Not all spooky season adventure must scare players. Starting with beloved classics such as animated detectives to delightful stories including Over the Garden Wall, many Halloween-themed staples provide fun without needing causing fear. There’s also, a increasing selection of spooky-cute releases including autumn atmosphere, but not the keep-you-awake intensity of fear. Gloomy Eyes arrived in recent months, and stands as an superb comfortable choice to the deeply scary releases of 2025.
A Distinctive Self-Coop Journey
Known as a solo collaboration brain-teaser, Gloomy Eyes unites a zombie boy known as Gloomy and a living girl called Nena as they embark on an adventure to return daylight to their shadowy realm. Their design is similar to collectible figures blended with the figures from a animated feature. Their pale-skinned and tired-looking aesthetic borrows heavily from the visual style of Tim Burton’s films, and the plot is a classic family-friendly adventure. The duo builds an strong bond over the course of the game’s numerous levels as Nena attempts to prove to her clerical relative that, you know, perhaps zombies aren’t half bad.
Creative Puzzle Mechanics
The “self-coop” term stems from the game’s environmental puzzles. When Gloomy and Nena meet, players alternate between the newfound friends to overcome obstacles and move forward through the stages. Since he's not alive, Gloomy cannot pass through the illumination of a streetlight, while Nena can be captured by wandering undead unless a beam is directed on them.
They must cooperate closely — in practice, you’ll use them simultaneously — to advance through areas. Nena might relocate or momentarily deactivate lamps to clear paths for Gloomy, while the open-brained character will employ his undead power to shift around objects in the surroundings, revealing paths for Nena.
Captivating World Building
These challenges evoke memories a bit of The Gardens Between, in the fashion the levels are suspended, model-like constructions that the view pans around in conjunction with your protagonists. Gloomy Eyes’ worlds are very enjoyable, taking the companions around a amusement park and through a haunted house, amid other places. Players can use a “diorama view” feature that permits you to pull back and spin the stages, both for admire the artwork and hunt for paths that may not have been obvious.
Minor Issues and General Experience
And that’s one of the sole problems with Gloomy Eyes. Comparable to other releases with a fixed perspective, it’s not always clear where the heroes are able to move. You may need to just bump into a several various elements to figure out which ones are interactable, as clues aren't consistently provided.
Nonetheless, those minor speedbumps don’t get in the way of a spooky-cute enjoyable experience. Gloomy Eyes is relatively brief, with about several hours worth of puzzles. Advanced areas blend together light hidden movement and dynamic sequences with the problem-solving, as Gloomy Eyes advances to a satisfying — and moderately surprising — conclusion.
Release and Conclusion
Those shying away from the terror of fear-inducing games should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. It’s available on Switch console, PS5, Windows PC, and Microsoft console, and is currently on sale for 25% off on digital platforms.
The spooky-cute adventure is available on several consoles and offers a enjoyable option for players in search of Halloween fun minus the terrifying moments.
