GAMESCOM: COLOGNE, GERMANY – TUESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2025 – Canadian Indie developer COG Studios announces its horror game Our Eyes See No Evil this week, with the first public demo on the Gamescom Expo floor (Hall 10.2, Booth E040). The PC game uses real-world eye tracking technology to recognize if the player’s eyes are open or closed, leveraging classic fear-building elements such as sound to envision the terrors they cannot see, while metaphorically asking the player to open their eyes to the world’s horrors.
In Our Eyes See No Evil, the player starts with the reclusive protagonist in a suburban house on a normal day, doing mundane tasks. Throughout these activities, they are asked to close their eyes at certain points, such as listening closely to identify the location of a dripping water leak and then following the sound to fix it. As the game progresses, strange things begin to occur throughout the house – mysterious noises, doors suddenly opening and closing, and an ominous singing voice; all the work of a sinister clown doll that haunts the house. The player must investigate the paranormal happenings. As the vengeful toy slowly corrupts their home, players must either confront the creeping horror or choose not to look as a way to protect themselves from the menacing manikin.
Our Eyes See No Evil is intended as a two-hour-long story experience that’s suitable for playing alone in the basement in the middle of the night, with friends sitting next to you watching you play, or online on a livestreaming platform for viewers to watch. The narrative changes based on whether the player’s eyes are open or closed, though viewers will see what’s happening on-screen when the player cannot. This leads to an emotionally entertaining experience for the player, as well as for spectators who can see what’s about to transpire.
While real-world interactions have been used to affect in-game consequences in a few other titles – typically via audio, speech, or restricted eyesight simulated through the push of a button – the development is leveraging the new types of fear created by the inability to see and the choice to open one’s eyes in the face of potential danger.
“Our main goal, with every game we work on, is to grow as game designers and create unique experiences,” said Dave Goel, COG Studios’ co-founder and producer. “What attracted us to eye tracking was its potential to craft a new experience. The “don’t show the monster” trope is common in horror media, but by asking the player to close their eyes whenever the monster appears on screen, the trope is flipped on its head.”
Players can catch the first look and hands-on demo of Our Eyes See No Evil during Gamescom this week. The full game is slated for release on Steam in Fall 2026. For more information, please wishlist on Steam, join the COG Studios Discord, and follow the development journey on Instagram and YouTube.
About COG Studios:
Based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, COG Studios was co-founded in 2024 by five classmates of the University of Alberta’s Game Development Certificate Program. While students, they worked together on several projects, including the studio’s first commercial game, Infernal Bloodrush, for which they were awarded the school’s award for “Best Game Development Practices”, demonstrating their success as a team. Sharing a commitment to creating new experiences and pushing the boundaries of games with novel technologies, the team is working on its second commercial title, “Our Eyes See No Evil”. The privately held studio has received support from The Canada Media Fund, Edmonton Arts Council, and the Edmonton Screen Industries Office.
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Editors’ Note for press and creators attending Gamescom: To schedule a press appointment at Gamescom, please email contact@cogstudios.ca or visit Hall 10.2, Booth E040. Interviews are available upon request.
Additional Resources:
Our Eyes See No Evil Reveal Trailer: https://youtu.be/74ZjX5I9ss0