Not each Halloween horror experience has to frighten you. Starting with beloved classics such as mystery-solving cartoons to delightful stories including Over the Garden Wall, plenty of autumn-inspired titles provide fun without requiring increasing anxiety. There’s also, a increasing selection of ghostly-adorable games including autumn atmosphere, though lacking the truly terrifying intensity of horror. Gloomy Eyes arrived in recent months, and serves as an superb cozy choice to the intensely frightening releases of 2025.
A Unique Self-Coop Journey
Known as a single-player cooperative problem-solving title, Gloomy Eyes teams up a living-impaired child named Gloomy and a human girl called Nena as they embark on an quest to return daylight to their gloomy realm. Their design evokes stylized dolls combined with the characters from a Laika film. Their fair-toned and tired-looking style draws inspiration from the visual style of Gothic fantasy movies, and the narrative is a classic suitable for everyone adventure. These two develops an enduring friendship over the span of the game’s 14 chapters as Nena strives to prove to her religious guardian that, look, possibly the undead can be friendly.
Original Gameplay Systems
The “self-coop” description stems from the game’s interactive problem-solving. After Gloomy and Nena encounter each other, gamers switch amidst the recent allies to overcome obstacles and move forward through the areas. As an undead, Gloomy cannot pass through the brightness of a lamppost, while Nena will get snatched up by loitering creatures without a beam is shone on them.
They must work in tandem — in practice, you’ll use them together — to complete stages. Nena could adjust or temporarily shut off illumination to create passages for Gloomy, while the intellectually curious youth will use his zombie strength to shift around items in the world, creating ways for Nena.
Engaging Level Design
The puzzles bring to mind a little of The Gardens Between, in the fashion the levels are suspended, diorama-like constructions that the view pans around in coordination with your characters. Gloomy Eyes’ settings are highly entertaining, leading the duo around a fair and through a spooky mansion, among other locales. Players can use a “diorama view” option that permits you to view from afar and rotate the areas, simultaneously to appreciate the visuals and search for ways that may not have been obvious.
Minor Hiccups and Complete Experience
Here lies one of the only hiccups with Gloomy Eyes. Similar to other games with a locked camera, occasionally it's confusing where the heroes may or may not travel. You may need to just bump into a few random items to discover which ones are usable, as the game doesn't always indicate.
Nevertheless, those minor obstacles don’t get in the way of a ghostly-charming good time. Gloomy Eyes has a compact length, with approximately a few sessions worth of puzzles. Later levels blend together subtle stealth and exciting moments with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes advances to a rewarding — and moderately unforeseen — finale.
Release and Conclusion
Players shying away from the scares of terrifying games ought to experience Gloomy Eyes. It’s available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, computer, and Xbox, and is available at a reduced price for a discount on online stores.
Gloomy Eyes is out now on multiple platforms and delivers a delightful choice for players seeking spooky entertainment without the intense scares.
