Not every autumn fright experience needs to scare players. Including well-known tales for example Scooby-Doo to delightful stories such as Over the Garden Wall, many Halloween-themed favorites are enjoyable without requiring increasing anxiety. Additionally, a growing library of ghostly-adorable games with Halloween vibes, though lacking the truly terrifying intensity of fear. Gloomy Eyes was released in the fall, and stands as an outstanding relaxing alternative to the intensely frightening titles of 2025.
A Unique Self-Coop Adventure
Described as a “self-coop” puzzle game, Gloomy Eyes pairs up a undead youth named Gloomy and a living girl named Nena as they begin an mission to bring the sun back to their shadowy world. They look resembles Funko Pops mixed with the puppets from a Laika film. The light-complected and baggy-eyed appearance draws inspiration from the look of Tim Burton’s films, and the plot is a quintessential family-friendly adventure. The duo forms an strong friendship over the span of the game’s numerous levels as Nena strives to demonstrate to her priest uncle that, look, possibly zombies aren’t half bad.
Creative Problem-Solving Features
The “self-coop” description comes about from the game’s interactive problem-solving. When Gloomy and Nena meet, players alternate among the budding companions to complete challenges and move forward through the areas. As an undead, Gloomy cannot pass through the light of a lamppost, while Nena may be grabbed by idle zombies except if a lamp is directed on them.
They have to work in tandem — actually, you’ll use them in tandem — to advance through areas. Nena may move or temporarily shut off illumination to create passages for Gloomy, while the open-brained character will employ his undead power to move obstacles in the world, creating ways for Nena.
Engaging World Building
The puzzles evoke memories a touch of The Gardens Between, in the manner the stages are suspended, diorama-like constructions that the perspective rotates in coordination with your protagonists. Gloomy Eyes’ settings are quite fun, taking the friends around a fair and through a spooky mansion, including other locations. There’s a “diorama view” button that enables you to pull back and rotate the stages, both for appreciate the designs and hunt for paths that may not have been obvious.
Slight Challenges and Overall Experience
This represents one of the only hiccups with Gloomy Eyes. Like other titles with a static view, it’s not always clear where the heroes are able to move. You may need to just bump into a few random objects to discover which ones are usable, as clues aren't consistently provided.
Nonetheless, those slight challenges don't obstruct of a spooky-cute enjoyable experience. Gloomy Eyes has a compact length, with roughly a few sessions worth of brain-teasers. Later levels combine subtle sneaking and action elements with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes progresses to a satisfying — and moderately unexpected — ending.
Release and Summary
Those steering clear of the terror of intense horror games won’t want to miss Gloomy Eyes. It’s available on Switch console, PS5, computer, and Xbox, and is available at a reduced price for a quarter off on digital platforms.
This charming title is out now on several consoles and provides a delightful choice for gamers looking for Halloween fun without the terrifying moments.
