85
The game was designed to be controlled with eye movements and blinking, but as this system doesn’t work perfectly (sometimes I had to open my eyes very wide and blink very dramatically for the game to notice), I appreciated the fact that the mouse works too. The immersion might have suffered, but it was a price I was willing to pay to be able to enjoy the story without any issues and frustration. And the story is what makes Before Your Eyes great – it only lasts two hours, but still managed to surprise me and pluck just the right emotional string.
80
GoodbyeWorld Games have created something incredibly special with Before Your Eyes. It’s a truly great game that explores real human stories through mechanics I’ve never really seen before. It’s a wonderfully crafted indie game that demands to be up there in your must-play list for 2021.
90
I refuse to spoil Before Your Eyes for you by telling you anything more about the story. All you really need to know is that it’s got an underutilized mechanic integrated perfectly into a heartbreakingly beautiful tale of a life well lived, no matter how short it was.
10
It's just like a 90's movie you watch at a cozy afternoon, drinking a nice cup of coffee made by your mother or granny. That cartoon you so much loved and watched while the sun setted. It evokes the same melancholic nostalgia feeling that remembering those memories and being brought back to reality does... You ABSOLUTELY HAVE to watch it not because it has a story totally new, or because it has a captivating gameplay, or anything that people who see themselves as gamecritics want to see: you have to go play it, and look at it, immerse yourself, be there for it, just like you would with something that resembles your childhood, so that you can live the experience.
9
made tears come from my eyes from keeping my eyes open for too long AND the story. never played a game that made me cry for more than one reason, highly recommend.
10
This game is a masterpiece. It moved me like only a few games ever could. It's such a clever way of utilizing technology to tell a beautiful story.
Before Your Eyes
Released On:
Apr 8, 2021
Metascore
Generally Favorable
77
User score
Generally Favorable
8.4
My Score
Drag or tap to give a rating
Hover and click to give a rating
All Platforms
Metascore
Generally Favorable
68% Positive
17 Reviews
17 Reviews
32% Mixed
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Apr 15, 2021
100
Telling a gut punch of a story with novel gameplay mechanics is no small feat, and Before Your Eyes marvelously delivers on both fronts. Just as Edith Finch and Firewatch before it told stories only games can tell and used mechanics we would likely never see borrowed elsewhere, Before Your Eyes feels like it's immediately timeless and permanently unique.
Apr 21, 2021
90
Despite my occasionally-bloodshot orbs, Before Your Eyes is an experience I won’t soon forget. Its combination of masterful storytelling, engaging character progression and stunning conclusion put it in contention for best narrative game I’ve ever played, and it also reminded me to savor life at its best and worst moments. No small feat for an indie title hanging everything on an all-new form of interaction.
User score
Generally Favorable
80% Positive
177 Ratings
177 Ratings
16% Mixed
36 Ratings
36 Ratings
4% Negative
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
Jan 17, 2026
10
It's just like a 90's movie you watch at a cozy afternoon, drinking a nice cup of coffee made by your mother or granny. That cartoon you so much loved and watched while the sun setted. It evokes the same melancholic nostalgia feeling that remembering those memories and being brought back to reality does... You ABSOLUTELY HAVE to watch it not because it has a story totally new, or because it has a captivating gameplay, or anything that people who see themselves as gamecritics want to see: you have to go play it, and look at it, immerse yourself, be there for it, just like you would with something that resembles your childhood, so that you can live the experience.
Nov 24, 2025
10
This game is a masterpiece. It moved me like only a few games ever could. It's such a clever way of utilizing technology to tell a beautiful story.
Apr 20, 2021
85
Before Your Eyes puts its unique blinking mechanic to great use, offering a novel and fun method of interacting with this memorable, bittersweet tale.
Apr 21, 2021
80
Before Your Eyes understands that experiencing our lives, of storing memories which become precious, is often tied to what we see: the people and the paths stretching out before us. Instead of feeling like a gimmick, Before Your Eyes feels refreshingly natural. Unusual control schemes often make me long for the familiarity of a controller. Sure, I can speak to my Nintendogs using the microphone on the DS, but sometimes I don’t want to yell at my shih tzu on a Delta flight. Before Your Eyes manages to do the opposite. Its unique mechanic matches its narrative so perfectly, that you won’t want to play it any other way.
Apr 6, 2021
75
Mechanically, it falls short of its true potential, but you can’t help but get swept up in the journeys of these characters. The game’s got heart, and none of its flaws can really take that away.
Apr 11, 2021
70
Before Your Eyes is a moving experience, even though its core mechanic doesn't reach its full potential.
Apr 22, 2021
50
If we seem grumpy about the third act, that's largely because the first two promise so much. [Issue#358, p.118]
Sep 22, 2025
10
I played this game on my phone on a flight from Greece to NY. I just wanted to pass time as it’s a lengthy flight (10 hours)—
There had never been a game that has hit as hard as this one. It’s probably the shortest story game I have played but is the most beautiful story I have ever seen in gaming (and by far the most sad)
Everyone should play this game fr(free on netflix gaming on your phone) -When I played the game I really appreciated the artwork and choices you make.
The plot twist near the end of the game hits SO HARD and it’s so tragic-Don’t wanna spoil The last scene of the game is one of the most gut wrenching and beautiful moments I’ve ever encountered in a video game This is perf storytelling
Nov 18, 2025
7
Before your eyes is a pretty good game, with a simple but powerful story. However, for me, Before your eyes was just a tad anti-climactic for me, and that's the main reason I gave Before your Eyes a 7/10.
Jul 13, 2025
7
Before you eyes is a beautiful game and I love the concept of it which is so different from anything we have. Only reason I gave a 7 is because even though the story is cute and breaks hearts, I didn't feel attached to the characters.
Apr 15, 2024
7
After seeing Overwhelmingly Positive on steam, I got a huge expectations from this game
The game fails to deliver that *Ost's of this game were really good not gonna lie *A lot of steam review says that "the game made me cry ...
10/10 will recommend"
About that ... Nah it didn't made me cry I would prefer watching some sad anime over this
Jun 24, 2025
4
The blinking mechanics did not work for me, probably because of weird camera positioning, so that ruined that. As for the story, I would call it good, not great
SummaryEmbark on an emotional first-person narrative adventure where you control the story—and affect its outcomes—with your real-life blinks. With this innovative technique you will fully immerse yourself in a world of memories, both joyous and heartbreaking, as your whole life flashes before your eyes.
Platforms:
- PC
- PlayStation 5
- iOS (iPhone/iPad)
Initial Release Date:Apr 8, 2021
Developer:
Publisher:
