Close Your Eyes
- December 21, 2018
- Yai Gameworks
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam"Close Your Eyes" is a psychological horror adventure game. Players are equipped with a detective kit to solve puzzles and uncover the dark secrets of a cursed village. The game features a unique mechanic where players must close their eyes in-game to reveal hidden hints and clues.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a compelling story with a tense atmosphere and creepy characters, making it a standout in the RPG Maker horror genre.
- It offers multiple endings and plenty of puzzles, providing great replayability and keeping players engaged throughout.
- The sound design and voice acting, particularly for the character 'The Host', enhance the overall experience, creating a haunting and immersive atmosphere.
- Some puzzles can be overly obscure or tedious, leading to frustration for players trying to progress.
- The game can be too dark at times, making it difficult to navigate and see where to go.
- There are occasional bugs, such as missing achievements, which can detract from the overall experience.
- story70 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's story is widely praised for its compelling and atmospheric narrative, filled with intriguing characters and dark twists that keep players engaged and theorizing throughout. While some plot elements may feel vague or confusing, the overall experience is described as fulfilling, with a strong emphasis on exploration and uncovering secrets. Many players appreciate the depth and surreal quality of the story, often finding it more captivating than the gameplay mechanics themselves.
“The twists and turns that the story takes keeps 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.”
“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.”
“Accompanied by haunting visuals and a constant air of suspense, a pretty disturbing and creepy story unfolds.”
“The story was unclear until you complete all of the endings.”
“Story elements are given out at a slow pace.”
“The plot is very dark, and will keep you wondering what the plot even is.”
- atmosphere49 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its tension and depth, relying on sound design and dim lighting to create a compelling and unsettling experience. While the graphics may be simplistic, they contribute to the overall creepy charm, and the minimal use of jump scares enhances the immersive horror. Players appreciate the mysterious and thought-provoking story that complements the atmospheric elements, making it a memorable experience despite some technical flaws.
“It's mindblowing, just scary enough without giving you nightmares and the atmosphere is just amazing.”
“The game has an engrossing, terrific atmosphere that favors subtlety and sound design over jump scares (there are only a few in the game and when they appear, they're very effective).”
“If you like your horror short on scares and heavy on atmosphere, and are willing to forgive some technical problems, it's worth the few hours it takes.”
“Although darkness can add to atmosphere, I felt the game was too dark.”
“The game certainly has sufficiently creepy music and atmosphere, and the childish yet bleak simplicity of the art style can certainly put you on edge, but all too often, the game fails to cash in on the build-up it creates.”
“Other than the interesting static art displayed every now and then during gameplay, the graphics are a bit poor, but I feel it adds to the creepy charm of the title; I am unsure if the game would have maintained its unsettling atmosphere if it had more detailed sprites and set pieces.”
- music32 mentions
- 69 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The music in the game has been widely praised for its beautiful and moody soundtrack, effectively enhancing both the creepy atmosphere and engaging storytelling. While some players noted that the music can occasionally become too loud or change awkwardly, the overall composition, including catchy tunes and haunting melodies, contributes significantly to the game's charm and emotional impact. Many reviewers expressed a desire for album artwork, highlighting their appreciation for the audio experience.
“The soundtrack in my opinion was great; it had an uneasy air to it, whereas the songs in the game were pretty catchy.”
“Please give it a chance, it's such a charming yet creepy game and the soundtrack is lovely.”
“The sound is amazing, the music and the ambience.”
“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.”
“The game certainly has sufficiently creepy music and atmosphere, and the childish yet bleak simplicity of the art style can certainly put you on edge, but all too often, the game fails to cash in on the build-up it creates.”
“The audio is also sparse, but very well-done: by the time I reached the audio tapes with the creepy 1950s-ish nursery-rhyme/commercial jingle music, I was hooked.”
- graphics29 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game, rated around 7/10, are simplistic and typical of RPG Maker titles, yet they effectively contribute to the game's eerie atmosphere. The unique art style, reminiscent of the Yume Nikki fangame "Me," is praised for its unsettling charm, combining childlike elements with a haunting aesthetic that enhances the overall experience. While some visuals may be minimalistic, they evoke strong emotions and complement the game's creepy narrative.
“Visuals: 10/10 the style of the cutscenes matches the graphics perfectly.”
“The game has a unique art style, which seems 100% original instead of using RPG Maker's preset tiles. It might not be highly detailed or to everyone's taste, but the childlike style of drawings and the cutesy appearance of the main character just added to the scariness of the game.”
“The gameplay graphics are bare-bones and everything is deeply minimalistic, but the game has that indefinable *something* that feeds the imagination and makes what you see on the screen less important than what you feel.”
“Other than the interesting static art displayed every now and then during gameplay, the graphics are a bit lacking, but I feel it adds to the creepy charm of the title; I am unsure if the game would have maintained its unsettling atmosphere if it had more detailed sprites and set pieces.”
“The gameplay graphics are bare-bones and everything is deeply minimalistic, but the game has that indefinable something that feeds the imagination and makes what you see on the screen less important than what you feel.”
“The game certainly has sufficiently creepy music and atmosphere, and the childish yet bleak simplicity of the art style can certainly put you on edge, but all too often, the game fails to cash in on the build-up it creates.”
- gameplay10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by clunky mechanics and minimalistic graphics, which some players feel detract from the experience, yet the compelling story and eerie atmosphere compensate for these shortcomings. With around 4-5 hours of playtime and seven achievable endings, the game maintains intrigue despite its simplistic design. Overall, while it may attempt to emulate a David Lynch style, the unique charm and emotional engagement resonate strongly with players.
“The gameplay graphics are bare-bones and everything is deeply minimalistic, but the game has that indefinable *something* that feeds the imagination and makes what you see on the screen less important than what you feel.”
“7 different endings, that aren't too difficult to achieve, never needed a walkthrough, to keep you intrigued for roughly 4-5 hours of gameplay.”
“It seems to me like they're trying too hard to be David Lynch at times, but it's forgivable given how good the rest of the game is, and come on, 5 hours of gameplay?”
“While the gameplay mechanics can feel a bit clunky at times, the story and atmosphere more than make up for it!”
“Other than the interesting static art displayed every now and then during gameplay, the graphics are a bit lacking, but I feel it adds to the creepy charm of the title; I am unsure if the game would have maintained its unsettling atmosphere if it had more detailed sprites and set pieces (or maybe it could, I don't know, but it's free so it doesn't really matter).”
“The gameplay graphics are bare-bones and everything is deeply minimalistic, but the game has that indefinable something that feeds the imagination and makes what you see on the screen less important than what you feel.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability due to its numerous endings, encouraging players to explore different outcomes. Many users highlight the extensive replay value, suggesting that it remains engaging until all content is fully completed.
“Plenty of endings to find for great replayability!”
“The game has major replay value until you've achieved everything.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the humor in the game, noting its blend of scary and funny elements, along with a charming host's voice that enhances the experience. The humor is described as cute and engaging, contributing positively to the overall enjoyment of the game.
“This is what I want in a game; it's scary, funny, and may I add, I love the host's voice and how it shifted in my headphones.”
“I thought it was very cute and funny. I have not finished the mini game yet, but I will be working on that very soon.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and boring, with puzzles that lack intellectual and emotional engagement, making it difficult to enjoy the overall experience.
“The puzzles are often tedious, boring, and nonsensical, making it difficult to enjoy the game from both an intellectual and emotional perspective.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find that the tedious and nonsensical puzzles detract from their emotional engagement with the game, making it difficult to enjoy both intellectually and emotionally.
