Not every spooky season experience has to terrify gamers. Starting with iconic favorites like animated detectives to endearing shows including Over the Garden Wall, numerous Halloween-themed favorites provide fun without raising your heart rate. There’s also, a increasing selection of spooky-cute titles with autumn atmosphere, though lacking the truly terrifying level of terror. Gloomy Eyes debuted in September, and stands as an superb comfortable alternative to the deeply scary games of 2025.
An Original Self-Coop Adventure
Described as a solo collaboration problem-solving title, Gloomy Eyes teams up a zombie boy named Gloomy and a mortal child named Nena as they start an quest to return daylight to their gloomy environment. Their appearance resembles collectible figures combined with the characters from a Laika film. The light-complected and baggy-eyed aesthetic draws inspiration from the appearance of Burtonesque cinema, and the plot is a classic all-ages journey. The duo builds an strong connection over the course of the game’s 14 chapters as Nena strives to show to her clerical relative that, you know, maybe living-impaired beings can be friendly.
Original Puzzle Mechanics
This unique label originates from the game’s interactive problem-solving. After Gloomy and Nena cross paths, players alternate amidst the budding companions to complete challenges and advance through the levels. Since he's not alive, Gloomy cannot pass through the light of a streetlight, while Nena will get snatched up by idle zombies unless a lamp is shone on them.
It's necessary for them to cooperate closely — actually, you’ll use them simultaneously — to complete stages. Nena may move or briefly disable illumination to create passages for Gloomy, while the open-brained youth will use his zombie strength to move objects in the environment, revealing routes for Nena.
Engaging Level Design
These challenges remind me a touch of The Gardens Between, in the manner the areas are floating, model-like designs that the camera rotates in sync with your heroes. Gloomy Eyes’ environments are highly entertaining, guiding the friends around a carnival and through a haunted house, including other locations. The game includes a “diorama view” feature that permits you to pull back and spin the stages, both for appreciate the visuals and look for ways that may not have been obvious.
Slight Issues and Overall Adventure
Here lies one of the only problems with Gloomy Eyes. Similar to other games with a locked camera, it’s not always clear where the protagonists may or may not travel. Players might have to simply collide with a multiple different items to determine which ones are interactive, as it’s not always intuitive.
Nonetheless, those minor obstacles don't obstruct of a spooky-cute fun adventure. Gloomy Eyes runs on the short side, with about three to five hours worth of puzzles. Advanced areas integrate light sneaking and exciting moments with the challenge completion, as Gloomy Eyes progresses to a rewarding — and slightly unexpected — conclusion.
Accessibility and Conclusion
Gamers avoiding the frights of terrifying releases won’t want to miss Gloomy Eyes. You can find it on Switch console, PS5, computer, and Xbox Series X, and is presently discounted for 25% off on digital platforms.
Gloomy Eyes is available on various systems and delivers a pleasurable choice for players looking for Halloween fun minus the intense scares.
