Not each Halloween horror adventure has to frighten you. Starting with iconic favorites like Scooby-Doo to charming series such as Over the Garden Wall, numerous autumn-inspired favorites provide fun without needing causing fear. Moreover, a expanding collection of ghostly-adorable releases including autumn atmosphere, though lacking the keep-you-awake degree of fear. Gloomy Eyes arrived in September, and acts as an superb relaxing alternative to the intensely frightening titles of 2025.
A Unique Single-Player Cooperative Quest
Known as a “self-coop” problem-solving title, Gloomy Eyes pairs up a living-impaired child known as Gloomy and a living girl known as Nena as they begin an adventure to bring the sun back to their dark, dark environment. They look evokes collectible figures combined with the puppets from a Laika film. The light-complected and baggy-eyed aesthetic draws inspiration from the appearance of Burtonesque cinema, and the plot is a archetypal family-friendly adventure. These two develops an unbreakable friendship over the duration of the game’s numerous levels as Nena strives to demonstrate to her clerical relative that, you know, possibly the undead are actually good.
Creative Problem-Solving Features
The “self-coop” description stems from the game’s environmental puzzles. Once Gloomy and Nena encounter each other, gamers switch among the recent allies to solve puzzles and progress through the levels. Being a zombie, Gloomy is unable to traverse through the light of a light source, while Nena may be grabbed by idle zombies without a beam is directed on them.
They must work in tandem — actually, players control them together — to finish levels. Nena could adjust or temporarily shut off lights to create passages for Gloomy, while the thoughtful character will utilize his supernatural ability to shift around obstacles in the surroundings, opening up paths for Nena.
Engaging World Building
The brain-teasers bring to mind a bit of The Gardens Between, in the manner the stages are suspended, miniature designs that the view rotates in sync with your protagonists. Gloomy Eyes’ worlds are quite fun, leading the companions around a carnival and through a haunted house, including other places. Players can use a “diorama view” feature that permits you to pull back and rotate the stages, simultaneously to enjoy the artwork and look for ways that may not have been apparent.
Minor Issues and Overall Experience
Here lies one of the sole difficulties with Gloomy Eyes. Similar to other titles with a static view, it’s not always clear where the heroes are able to move. Players might have to just bump into a few random items to discover which ones are interactive, as it’s not always intuitive.
Nonetheless, those slight challenges don't obstruct of a spooky-cute fun adventure. Gloomy Eyes runs on the short side, with approximately a few sessions worth of brain-teasers. Subsequent stages combine light stealth and action elements with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes advances to a fulfilling — and moderately unforeseen — finale.
Accessibility and Final Thoughts
Gamers avoiding the terror of intense horror games ought to experience Gloomy Eyes. You can find it on Switch console, Sony system, PC, and Xbox, and is presently discounted for 25% off on online stores.
The spooky-cute adventure is out now on several consoles and offers a delightful alternative for players looking for spooky entertainment minus the terrifying moments.
