Not each Halloween horror experience needs to frighten players. Including beloved classics like animated detectives to charming series such as Over the Garden Wall, numerous autumn-inspired titles provide fun without needing causing fear. Additionally, a increasing selection of spooky-cute releases including Halloween vibes, though lacking the keep-you-awake level of terror. Gloomy Eyes debuted in the fall, and stands as an superb cozy option to the truly terrifying titles of 2025.
A Distinctive Self-Coop Quest
Described as a “self-coop” problem-solving title, Gloomy Eyes teams up a undead youth called Gloomy and a human girl named Nena as they embark on an adventure to return daylight to their gloomy realm. Their design is similar to collectible figures mixed with the figures from a Laika film. Their light-complected and heavy-lidded appearance is influenced by the look of Burtonesque cinema, and the plot is a quintessential all-ages tale. These two builds an strong connection over the span of the game’s multiple stages as Nena strives to prove to her religious guardian that, you know, possibly the undead aren’t half bad.
Creative Gameplay Systems
The innovative term comes about from the game’s environmental puzzles. When Gloomy and Nena cross paths, players alternate amidst the budding companions to solve puzzles and progress through the areas. As an undead, Gloomy is unable to traverse through the light of a lamppost, while Nena may be grabbed by wandering undead without a beam is focused on them.
They must cooperate closely — well, you’ll use them together — to finish levels. Nena might relocate or temporarily shut off lights to clear paths for Gloomy, while the thoughtful youth will utilize his supernatural ability to shift around items in the surroundings, opening up routes for Nena.
Captivating Level Design
These challenges bring to mind a touch of The Gardens Between, in the manner the stages are floating, model-like constructions that the perspective moves across in coordination with your heroes. Gloomy Eyes’ environments are quite fun, taking the friends around a amusement park and through a ghostly building, amid other places. The game includes a “diorama view” feature that permits you to pull back and rotate the levels, both for admire the visuals and search for paths that may not have been clear.
Small Hiccups and General Experience
Here lies one of the sole hiccups with Gloomy Eyes. Like other titles with a static view, sometimes it's unclear where the characters can and cannot go. Players might have to simply collide with a few random objects to figure out which ones are interactable, as it’s not always intuitive.
Nevertheless, those slight speedbumps don’t get in the way of a eerie-adorable good time. Gloomy Eyes runs on the short side, with roughly a few sessions worth of brain-teasers. Subsequent stages blend together minor hidden movement and dynamic sequences with the challenge completion, as Gloomy Eyes progresses to a satisfying — and slightly unforeseen — finale.
Release and Summary
Players shying away from the scares of fear-inducing games should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. It’s available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox, and is available at a reduced price for a quarter off on online stores.
Gloomy Eyes is available on various systems and provides a pleasurable alternative for fans seeking spooky entertainment without fear factor.
