Not every spooky season experience needs to scare players. Starting with iconic favorites for example Scooby-Doo to delightful stories like Over the Garden Wall, many Halloween-themed titles provide fun without needing increasing anxiety. Moreover, a growing library of ghostly-adorable titles including Halloween vibes, but not the truly terrifying degree of fear. Gloomy Eyes arrived in recent months, and acts as an excellent cozy option to the deeply scary releases of 2025.
An Original Single-Player Cooperative Quest
Labeled as a single-player cooperative puzzle game, Gloomy Eyes teams up a zombie boy called Gloomy and a living girl called Nena as they embark on an mission to return daylight to their shadowy world. Their appearance is similar to collectible figures combined with the figures from a stop-motion animation. Their light-complected and tired-looking appearance draws inspiration from the appearance of Gothic fantasy movies, and the story is a archetypal suitable for everyone tale. These two forms an strong friendship over the course of the game’s multiple stages as Nena tries to show to her clerical relative that, hey, maybe the undead are actually good.
Innovative Problem-Solving Features
The “self-coop” description stems from the game’s environmental puzzles. After Gloomy and Nena meet, gamers switch among the newfound friends to solve puzzles and advance through the areas. As an undead, Gloomy cannot pass through the illumination of a light source, while Nena will get snatched up by loitering creatures without a light is directed on them.
They must collaborate effectively — in practice, players control them in tandem — to complete stages. Nena might relocate or temporarily shut off illumination to clear paths for Gloomy, while the intellectually curious character will utilize his supernatural ability to move items in the surroundings, revealing routes for Nena.
Engaging World Building
The puzzles remind me a touch of The Gardens Between, in the fashion the levels are suspended, miniature designs that the view rotates in coordination with your characters. Gloomy Eyes’ settings are very enjoyable, leading the companions around a amusement park and through a haunted house, including other locales. There’s a “diorama view” option that allows you to pull back and spin the levels, both to appreciate the visuals and search for ways that may not have been clear.
Minor Challenges and General Gameplay
This represents one of the sole problems with Gloomy Eyes. Comparable to other games with a locked camera, sometimes it's unclear where the heroes are able to move. Gamers could require to randomly encounter a multiple different objects to figure out which ones are interactable, as it’s not always intuitive.
Nonetheless, those slight obstacles don't hinder of a eerie-adorable fun adventure. Gloomy Eyes runs on the short side, with approximately three to five hours worth of brain-teasers. Subsequent stages combine light stealth and action elements with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes progresses to a fulfilling — and somewhat unexpected — ending.
Availability and Summary
Gamers shying away from the scares of intense horror games should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. You can find it on Switch console, PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X, and is available at a reduced price for a quarter off on digital platforms.
This charming title is available on multiple platforms and delivers a delightful choice for gamers seeking Halloween fun without terrifying moments.
