Beyond Eyes
Release Date: August 11, 2015
Developer: Tiger and Squid, Team 17 Digital Ltd
Publisher: Team17 Digital Ltd
Price: $14.99 (Humble store only, no longer available on Steam)
My first true introduction to the “walking simulator". The concept of this game was very intriguing, you play as a blind girl and the areas you walk in are white bright light until you walk near and “perceive” through other senses or bump into things. Occasionally your senses may even be misleading, was that a big dog barking?
Maybe I was looking for too much. I found it boring, and at times even frustrating. The frustration, I have to give credit, did trigger some thoughtful reflection on the true frustrations of being blind. And I’m sure that is partially the point. Raise awareness. Empathize.
While I appreciate the sentiment, it was not fun to play.
3/10
CM 3/25/25
Kansas City’s Union Station once hosted an exhibit focused on sharing the experience of the blind. Small groups of attendees were lead by an “actual” blind person through pitch black rooms simulating different environments, from a basic bedroom to a street complete with vehicles. My dad found out about the exhibit and took my sister and I to it. Seems very random in retrospect, I was probably in middle school and it was during a seasonal school break. The exhibit and experience have always stayed with me. It was incredibly eye opening to “live” as a blind person for that hour or two. Feeling around with my hands, listening as hard as possible, piecing together the puzzle of where I was. At the end of the tour we got to meet our guide in the light of day, turns out he was only 30% blind which is a lot but I remember being disappointed in my youth. 30% didn’t seem like much but I can appreciate much more in retrospect. That exhibit gets a 10/10.
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