The Eyes of Ara in IOS

Hidden secrets await discovery

Walkthrough, Guilds, Tips on this special game

Our Site Score

92/100

The Eyes of Ara is an absolute triumph for fans of atmospheric puzzle-adventures. Drawing heavy inspiration from classics like Myst and The Room, it places you on a remote island to investigate a mysterious radio signal emanating from an ancient, weathered castle. From the moment you step onto the grounds, the sense of isolation and history is palpable. The developer has crafted a world that feels lived-in; the castle isn't just a series of puzzles, it’s a narrative puzzle box where the architecture itself tells a story of restlessness, storms, and ghostly lights.

The puzzles themselves are remarkably tactile. You aren't just clicking icons; you are sliding panels, rotating gears, and manipulating complex machinery in a way that feels organic to the 3D environment. What sets Ara apart is its lack of hand-holding. It respects your intelligence, encouraging you to scour environments for hidden notes, symbols, and keepsakes that flesh out the lives of the castle's former occupants. The minimalist interface ensures that nothing comes between you and the gorgeous visuals. If you enjoy the 'First Person Adventure' genre, this is arguably one of the best available on mobile, offering a deep, mind-bending experience with a plot twist that genuinely surprises.

Reviewed on: Tue Jul 01 2025
Dinsun Avatar

Dinsun Review

Dinsun here. It's rare to find a mobile title that respects the player's intelligence these days, but The Eyes of Ara manages it. This isn't your typical 'swipe-to-win' garbage. It's a dense, quiet, and often challenging exploration of a beautifully realized space. The puzzles are grounded in the world—they feel like actual mechanisms you'd find in an old castle, not just arbitrary logic gates.

The pacing is slow, which I appreciate. It allows the atmosphere to sink in. There’s a certain weight to the environments that many mobile games lack. While it occasionally leans a bit too heavily on 'pixel hunting' for small items, the overall architecture of the puzzles is sound. It’s a conservative design in the best way possible—it knows exactly what it wants to be and executes it with a level of polish that puts most of the App Store to shame. It's a game for grown-ups who want to sit down and think.

Overall Stats

Pros & Cons

  • Incredibly detailed and atmospheric visuals
  • Logical and challenging puzzle design
  • Deep sense of place and mystery
  • Occasional pixel-hunting required
  • Navigation can be slightly finicky on smaller screens
  • Story is told subtly through notes, which some may find dry

Technical Report

Performance: Very demanding visuals; best played on recent hardware to maintain frame rate.

Accessibility:
  • Subtitles
  • Hint System

Audience Fit

Buy if: You loved Myst, The Room series, or Quern and want a long, cerebral challenge.

Skip if: You get frustrated easily by difficult puzzles or prefer fast-paced action.

Similar Games:
  • The Room: Old Sins
  • Myst
  • RealMyst

Reviewer Context

  • Reviewer: Dinsun, 40-year-old critical gamer
  • Hardware: iPad Pro 12.9 (M2)
  • Playtime: 12 hours
  • Status: Finished Story with all collectibles.

The Game

Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod

Version 1.5.0Sun Oct 23 2022

Performance improvements

Engine update


Lose yourself in a stunning puzzle adventure set in a gorgeous 3D environment. Explore a vast, ancient castle riddled with secret vaults and hidden rooms. Solve elaborate puzzles, uncover lost treasures, and unravel a mystery bridging the scientific and the arcane.

Alone on a remote island stands a weathered castle. For years it has lain dormant yet still the townspeople recall old stories of restless dreams, violent storms, and the eerie glow of ghostly lights dancing in the mist. Recently, a mysterious signal has begun broadcasting from within the abandoned halls. Something inside the castle has awoken, now someone needs to venture inside to discover the truth.

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.

INTUITIVE TOUCH CONTROLS

Tactile touch controls make exploring the castle and solving puzzles feel incredibly natural.

UNIQUELY REFINED FOR iPHONE AND iPAD

Hand-placed camera design and device-specific UIs ensures the best possible experience no matter what size screen you play on.

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.

GAMECENTER ENHANCED

Track your progress and unlock a multitude of achievements.

MULTIPLE LANGUAGES SUPPORTED

Play in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Russian, Brazilian-Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

100 Stones Interactive is an independent games studio based in Brisbane, Australia

Follow us online at:

Web: www.100stonesinteractive.com

Twitter: @100stonesgames

Facebook: 100 Stones Interactive


Requires iOS 11.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

Lose yourself in a stunning puzzle adventure set in a gorgeous 3D environment. Explore a vast, ancient castle riddled with secret vaults and hidden rooms. Solve elaborate puzzles, uncover lost treasures, and unravel a mystery bridging the scientific and the arcane.

Alone on a remote island stands a weathered castle. For years it has lain dormant yet still the townspeople recall old stories of restless dreams, violent storms, and the eerie glow of ghostly lights dancing in the mist. Recently, a mysterious signal has begun broadcasting from within the abandoned halls. Something inside the castle has awoken, now someone needs to venture inside to discover the truth.

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.

INTUITIVE TOUCH CONTROLS

Tactile touch controls make exploring the castle and solving puzzles feel incredibly natural.

UNIQUELY REFINED FOR iPHONE AND iPAD

Hand-placed camera design and device-specific UIs ensures the best possible experience no matter what size screen you play on.

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.

GAMECENTER ENHANCED

Track your progress and unlock a multitude of achievements.

MULTIPLE LANGUAGES SUPPORTED

Play in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Russian, Brazilian-Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

100 Stones Interactive is an independent games studio based in Brisbane, Australia

Follow us online at:

Web: www.100stonesinteractive.com

Twitter: @100stonesgames

Facebook: 100 Stones Interactive


Ratings & Reviews

4.6 out of 5 with 2324 Counts
Age Rating 9+

Screenshots

The Eyes of Ara screenshot 1The Eyes of Ara screenshot 2The Eyes of Ara screenshot 3The Eyes of Ara screenshot 4The Eyes of Ara screenshot 5The Eyes of Ara screenshot 6The Eyes of Ara screenshot 7The Eyes of Ara screenshot 8The Eyes of Ara screenshot 9The Eyes of Ara screenshot 10The Eyes of Ara screenshot 11The Eyes of Ara screenshot 12

The Eyes of Ara is an award-winning puzzle-adventure set in a stunningly detailed 3D environment. Alone on a remote island, you must explore an ancient castle to uncover the source of a mysterious radio signal. The game features tactile gameplay where you manipulate complex mechanisms and solve varied riddles to reveal long-forgotten secrets. With a focus on organic storytelling, players discover lost writings and keepsakes to piece together the castle's history. Featuring a minimalist interface and a rich, atmospheric soundtrack, it offers a challenging and immersive experience for fans of the mystery genre.

Features

1

Gorgeous, immersive 3D environments

2

Intricate, tactile puzzles and mechanisms

3

Hidden secrets and optional collectibles

4

Deep, organic narrative storytelling

5

Sleek, minimalist interface for total immersion

Tips

Promotion Videos

The Eyes of Ara - Trailer - YouTube

Related Videos

Recommended Links

TouchArcade: The Eyes of Ara Review

A glowing review of the mobile port's quality.

Review

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Gameplays

Q&A

The game encourages independent discovery and exploration; however, the environment is filled with logical clues to help you progress.

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