anything. It's not about the things that you never got to do but the things you did are what matters most. 10/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →👀 Blink and the game SKIPS AHEAD That’s the mechanics behind the game ‘Before Your Eyes’ developed by Goodbyeworld Games Incredibly well told and unique story that gets you right in the feel. I loved this experience, you can catch our full playthrough on our YouTube channel (link in bio)
positive · AI labelView post →Incredibly innovative gameplay that uses eye tracking to move the story forward. The plots filled with deep reflections on life from the author, and the presentations absolutely top tier. The twist at the end really elevates the theme. That final moment where Ella and the ferryman recite together across time and space hits me so hard it gave me chills. The weight of a life lived all comes thru perfectly in that scene.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →my girlfriend review: me and my bf we played this game together without using the camera, but during the whole process I was trying to keep my eyes open without blinking to see the whole story-- until my eyes dont feel dry anymore and my heart is being moistened too. just like ferryman said in the game, i often find myself wondering; as the storyteller of my own world, how ornate and heartshaking must my words be to piece together a life that truly shines, how vast the narrative and how…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is one of the most beautiful and heartfelt games I have had the privilege to play.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Cried at the end, even cried when I got a pet cat in the beginning. Get the game,
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After this game I stood up went to my parents and just told how much I love them Please play it :)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've never written a review for a game before, mainly because nothing has ever seemed to be "worthy" of praise beyond just, "it was fun" or "it was new and different and I whiled away the hours on a lonely day with it." But this one...this one deserves it. Very few games make you appreciate your life, the way you've lived it. Personally there were several details in before your eyes that hit very close to home for me, so its impact was more than it might be for others, but still, I am a stoic…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A straightforward and justified recommendation. But it's difficult to explain why, without revealing too much. Just get it. IYKYK
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My dream is to one day be half as good as the designers who made this game. What an incredible experience. I came out of this game rethinking a lot about my own life and experiences. If you're contemplating buying it, buy it twice.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A short but deeply emotional experience. The blinking mechanic is surprisingly effective and makes the story feel very personal. It hits hard in a quiet, reflective way rather than being overly dramatic. Definitely one of those games you sit with for a while after finishing. Absolutely worth playing.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Played this game in 2023 (pirat*d) but loved the game so much that i bought and completed it again , 10/10 The Music is top notch, artstyle also fits the game and The Narrative Is just 😭😭😭 AMAZING
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game reminds you to enjoy every second of life, no matter what happens along the way.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →How you strike ~fear~ into your sister's date in our new indie game (you can't talk but you have psychic powers 🌀) We made Before Your Eyes and we can’t wait for you to all pay GOODNIGHT UNIVERSE, coming out on Steam and the Nintendo Switch 2 later this year! Wishlist now 💫
neutral · AI labelView post →To spread some positivity, what games have lived rent-free in your head this year? 🤔 These are the ones I feel like I have thought about the most post-game (I played this year). 😊 • FFXVI • Mewgenics • Before Your Eyes • Absolum
neutral · AI labelView post →“The world isn’t very kind to people who aren’t good at something.” This game has a unique way of hitting you like a ton of bricks when you least expect it. The story is incredibly powerful and emotional, and the core mechanic - where you barely have to do anything - somehow makes the experience even more meaningful. It’s simple, yet it delivers so much. It’s a short game (~1.5 hours), but it gives you a lot to think about that stays with you after it ends.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Masterfully done unique and emotional work. Ten out of ten cries, would cry again!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →⭐️DON’T BLINK⭐️ A game where time skips forward when the webcam detects your blinking - wild right?? The story is INCREDIBLY emotional, it’s a gem all around, I can’t recommend it enough Check out our full playthrough here👇 💎BEFORE YOUR EYES💎 youtu.be/pjer5DLiajc?...
positive · AI labelView post →I wept for 15 minutes straight at the end of this game, and several other times during the game. This game tells a deeply moving story in an incredible way. The blinking mechanic, while at times uncooperative, helps to create that sense of everything we see being limited. We are told at the beginning our character is dead, therefore all of the story has a time limit hanging over it in that we know the character eventually dies. As someone who has struggled with depression and a bad…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →this game is soul crushing but in the best possible way. 10/10 would cry to it again
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →— Aimsey went live! Streaming: BEFORE YOUR EYES GAME!! EXPOSURE CRAFT LATER!! YIPPEE!! twitch.tv/aimsey
neutral · AI labelView post →Trying to take some time off after the exam, I watched a playthrough of a game called: Before Your Eyes, and oh my goodness—I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it. You blink to progress, and in doing so, you’re blinking as life passes you by. It’s as heart-wrenching as it is truly special.
positive · AI labelView post →This game gets reaaaaalll blurry in the last 10 minutes.... might wanna work on that.....
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Saw that this was a short game, and decided to play it whilst my phone was broken, before I went on a road trip back home. I played this game with just clicking, as I couldn't do the main gimmick of blinking, as my computer does not have a webcam. I have nothing but positive things to say about this game. I thought I was the emotionless type, hadn't cried for years at a time before this. Guess I was wrong, and some elements seem to hit right in the gut personally. The story is amazing, the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I’ve been hearing about this game from my friend since last year, and I kept asking him if it was actually good. Recently, I finally got to try it myself… which might’ve been his way of saying - just play it already. and YES… it really is a such good game T T. The story is beautiful and I like how the gameplay connects to the theme - it makes the whole experience more meaningful. My friend cried a river in this game and I now understand why. There was one moment that hit me so hard I had to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Some poetry I wrote after Aimsey played Before Your Eyes, which is a beautiful game :) #aimseyprompt #poetry
neutral · AI labelView post →15th Game Completed of 2026: Before Your Eyes A game that can make you feel something is always something special. And I'm really impressed that so much was able to be conveyed in such a short time (~90 minutes). This game earns a 9/10 for me. 👍 If you can handle some big sad feelings, it is - - -
positive · AI labelView post →With every blink you lose a memory, yet somehow each one stays with you. Cruelest part is? You can never blink back to what's already gone. SHORT,SHARP,INNOVATIVE. Would gladly through it again!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An extremely touching story that I will never get the chance to experience for the first time again. 10/10, absolutely beautiful.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Must play. A game which ends in a blink and stays with you forever.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Life is a Second The unique mechanic is etched into memory just as strongly as the story itself. Before Your Eyes leaves a powerful aftertaste, leaving you sitting in complete silence in front of the screen, just processing what you've seen. This is not just a video game, but a profound interactive experience that punches you in the gut harder than any feature film. The project's main magic is hidden in its unique mechanic: the game tracks movements through a webcam, and every blink forces…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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