Not every Halloween horror journey needs to scare gamers. From iconic favorites such as Scooby-Doo to endearing shows such as Over the Garden Wall, many Halloween-themed staples are enjoyable without requiring causing fear. There’s also, a expanding collection of eerie-charming games with autumn atmosphere, but not the keep-you-awake degree of horror. Gloomy Eyes arrived in September, and acts as an excellent cozy alternative to the truly terrifying titles of 2025.
An Original Collaborative Solo Journey
Known as a “self-coop” puzzle game, Gloomy Eyes teams up a zombie boy known as Gloomy and a mortal child called Nena as they start an quest to restore sunlight to their shadowy world. Their design is similar to stylized dolls combined with the puppets from a Laika film. The fair-toned and baggy-eyed appearance draws inspiration from the appearance of Gothic fantasy movies, and the plot is a archetypal all-ages adventure. The pair develops an unbreakable friendship over the span of the game’s multiple stages as Nena tries to prove to her religious guardian that, you know, maybe living-impaired beings can be friendly.
Innovative Problem-Solving Features
This unique term stems from the game’s world-based challenges. Once Gloomy and Nena encounter each other, players alternate between the budding companions to complete challenges and advance through the areas. As an undead, Gloomy cannot pass through the light of a lamppost, while Nena may be grabbed by wandering undead unless a light is directed on them.
They have to cooperate closely — in practice, gamers operate them simultaneously — to advance through areas. Nena may move or temporarily shut off illumination to create passages for Gloomy, while the thoughtful youth will utilize his supernatural ability to rearrange obstacles in the environment, revealing paths for Nena.
Immersive Level Design
These challenges bring to mind a touch of The Gardens Between, in the fashion the levels are floating, diorama-like structures that the perspective pans around in coordination with your heroes. Gloomy Eyes’ worlds are quite fun, guiding the friends around a amusement park and through a haunted house, including other places. The game includes a “diorama view” feature that enables you to zoom out and spin the levels, both to admire the visuals and search for paths that may not have been apparent.
Minor Issues and Overall Gameplay
This represents one of the sole hiccups with Gloomy Eyes. Like other games with a locked camera, sometimes it's unclear where the heroes may or may not travel. Players might have to just bump into a several various items to figure out which ones are interactable, as clues aren't consistently provided.
Nonetheless, those small speedbumps don’t get in the way of a eerie-adorable fun adventure. Gloomy Eyes has a compact length, with approximately three to five hours worth of brain-teasers. Subsequent stages combine light sneaking and exciting moments with the challenge completion, as Gloomy Eyes marches toward a satisfying — and moderately surprising — conclusion.
Availability and Final Thoughts
Players steering clear of the scares of terrifying releases won’t want to miss Gloomy Eyes. It’s available on Nintendo Switch, Sony system, computer, and Xbox, and is available at a reduced price for a quarter off on digital platforms.
Gloomy Eyes is out now on several consoles and offers a enjoyable alternative for gamers in search of autumn enjoyment without the terrifying moments.
