Not each Halloween horror adventure needs to scare gamers. From iconic favorites for example Scooby-Doo to delightful stories including Over the Garden Wall, many spooky-season favorites are enjoyable without requiring causing fear. There’s also, a expanding collection of ghostly-adorable releases including spooky themes, but not the keep-you-awake level of terror. Gloomy Eyes arrived in September, and acts as an excellent comfortable choice to the intensely frightening games of 2025.
A Unique Collaborative Solo Adventure
Labeled as a solo collaboration problem-solving title, Gloomy Eyes unites a undead youth called Gloomy and a human girl named Nena as they start an quest to restore sunlight to their dark, dark realm. Their design resembles Funko Pops blended with the figures from a stop-motion animation. Their light-complected and heavy-lidded appearance is influenced by the visual style of Gothic fantasy movies, and the narrative is a quintessential all-ages adventure. The pair develops an unbreakable bond over the course of the game’s numerous levels as Nena tries to prove to her religious guardian that, hey, perhaps zombies aren’t half bad.
Original Gameplay Systems
The “self-coop” term stems from the game’s world-based challenges. Once Gloomy and Nena cross paths, you’ll swap among the recent allies to overcome obstacles and move forward through the levels. Being a zombie, Gloomy cannot pass through the illumination of a lamppost, while Nena will get snatched up by idle zombies unless a lamp is shone on them.
It's necessary for them to work in tandem — well, gamers operate them in tandem — to complete stages. Nena could adjust or momentarily deactivate lamps to open routes for Gloomy, while the thoughtful youth will employ his undead power to shift around items in the world, revealing routes for Nena.
Engaging Level Design
The brain-teasers remind me a bit of The Gardens Between, in the way the levels are floating, diorama-like structures that the view rotates in coordination with your heroes. Gloomy Eyes’ worlds are highly entertaining, taking the companions around a fair and through a spooky mansion, among other locations. Players can use a “diorama view” button that allows you to view from afar and spin the stages, simultaneously to enjoy the designs and search for ways that may not have been apparent.
Small Issues and Complete Adventure
This represents one of the sole problems with Gloomy Eyes. Similar to other games with a locked camera, sometimes it's unclear where the protagonists are able to move. You may need to just bump into a several various items to figure out which ones are interactable, as clues aren't consistently provided.
Nonetheless, those minor challenges don't hinder of a spooky-cute good time. Gloomy Eyes is relatively brief, with roughly three to five hours worth of brain-teasers. Later levels combine subtle sneaking and dynamic sequences with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes progresses to a satisfying — and moderately unexpected — conclusion.
Accessibility and Conclusion
Players shying away from the scares of fear-inducing games should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. You can find it on Nintendo platform, Sony system, PC, and Xbox Series X, and is available at a reduced price for a discount on game marketplaces.
Gloomy Eyes is out now on several consoles and provides a enjoyable option for players seeking spooky entertainment without the fear factor.
