Not every autumn fright experience must terrify players. From well-known tales for example mystery-solving cartoons to delightful stories including Over the Garden Wall, many Halloween-themed staples provide fun without increasing anxiety. Moreover, a growing library of ghostly-adorable titles with Halloween vibes, yet without the keep-you-awake intensity of horror. Gloomy Eyes debuted in the fall, and acts as an outstanding cozy choice to the truly terrifying titles of 2025.
An Original Single-Player Cooperative Adventure
Labeled as a solo collaboration problem-solving title, Gloomy Eyes unites a living-impaired child known as Gloomy and a human girl called Nena as they start an mission to bring the sun back to their shadowy realm. They look resembles stylized dolls combined with the characters from a stop-motion animation. Their fair-toned and baggy-eyed aesthetic is influenced by the look of Tim Burton’s films, and the narrative is a quintessential suitable for everyone tale. The pair builds an strong bond over the course of the game’s 14 chapters as Nena tries to prove to her clerical relative that, hey, perhaps the undead can be friendly.
Original Problem-Solving Features
The innovative label originates from the game’s world-based challenges. After Gloomy and Nena cross paths, you’ll swap amidst the newfound friends to complete challenges and progress through the stages. Being a zombie, Gloomy is unable to traverse through the light of a light source, while Nena will get snatched up by loitering creatures without a lamp is shone on them.
They have to collaborate effectively — in practice, players control them simultaneously — to advance through areas. Nena might relocate or momentarily deactivate lights to open routes for Gloomy, while the thoughtful youth will employ his undead power to rearrange objects in the environment, opening up routes for Nena.
Immersive World Building
These challenges bring to mind a little of The Gardens Between, in the way the levels are suspended, miniature constructions that the perspective rotates in coordination with your heroes. Gloomy Eyes’ worlds are very enjoyable, leading the friends around a carnival and through a spooky mansion, amid other locales. Players can use a “diorama view” button that enables you to pull back and spin the stages, both to appreciate the designs and look for routes that may not have been obvious.
Small Issues and Overall Adventure
Here lies one of the only problems with Gloomy Eyes. Like other games with a locked camera, sometimes it's unclear where the characters are able to move. You may need to just bump into a few random items to discover which ones are interactable, as clues aren't consistently provided.
Nonetheless, those minor speedbumps don’t get in the way of a eerie-adorable fun adventure. Gloomy Eyes is relatively brief, with about three to five hours worth of challenges. Subsequent stages combine minor sneaking and dynamic sequences with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes advances to a fulfilling — and moderately unexpected — conclusion.
Accessibility and Summary
Those steering clear of the terror of fear-inducing titles ought to experience Gloomy Eyes. The game is out on Nintendo platform, PS5, PC, and Xbox, and is presently discounted for 25% off on online stores.
The spooky-cute adventure has been released on several consoles and provides a pleasurable choice for fans seeking autumn enjoyment minus the fear factor.
