Presskit - The Eyes of Ara - 100 Stones Interactive

Factsheet

Developer:
100 Stones Interactive

Release Dates:

PC/Mac: 13 November, 2015
iOS: 13 July, 2018
Android: 21 May, 2019
Nintendo Switch: 15 October, 2019

Website:
https://www.eyesofara.com/

Platforms:

Regular Price:

PC/Mac: $14.99 USD
Nintendo Switch: $14.99 USD
Mobile: $4.99 USD

Localizations:

English
French
Italian
German
Spanish
Russian
Brazilian Portuguese
Japanese
Chinese (Simplified)
Korean

Description

Alone on a remote island stands a long-abandoned castle, the source of many a ghastly rumor and unsettling tale. Not all is as it seems. A mysterious signal has begun broadcasting from somewhere within the ancient halls. Something inside the castle has awoken, and someone needs to venture inside to discover the truth.

Lose yourself in this award-winning puzzle adventure as you explore a vast, mysterious castle riddled with secret vaults and hidden rooms. Experience stunning 3D environments and weave your way through a complex tapestry of thought-provoking puzzles to unravel a mystery bridging the scientific and the arcane.

The Eyes of Ara is an enthralling experience you won’t soon forget!

Development

Development on The Eyes of Ara began in late 2013. Leveraging his background as an Environment Artist, Ben set out to design a game in which the environment itself was the primary character. The Eyes of Ara seek to captivate the player through beautiful, engaging environments, with the goal of telling a story organically through exploration and discovery of the game world.

The Eyes of Ara was announced to the world through a successful Kickstarter campaign in June of 2015, and launched on desktop, mobile, and Nintendo Switch between 2016 and 2019.

Features

COUNTLESS SECRETS TO DISCOVER: Weave your way through a complex web of puzzles to unlock the castle’s ultimate truth or choose your own path: search for secret vaults and hidden passageways, hunt down lost treasures, and discover the history of the castle and its former occupants

IMMERSIVE 3D ENVIRONMENTS: Take in The Eyes of Ara’s award-winning 3D environments as you explore its richly detailed world.

ORGANIC STORYTELLING: Piece together an intriguing narrative from scraps of information and visual details embedded in the world itself.

MINIMALIST INTERFACE: Investigate the castle’s secrets using a sleek, clean interface that can be hidden entirely off-screen with a tap.

INTUITIVE TOUCH CONTROLS: Tactile touch controls make exploring the castle and solving puzzles feel incredibly natural.

UNIQUELY REFINED FOR PHONES AND TABLETS: Hand-placed camera design and device-specific UIs ensures the best possible experience no matter what size screen you play on.

OPTIMIZED FOR NINTENDO SWITCH™: Play The Eyes of Ara using either intuitive touch screen controls or Joy-Con™ controller motion controls.

Video

The Eyes of Ara Nintendo Switch trailer

Download US trailer as .mov

Download EU trailer as .mov

The Eyes of Ara iOS/Android trailer

Download trailer as .mov

Sreenshots

Awards and Recognition

Winner: Best Game (PC/Mac)
The Eyes of Ara, Planete Aventure, Golden PA Awards, 2017

Winner: Best Puzzles
The Eyes of Ara, Planete Aventure, Golden PA Awards, 2017

Winner: Best French Localization
The Eyes of Ara, Planete Aventure, Golden PA Awards, 2017

Nominee: Excellence in Art
The Eyes of Ara, Australian Game Developer Awards, 2016

Winner: Best Style
The Eyes of Ara, Haogamers Western Indie Awards, 2016

AVSN Award
The Eyes of Ara, 96%, adventurespiele.net

Nominee: Best Gameroom Game
The Eyes of Ara, Facebook Game of the Year Awards, 2017

Australian Indie Showcase
The Eyes of Ara, PAX Aus, 2016

Made With Unity Showcase
The Eyes of Ara, Unite Melbourne, 2016

Quotes

The Eyes of Ara offers rewarding challenges, an intriguing atmosphere, and a beautiful environment. While players may find the steep climb in difficulty a bit unnerving, the gorgeous set dressing and comprehensive plot make the struggle worth it. With only a few minor issues, The Eyes of Ara stands to be one of the best indie games of the summer.
90% – Gizorama

100 Stones Interactive and its solo developer Ben Droste have managed to create an excellent game of exploration and puzzles that fans of the genre will appreciate
9/10 – KickMyGeek

The Eyes of Ara succeeds in providing just the right balance of difficulty in its puzzles while expertly weaving them into the environment.
85% – RPG Fan

The Eyes of Ara is a very impressive piece of work, presenting a series of puzzles so fiendish and intricate that it’s hard not to be intimidated by the mind from which they sprang.
80% – Game Informer Magazine

If you are looking for a challenging and immersive experience that provides several hours of gameplay, The Eyes of Ara is your game. It’s one of the few games that makes earning all of the Steam achievements worth it.
80% – Only Single Player

Each scene is gorgeous. The modeling and light are exquisite. The detail is wonderful. And the quality is consistent from start to finish.
70% – Just Adventure

Exploring the environment, discovering things both strange and wonderful, is genuinely fascinating
– IGN