Not every autumn fright experience needs to frighten you. Starting with well-known tales for example Scooby-Doo to charming series including Over the Garden Wall, plenty of Halloween-themed staples offer entertainment without increasing anxiety. There’s also, a expanding collection of eerie-charming games including Halloween vibes, but not the sleep-with-the-lights-on degree of terror. Gloomy Eyes arrived in the fall, and serves as an outstanding comfortable choice to the deeply scary games of 2025.
An Original Single-Player Cooperative Adventure
Described as a “self-coop” puzzle game, Gloomy Eyes pairs up a undead youth called Gloomy and a mortal child named Nena as they begin an quest to bring the sun back to their gloomy world. Their design evokes Funko Pops blended with the puppets from a stop-motion animation. The pale-skinned and baggy-eyed aesthetic draws inspiration from the look of Burtonesque cinema, and the plot is a classic family-friendly tale. These two forms an unbreakable connection over the course of the game’s 14 chapters as Nena tries to prove to her clerical relative that, you know, perhaps living-impaired beings aren’t half bad.
Original Puzzle Mechanics
The innovative label comes about from the game’s interactive problem-solving. Once Gloomy and Nena cross paths, players alternate among the newfound friends to complete challenges and progress through the levels. As an undead, Gloomy cannot pass through the illumination of a light source, while Nena will get snatched up by idle zombies except if a lamp is directed on them.
They must collaborate effectively — in practice, gamers operate them together — to advance through areas. Nena might relocate or briefly disable lamps to open routes for Gloomy, while the open-brained character will employ his undead power to rearrange obstacles in the world, revealing paths for Nena.
Engaging World Building
The brain-teasers bring to mind a touch of The Gardens Between, in the manner the levels are hovering, diorama-like designs that the camera moves across in conjunction with your heroes. Gloomy Eyes’ settings are very enjoyable, guiding the duo around a fair and through a haunted house, including other locations. The game includes a “diorama view” button that allows you to view from afar and rotate the levels, both to appreciate the designs and hunt for routes that may not have been clear.
Minor Hiccups and General Experience
This represents one of the sole difficulties with Gloomy Eyes. Comparable to other games with a locked camera, occasionally it's confusing where the characters can and cannot go. You may need to randomly encounter a several various objects to determine which ones are interactive, as the game doesn't always indicate.
However, those minor speedbumps don’t get in the way of a spooky-cute enjoyable experience. Gloomy Eyes runs on the short side, with approximately several hours worth of brain-teasers. Subsequent stages combine minor stealth and dynamic sequences with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes progresses to a rewarding — and somewhat unforeseen — finale.
Availability and Conclusion
Players avoiding the terror of fear-inducing titles won’t want to miss Gloomy Eyes. It’s available on Switch console, PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X, and is presently discounted for a discount on digital platforms.
The spooky-cute adventure is available on several consoles and offers a pleasurable alternative for fans in search of Halloween fun without the terrifying moments.
