Not all autumn fright adventure must scare you. Starting with iconic favorites such as Scooby-Doo to charming series like Over the Garden Wall, numerous spooky-season staples offer entertainment without requiring increasing anxiety. Moreover, a increasing selection of spooky-cute titles featuring Halloween vibes, but not the keep-you-awake level of horror. Gloomy Eyes arrived in recent months, and stands as an excellent relaxing alternative to the intensely frightening releases of 2025.
A Unique Collaborative Solo Journey
Labeled as a single-player cooperative problem-solving title, Gloomy Eyes unites a zombie boy named Gloomy and a human girl named Nena as they start an adventure to return daylight to their shadowy environment. Their design evokes collectible figures mixed with the figures from a Laika film. The light-complected and tired-looking appearance borrows heavily from the appearance of Gothic fantasy movies, and the narrative is a quintessential all-ages adventure. The duo develops an strong connection over the course of the game’s 14 chapters as Nena tries to prove to her clerical relative that, look, possibly the undead can be friendly.
Original Gameplay Systems
The “self-coop” term comes about from the game’s interactive problem-solving. After Gloomy and Nena encounter each other, you’ll swap between the recent allies to solve puzzles and move forward through the levels. As an undead, Gloomy cannot pass through the light of a lamppost, while Nena may be grabbed by idle zombies without a light is directed on them.
They have to cooperate closely — actually, players control them together — to complete stages. Nena could adjust or briefly disable lamps to open routes for Gloomy, while the open-brained character will use his zombie strength to move items in the environment, revealing ways for Nena.
Captivating World Building
The brain-teasers remind me a touch of The Gardens Between, in the way the stages are floating, diorama-like structures that the perspective rotates in coordination with your protagonists. Gloomy Eyes’ worlds are highly entertaining, leading the duo around a fair and through a ghostly building, including other places. Players can use a “diorama view” option that enables you to pull back and rotate the areas, simultaneously to enjoy the visuals and hunt for paths that may not have been obvious.
Small Challenges and Overall Adventure
Here lies one of the only problems with Gloomy Eyes. Like other titles with a fixed perspective, occasionally it's confusing where the heroes are able to move. Players might have to just bump into a multiple different items to figure out which ones are interactive, as the game doesn't always indicate.
However, those minor obstacles don’t get in the way of a spooky-cute fun adventure. Gloomy Eyes runs on the short side, with roughly a few sessions worth of challenges. Later levels combine minor sneaking and action elements with the challenge completion, as Gloomy Eyes advances to a rewarding — and moderately unforeseen — finale.
Accessibility and Conclusion
Gamers steering clear of the frights of fear-inducing titles should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. It’s available on Nintendo Switch, PS5, computer, and Microsoft console, and is currently on sale for 25% off on game marketplaces.
Gloomy Eyes has been released on various systems and delivers a enjoyable option for gamers looking for Halloween fun without the terrifying moments.
