An indie horror adventure from developer The Gang and publisher Starbreeze, Out of Sight was released earlier in 2025 on Xbox Series X|S.
The game isn’t a traditional survival horror or action title–instead, it blends stealth, environmental puzzles, and narrative exploration to craft something quietly unsettling and emotionally poignant, and uses a unique perspective and game mechanics.
You play as Sophie, a young blind girl (I won't tell you how she lost her sight). She is seemingly trapped in a creepy mansion with mysterious captors, Lady Janna and her servant Clayton–who are probably the two most twisted and evil NPCs you'll come across in a long day's gaming.
What sets the game apart is its core mechanic: Sophie “sees” by looking through the eyes of her beloved teddy bear, which she carries and places strategically to understand her surroundings. This creates a shifting first and second-person perspective that drives gameplay and adds to the tension.
The narrative unfolds quietly, relying more on environmental storytelling and Sophie’s reactions than heavy dialogue. There’s an emotional undercurrent–fear, vulnerability, and determination–that gives the experience a deeper resonance than many more violent, gory titles.
Perspective swapping is Out of Sight’s standout feature. When Sophie holds the teddy, you’re in her perspective: limited, disorienting, and intimate. When she sets it down, the camera shifts to the teddy’s point of view–a fixed, second-person view which is more detached but strategically useful for solving puzzles and navigating the mansion. It’s an inventive twist that tries to keep the pacing fresh and reinforces the game’s themes of vulnerability and reliance.
The game leans heavily on quiet puzzle-solving and stealth. Unsurprisingly there’s no combat, instead success depends on listening for footsteps, timing movements carefully, and using the teddy to scout ahead (a headset is recommended but not vital).
Stealth segments offer tension without cheap jump scares (apart from the occasional transforming portrait or scuttling rat), preferring quiet dread and requiring a cool head, planning and neat execution of, what can be, complicated movements.
However, I think it's fair to say that apart from a couple of puzzles that are rather obscure, progressing can feel a bit simplistic or repetitive, and the perspective mechanic–while brilliant in concept–isn’t always fully expanded with new twists as the game progresses.
The big downers are that there are a few spots where you can get stuck (hence the checkpoint restart in the pause menu), and the main problem being the same 'supernatural' Teddy ability is rather overused.
Visually Out of Sight’s art style blends childlike elements (toys, faded colors) with eerie, oversized architecture. The mansion feels both familiar and off-kilter, amplifying unease as you explore. The sound design is very good, from creaking floors to distant footsteps and faint voices–making listening almost as important as seeing. The voice acting, especially Sophie’s, adds emotional weight.
Out of Sight isn't a long game — most playthroughs take around 8-10 hours, but you can run through it in 3-4. I appreciate this kept the experience relatively tight and focused and frankly I'd have tired of the game if it were any longer.
There’s definitely some replay value if you’re chasing achievements or hidden collectibles (some of which are devilishly well-hidden), but the core experience is largely a one-time journey.
Out of Sight stands out as a thoughtful, atmospheric indie horror game with a palpable feeling of dread and inventive perspective mechanics. It isn’t a blockbuster monster chase, it isn't as blatantly jump-scary as Hello Neighbour or as cinematic as Little Nightmares, but thanks to its constant atmosphere and low price of £11.99 it's worth your cash–even if its lack of variation holds it back from actual greatness.
Many thanks to The Gang, Starbreeze and PressEngine.