Not each spooky season journey needs to terrify gamers. From iconic favorites for example Scooby-Doo to endearing shows like Over the Garden Wall, plenty of Halloween-themed staples are enjoyable without requiring causing fear. Additionally, a growing library of eerie-charming titles including autumn atmosphere, but not the sleep-with-the-lights-on level of fear. Gloomy Eyes was released in the fall, and stands as an outstanding comfortable option to the truly terrifying releases of 2025.
A Unique Self-Coop Journey
Labeled as a “self-coop” brain-teaser, Gloomy Eyes unites a living-impaired child known as Gloomy and a living girl known as Nena as they start an mission to bring the sun back to their shadowy realm. Their appearance resembles Funko Pops blended with the characters from a stop-motion animation. The pale-skinned and tired-looking aesthetic draws inspiration from the look of Gothic fantasy movies, and the story is a quintessential suitable for everyone tale. These two builds an unbreakable connection over the course of the game’s 14 chapters as Nena strives to demonstrate to her priest uncle that, hey, perhaps living-impaired beings are actually good.
Creative Problem-Solving Features
This unique description stems from the game’s interactive problem-solving. When Gloomy and Nena encounter each other, players alternate among the budding companions to solve puzzles and progress through the stages. Since he's not alive, Gloomy cannot pass through the illumination of a lamppost, while Nena can be captured by wandering undead without a light is focused on them.
It's necessary for them to cooperate closely — in practice, gamers operate them in tandem — to advance through areas. Nena may move or temporarily shut off lamps to clear paths for Gloomy, while the thoughtful boy will utilize his supernatural ability to shift around obstacles in the world, opening up routes for Nena.
Engaging Environment Creation
The puzzles remind me a touch of The Gardens Between, in the fashion the levels are hovering, model-like designs that the view pans around in conjunction with your protagonists. Gloomy Eyes’ worlds are highly entertaining, taking the duo around a amusement park and through a ghostly building, including other places. There’s a “diorama view” option that enables you to zoom out and spin the levels, both to admire the artwork and hunt for paths that may not have been obvious.
Minor Issues and Overall Gameplay
This represents one of the sole problems with Gloomy Eyes. Like other releases with a locked camera, it’s not always clear where the heroes may or may not travel. Gamers could require to just bump into a multiple different items to determine which ones are interactable, as it’s not always intuitive.
However, those small obstacles don't hinder of a ghostly-charming good time. Gloomy Eyes has a compact length, with roughly several hours worth of puzzles. Advanced areas blend together minor hidden movement and exciting moments with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes progresses to a rewarding — and moderately unforeseen — finale.
Release and Summary
Players shying away from the frights of intense horror titles should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. It’s available on Switch console, PS5, computer, and Microsoft console, and is presently discounted for a quarter off on online stores.
Gloomy Eyes is available on multiple platforms and provides a delightful option for gamers seeking autumn enjoyment without the fear factor.
