Not all spooky season journey needs to frighten players. From iconic favorites like animated detectives to endearing shows like Over the Garden Wall, many spooky-season staples offer entertainment without needing increasing anxiety. Additionally, a increasing selection of ghostly-adorable games with autumn atmosphere, but not the sleep-with-the-lights-on degree of horror. Gloomy Eyes debuted in September, and serves as an superb relaxing choice to the intensely frightening releases of 2025.
A Distinctive Self-Coop Quest
Known as a solo collaboration puzzle game, Gloomy Eyes teams up a undead youth called Gloomy and a living girl known as Nena as they start an mission to restore sunlight to their shadowy world. They look evokes Funko Pops combined with the figures from a Laika film. Their fair-toned and tired-looking style is influenced by the look of Burtonesque cinema, and the plot is a archetypal suitable for everyone journey. The pair forms an enduring connection over the duration of the game’s numerous levels as Nena tries to prove to her clerical relative that, you know, perhaps the undead are actually good.
Innovative Gameplay Systems
The “self-coop” description originates from the game’s environmental puzzles. After Gloomy and Nena meet, you’ll swap amidst the recent allies to complete challenges and progress through the levels. Since he's not alive, Gloomy can’t walk through the light of a streetlight, while Nena may be grabbed by wandering undead unless a light is directed on them.
They must work in tandem — actually, players control them simultaneously — to finish levels. Nena may move or momentarily deactivate lamps to create passages for Gloomy, while the intellectually curious character will utilize his supernatural ability to move objects in the world, opening up routes for Nena.
Immersive Level Design
These challenges remind me a touch of The Gardens Between, in the fashion the stages are suspended, miniature designs that the camera pans around in conjunction with your characters. Gloomy Eyes’ worlds are very enjoyable, taking the companions around a amusement park and through a spooky mansion, including other places. Players can use a “diorama view” feature that enables you to zoom out and turn the levels, both for enjoy the visuals and hunt for ways that may not have been obvious.
Small Issues and Complete Adventure
This represents one of the few problems with Gloomy Eyes. Similar to other games with a locked camera, it’s not always clear where the heroes can and cannot go. Gamers could require to simply collide with a several various objects to discover which ones are usable, as it’s not always intuitive.
However, those slight speedbumps don’t get in the way of a eerie-adorable enjoyable experience. Gloomy Eyes runs on the short side, with approximately a few sessions worth of brain-teasers. Later levels combine subtle stealth and dynamic sequences with the challenge completion, as Gloomy Eyes advances to a satisfying — and somewhat unexpected — conclusion.
Release and Summary
Gamers shying away from the frights of terrifying titles should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. It’s available on Switch console, PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X, and is available at a reduced price for a quarter off on game marketplaces.
Gloomy Eyes is available on multiple platforms and offers a delightful alternative for players seeking autumn enjoyment without the intense scares.
