Not all Halloween horror journey needs to terrify players. From beloved classics like Scooby-Doo to endearing shows including Over the Garden Wall, many autumn-inspired titles are enjoyable without raising your heart rate. Additionally, a growing library of spooky-cute releases with spooky themes, but not the keep-you-awake level of fear. Gloomy Eyes debuted in the fall, and acts as an superb comfortable alternative to the deeply scary releases of 2025.
An Original Self-Coop Journey
Known as a single-player cooperative brain-teaser, Gloomy Eyes teams up a zombie boy named Gloomy and a mortal child named Nena as they embark on an quest to bring the sun back to their gloomy environment. Their design evokes stylized dolls combined with the characters from a animated feature. Their fair-toned and heavy-lidded appearance draws inspiration from the visual style of Burtonesque cinema, and the narrative is a archetypal family-friendly adventure. The pair builds an enduring friendship over the course of the game’s multiple stages as Nena strives to demonstrate to her clerical relative that, you know, maybe zombies are actually good.
Innovative Gameplay Systems
The “self-coop” label stems from the game’s interactive problem-solving. After Gloomy and Nena cross paths, you’ll swap amidst the newfound friends to solve puzzles and progress through the stages. Being a zombie, Gloomy can’t walk through the light of a lamppost, while Nena may be grabbed by idle zombies unless a beam is focused on them.
It's necessary for them to collaborate effectively — actually, you’ll use them in tandem — to complete stages. Nena could adjust or temporarily shut off lights to clear paths for Gloomy, while the open-brained character will utilize his supernatural ability to shift around objects in the surroundings, revealing paths for Nena.
Engaging Level Design
The brain-teasers evoke memories a little of The Gardens Between, in the manner the areas are floating, miniature designs that the camera moves across in conjunction with your heroes. Gloomy Eyes’ environments are very enjoyable, taking the friends around a carnival and through a spooky mansion, amid other locales. There’s a “diorama view” button that allows you to zoom out and spin the levels, both to enjoy the designs and look for ways that may not have been apparent.
Minor Hiccups and Complete Gameplay
And that’s one of the sole hiccups with Gloomy Eyes. Similar to other releases with a fixed perspective, it’s not always clear where the protagonists are able to move. Players might have to simply collide with a few random elements to determine which ones are interactable, as it’s not always intuitive.
Nevertheless, those minor obstacles don't hinder of a spooky-cute fun adventure. Gloomy Eyes has a compact length, with approximately a few sessions worth of puzzles. Subsequent stages combine minor sneaking and action elements with the problem-solving, as Gloomy Eyes advances to a satisfying — and somewhat surprising — ending.
Release and Final Thoughts
Gamers avoiding the terror of terrifying releases should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. The game is out on Switch console, Sony system, PC, and Xbox Series X, and is available at a reduced price for a discount on digital platforms.
Gloomy Eyes has been released on various systems and delivers a delightful alternative for gamers in search of autumn enjoyment without intense scares.
