Close Your Eyes

About

Close Your Eyes is a single player survival role playing game with horror and mystery themes. It was developed by Yai Gameworks and was released on August 31, 2015. It received positive reviews from players.

Through a stroke of sheer luck, you've managed to escape death row. Taking to an underground subway, you must try to find your salvation. Can you break free of the past that binds you? And please, can you close your eyes? Just close them.

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86%

Audience ScoreBased on 541 reviews

story75 positive mentions

grinding16 negative mentions

Strong and immersive atmosphere enhances the horror experience without relying heavily on jump scares.
Creative and intriguing story with multiple endings that encourage replayability and player interpretation.
Good voice acting and sound design significantly add to the game's eerie and unsettling mood.

Puzzles can be frustrating, obscure, or tedious, sometimes requiring external guides to progress.
Limited visibility and slow character movement make exploration feel repetitive and sometimes irritating.
The storyline is vague and confusing, leaving many players unsatisfied with the lack of clear resolution.

story
226 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
61%
6%
The story is widely regarded as intriguing, complex, and atmospheric, with multiple endings that encourage replay and interpretation. However, many find it vague, fragmented, and difficult to fully understand without multiple playthroughs or external discussion, often appreciating its surreal and cryptic nature rather than straightforward narrative clarity. While some players praise its originality and emotional depth, others criticize the storytelling for being confusing or lacking meaningful cohesion.
- “Aside from that bug, this game is everything I hoped it would be when I first heard of it - compelling story, tense atmosphere, creepy and fascinating characters, more than enough space to explore and secrets to uncover, and only occasional jumpscares to keep you on your toes!”
- “Story: 10/10 still a bit vague in some areas that leaves you wanting more for the future installments of the series and more is explored in the DLC but the main storyline and cutscenes you do experience are well done and fulfilling.”
- “The twists and turns that the story takes keep you on the edge of your seat, theorizing theory after theory as to what's going on, only to most likely crush them with a reveal just around the corner.”
- “The plot is vague and doesn't really make any sense.”
- “It doesn't make any sense, when I finished the game I was unsatisfied, confused, I had no explanation; the storyline was chopped and I was hoping that whilst I played the story would unfold and would make sense.”
- “The story seems simple, but somehow becomes convoluted when different paths yield different endings: some straight up sad, some horrifying, but mostly you'll just be left wondering what just happened.”
atmosphere
102 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
51%
3%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its creepy, unsettling, and heavy tone, effectively driven by sound design, voice acting, and minimalistic visuals that cultivate a tense and eerie experience without relying heavily on jump scares. Despite some criticisms regarding tedious puzzles and overly dark, repetitive environments, the overall immersive atmosphere is considered the game's strongest asset, creating a compelling and psychologically disturbing horror experience.
- “Close your eyes looks and sounds scary and creates an incredibly heavy atmosphere.”
- “Aside from that bug, this game is everything I hoped it would be when I first heard of it - compelling story, tense atmosphere, creepy and fascinating characters, more than enough space to explore and secrets to uncover, and only occasional jumpscares to keep you on your toes!”
- “The most important thing in a horror game is the atmosphere and this game achieved that a million times over.”
- “When a horror game has a lot of tedious tasks, repetition, and dark rooms for no reason like this one, it completely takes me out of a horror atmosphere.”
- “The game relies on text throughout in an attempt to create a Lovecraftian atmosphere, but when there are constant errors in the spelling and grammar, it's extremely distracting and annoying.”
- “You have to hug the wall because the lighting is too dark; it doesn't add to the atmosphere, it just makes the game irritating to navigate.”
graphics
99 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
70%
6%
The graphics are simple and retro, often described as childlike, hand-drawn, or reminiscent of RPG Maker and 8-bit styles, which contribute effectively to the game's unsettling, creepy atmosphere rather than realistic visuals. While not highly detailed or sophisticated, the art style's unique, eerie charm enhances the horror experience, supported by well-matched cutscene artwork and a powerful soundtrack. Some find the visuals minimalistic or messy, but many appreciate their nostalgic, surreal quality that fuels the game’s intense mood and psychological impact.
- “Despite the 2D, paint-like doodles and artwork, the map was quite immersive with a diverse range of themes; from bustling crowds outside, to empty hallways, a train station, and even abstract-looking areas filled with confusion and awe... I found myself becoming more and more anxious of what the ending would reveal.”
- “The graphics just work; I found it to be effectively disturbing with the right set of headphones and just the right lack of surrounding light to play it. Some parts of the game will keep you on edge.”
- “The game has a unique art style, which seems 100% original instead of using RPG Maker's preset tiles, etc. It might not be highly detailed or to everyone's taste, but I felt like the childlike style of drawings and the even cutesy appearance of the main character just added to the scariness of the game.”
- “Graphics is very simple, dark and ugly, although there are interesting concepts like rooms made out of children's drawings.”
- “The graphics were messy and the plot really confusing, and most of the time you just had no idea what to do, which made the gaming experiment pretty fast boring and frustrating.”
- “It was one of those moments where I went "holy sh*t.." the graphics look like they've been drawn by a mentally disturbed 7 year old, (which, in all likelihood, was probably made by a 7 year old, judging from the graphics of cringeworthy "blood" spills on the walls, and a main character looking like one of those mask guys from Mario on drugs) and the so-called 'creepy' song where you have to find the lady with a key (how original! not) the song itself sounds like some girl tried to go on stage and sing some song out of a creepypasta but failed horribly at trying to sound good and actually keep some kind of beat, and by that point the graphics had made my eyes hurt so much that I'd just decided to quit.”
music
88 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
45%
3%
The game's music and voice acting receive widespread praise for effectively enhancing its creepy and unsettling atmosphere, with a standout soundtrack that includes memorable songs and immersive sound effects. While most find the audio captivating and well-integrated with the storytelling, a few note occasional awkward transitions and repetitive loops. Overall, the soundtrack is regarded as a key strength that significantly contributes to the game's unique horror experience.
- “The voice acting was perfect, especially for the announcer (who I totally think is Simon); the music was beautiful, and the atmosphere was just... mmm, yes~”
- “I was amazed that this was the first game by this creator since it had such a wonderful soundtrack and voice acting.”
- “The OST is wonderful and because the sound is the key to making a horror game scary, Close Your Eyes did a good job with such atmosphere.”
- “The only complaint was that the music did seem to change at awkward points, and there was really no lead in or out to it.”
- “Also, the game music was pretty much just a really short part of singing (or a simple short melody) looping all over again, quickly getting really annoying.”
- “It was one of those moments where I went "holy sh*t.." the graphics look like they've been drawn by a mentally disturbed 7 year old, (which, in all likelihood, was probably made by a 7 year old, judging from the graphics of cringeworthy "blood" spills on the walls, and a main character looking like one of those like mask guys from Mario on drugs) and the so-called 'creepy' song where you have to find the lady with a key (how original! not) the song itself sounds like some girl tried to go on stage and sing some song out of a creepypasta but failed horribly at trying to sound good and actually keep some kind of beat, and by that point the graphics had made my eyes hurt so much that I'd just decided to quit.”
gameplay
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
71%
8%
Gameplay in this game is often described as simple and occasionally clunky, with a minimalistic, RPG Maker-style design that includes puzzles, inventory management, and multiple endings. While some find the mechanics frustrating or dull, many players appreciate the eerie atmosphere, compelling story, and unique charm that elevate the experience beyond its gameplay flaws. Overall, the gameplay may feel rough around the edges but offers engaging moments and replay value for those drawn to its horror and narrative elements.
- “The story is vague yet interesting, the vintage display has a charm, the soundtrack is nice, the gameplay is very entertaining and even though it is not a classical horror game, it managed to give me the chills, at times.”
- “Although the gameplay was simple and often difficult to travel a pathway; it is definitely a game worth putting both time and effort into.”
- “The game has multiple endings, most of which need a little more gameplay to reach but reward the player with a different story branch and, of course, a Steam achievement.”
- “In more than 30 years of playing videogames I've never seen worse gameplay or a less irritatingly meaningless, fragmented and baffling story.”
- “The gameplay has an erratic rhythm; at no point can you expect a set measure of puzzle>story>puzzle>story or some such.”
- “I think it's a good experience despite how absolutely dull the gameplay itself is: needless to say, if there was no horror theme to this game, it'd be about a 2/10.”
grinding
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
94%
Grinding in this game is characterized by slow, tedious navigation and repetitive, often unintuitive puzzles that can disrupt immersion and enjoyment. While the atmosphere and audio are praised, the excessive backtracking and drawn-out dialogue make progression frustrating and detract from the overall experience.
- “When a horror game has a lot of tedious tasks, repetition, and dark rooms for no reason like this one it completely takes me out of a horror atmosphere.”
- “The puzzles are often tedious, boring and nonsensical, so it's hard to enjoy the game from an intellectual perspective as well as from an emotional one.”
- “I never finished the game because I reached a puzzle that was just too tedious, and it was not worth finishing.”
humor
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a mix of dark, quirky, and sarcastic tones that blend well with its scary and mysterious atmosphere. Players appreciate the funny and weird characters, including an unsettling yet amusing host whose jokes and voice work add charm. Overall, the humor strikes a balance with the game's mature themes, providing genuine laughs alongside unsettling and emotional moments.
- “The totally canon ending was pretty funny and serves mainly as an easter egg for the game, featuring a comedic alien plot where the characters all fly away in a spaceship.”
- “I like the host character and his sense of humor; even though he's unsettling, I found myself laughing along with his silly jokes.”
- “It has the right balance of everything: puzzles, creepiness, and sarcastic humor—just my type of game.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers strong replayability due to its multiple, varied endings and different gameplay routes, encouraging players to explore all options. Despite its short overall length, the variety of outcomes provides engaging incentives to replay until everything is achieved.
- “Because the different endings are so varied, there's a lot of replayability.”
- “There's quite a bit of replay value as well, considering the multiple endings and various different routes of gameplay.”
- “The game has major replay value until you've achieved everything.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game delivers a deeply emotional experience, exploring themes of trauma and psychological struggle that evoke strong feelings of empathy, fear, and sadness. While some find the storytelling powerful and moving, others feel the gameplay aspects can detract from emotional engagement. Overall, it effectively elicits a wide range of intense emotions.
- “I believe he went through a lot of sexual and physical abuse (as seen from the notes from Simon), and you can tell he had many emotional issues that led him to being a murderer, though I don't know exactly what was the final straw or who he was murdering or why.”
- “Particularly the host and Simon – they both made me feel so dang unsettled.”
- “This game is a beautifully told story; it made me laugh, made me cry, and at times truly scared the living crap out of me.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users criticize the monetization approach, noting that previous titles like Feast You Eyes and Red Haze have been abandoned, while developers focus on producing short games primarily as cash grabs.
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has notable stability issues, with users reporting frequent bugs that impact the overall experience.
- “Unfortunately, the game was buggy.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has excellent optimization, running smoothly on a wide range of hardware with minimal performance issues reported. Users appreciate the efficient use of resources and stable frame rates.
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development is minimal and lacks depth, with predictable setups that rely on jump scares and fake-outs rather than meaningful story or atmosphere.