Rating: 4/10

Meh! Whatever!

I was expecting a silly little time-waster and what I got was more of a boring little time-waster. The levels I did play pretty much felt like a mini-golf flash game where you're...hitting something ~random~ at the hole instead of a golf ball! WOOOOOOAH

Skipping it!

Rating: 6.5/10

The simplest way I can explain it is it's a puzzle game made for the right side of your brain, I can't say I ever played anything quite like it. I felt like I wasn't really using reasoning or logic to solve most of the puzzles but moreso intuition. The creativity involved in the puzzle design is pretty mindblowing at times, especially considering the entire game is confined to four squares that you're continually shifting around

It's a game I think I APPRECIATED more than enjoyed though. Like it's something that I'd definitely recommend to someone even if I didn't LOVE it, just because of how unique it is

Rating: 7/10

Even if it had nothing else to offer, this game gets props for its incredibly unique mechanics alone. Basically, the main conceit of the game is that your actions are almost entirely controlled via blinks (like, your actual blinks, which it tracks through your webcam). Sometimes blinking functions like a mouse click where you're purposefully doing it to interact with something, while other times it'll be something to avoid (e.g. you'll be drifting through a memory and straining to keep your eyes open just a little longer so you don't miss anything, because one blink will end it). It basically feels like an alternative version of VR, and it's an incredibly unique/creative hook for the game. Felt VERY immersive at times.

And on top of that! The story is decent and complements the mechanics well. Even though you're frequently skipping through bits and pieces of the game from errant blinks, the story always manages to flow very smoothly and it just feels like part of the experience - it never feels like you're missing anything crucial.

The biggest knock I can give against it is...this game really could've been a masterpiece. There was SO much potential with the mechanics they set up and I feel like there was definitely a fair amount they left untapped, and in the end it's "just" a good game. While I did appreciate how concise it was (it took like under 2 hours to complete) I do feel like this could've been fleshed out a bit more.

mild spoilers

+

I was really expecting the game, after the first flashback, to be a full life flashing before your eyes and the main idea being that you're constantly fighting against blinking in order to soak up as much of your life as you can. Basically a meditation on how fleeting life is and how the years go by in the...blink of an eye! THAT game could've been a masterpiece. There were some elements like that in the actual game, but it definitely didn't seem to be the focus. One thing I really did like though is the "close your eyes" mechanic they introduced near the end. That was p beautiful and added to the immersion even moreso than the blinking. Such a cool idea to make that an actual part of the game to FORCE you to soak in the moment and block out external stimuli (while also putting yourself into the protagonist's shoes)