Not every Halloween horror journey must scare players. From well-known tales like mystery-solving cartoons to delightful stories like Over the Garden Wall, numerous Halloween-themed titles offer entertainment without needing causing fear. Additionally, a growing library of ghostly-adorable releases with autumn atmosphere, yet without the sleep-with-the-lights-on level of terror. Gloomy Eyes debuted in the fall, and acts as an excellent relaxing option to the truly terrifying titles of 2025.
A Distinctive Self-Coop Adventure
Labeled as a single-player cooperative problem-solving title, Gloomy Eyes teams up a living-impaired child known as Gloomy and a living girl known as Nena as they embark on an adventure to bring the sun back to their shadowy realm. Their appearance is similar to collectible figures mixed with the puppets from a animated feature. Their fair-toned and tired-looking aesthetic is influenced by the appearance of Tim Burton’s films, and the story is a archetypal all-ages adventure. The duo builds an strong friendship over the span of the game’s numerous levels as Nena tries to show to her religious guardian that, hey, perhaps living-impaired beings are actually good.
Original Puzzle Mechanics
The “self-coop” label stems from the game’s environmental puzzles. When Gloomy and Nena meet, players alternate between the budding companions to solve puzzles and advance through the areas. Since he's not alive, Gloomy cannot pass through the illumination of a lamppost, while Nena may be grabbed by idle zombies unless a light is directed on them.
They must cooperate closely — well, gamers operate them in tandem — to finish levels. Nena could adjust or momentarily deactivate lamps to open routes for Gloomy, while the thoughtful youth will use his zombie strength to shift around obstacles in the surroundings, creating routes for Nena.
Immersive Level Design
The brain-teasers bring to mind a little of The Gardens Between, in the fashion the areas are floating, diorama-like designs that the view pans around in sync with your heroes. Gloomy Eyes’ worlds are highly entertaining, leading the companions around a carnival and through a spooky mansion, among other places. There’s a “diorama view” option that permits you to zoom out and turn the stages, simultaneously to appreciate the artwork and search for ways that may not have been obvious.
Slight Hiccups and Complete Gameplay
This represents one of the only difficulties with Gloomy Eyes. Like other releases with a fixed perspective, sometimes it's unclear where the characters are able to move. Gamers could require to randomly encounter a several various items to discover which ones are interactable, as clues aren't consistently provided.
However, those slight challenges don't hinder of a spooky-cute good time. Gloomy Eyes runs on the short side, with about three to five hours worth of brain-teasers. Subsequent stages blend together light sneaking and exciting moments with the problem-solving, as Gloomy Eyes advances to a fulfilling — and slightly unforeseen — conclusion.
Release and Summary
Gamers steering clear of the terror of intense horror releases won’t want to miss Gloomy Eyes. It’s available on Switch console, PS5, computer, and Xbox Series X, and is available at a reduced price for a discount on online stores.
The spooky-cute adventure is out now on various systems and offers a pleasurable alternative for players seeking spooky entertainment without fear factor.
