Before Your Eyes delivers one of the most unique narrative experiences in modern games, built around a mechanic that is as simple as it is emotionally powerful, blinking. The game turns your camera into a form of input, where every blink moves time forward, skips moments, or accelerates memories. The tutorial is clear and intuitive, which is essential for a game that relies on such an unconventional control method.

The eye‑tracking mechanic isn’t just a novelty, it’s the core of the storytelling. Blinking becomes a meaningful action, sometimes intentional, sometimes not, and the tension between wanting to stay in a moment and being forced to move on creates a rare emotional connection. The game also includes choices that influence the story, adding replayability and encouraging players to revisit the narrative from different angles.

The structure of the story is particularly striking. It’s a game where you genuinely experience life from infancy to adulthood, reliving memories that define the protagonist. At the same time, you are revisiting these memories as part of a larger, spiritual journey. This duality creates a powerful emotional impact, nostalgic, intimate, and deeply human.

Sound design plays a major role in immersion. Audio shifts depending on where you look, and music adapts to the emotional tone of each scene, whether it’s parents arguing, a teacher speaking, or conversations with friends. These subtle changes reinforce the feeling of being inside each memory rather than simply watching it.

The narrative explores themes like parental expectations, the pressure to follow a predetermined path, and the struggle between pursuing your own passion or meeting others’ demands. Replaying the game reveals new details that completely change the interpretation of earlier scenes, giving the story surprising depth.

The narrator is exceptional warm, mysterious, and engaging. His delivery guides the player naturally through the emotional highs and lows of the journey, adding personality and cohesion to the experience.

Although blinking is the intended way to play, the game includes accessibility options for players who cannot or prefer not to use eye‑tracking. This ensures the experience remains inclusive without compromising its identity.

Short but unforgettable, Before Your Eyes is a beautifully crafted narrative about memory, loss, expectations, and acceptance. It uses game design in a way that reinforces every theme, making it one of the most emotionally resonant interactive stories available.

Played on: PC(Steam) — Version: October 18, 2022 — Hours played: 2.6h — Date of review: January 17, 2026