It’s not often that I kick down someone’s door and get real close to their face to tell them something Homer Simpson-style, but dear readers, one of the best games of 2021 is so cheap right now it’s practically a steal. If you haven’t played Before Your Eyes, it’s available on Steam for real cheap for a few more days. If you’ve never heard of GoodbyeWorld Games’ adventure game, Before Your Eyes is about the life of Benjamin “Benny” Brynn. As he enters the afterlife, he’s met by a ferryman who seeks out souls to advocate for as they go to The Good Place. But first, he has to hear Benny’s story, so you have to retread all the highlights of Benny’s life.
The twist is that Before Your Eyes uses your webcam to track every time you blink, and every time you close your eyes and re-open them, a moment passes. You can miss entire scenes with a poorly timed blink, and that’s the point. I remember scenes from my first playthrough where I was almost defiant about how long I kept my eyes open, swearing I would see each moment of Benny’s life and that the game wouldn’t beat me. But the human body isn’t built to do that, so there are still moments of his life that passed me by in the blink of an eye—just like how parts of our lives can feel lost to time or our fallible memories.
All of this culminates in one of the best endings I’ve ever experienced in a video game. In the same time it would take you to watch a movie, Before Your Eyes tells a bittersweet tale of loving the life you get, even if its not the one you hoped for. And for the next few days, the Steam version is available for $2.49. The sale ends on April 18, so if you’ve been looking for a quick game that you can play through in one sitting that will enrich your life, Before Your Eyes is cheaper than a cup of coffee. You can still play the game if you don’t have a webcam, though it’s definitely not the intended experience.
If you’re sold on the premise but don’t want to play games on your PC, Before Your Eyes is also available for free with Netflix subscriptions on mobile and for its full $14.99 price on PlayStation VR2.