Not every autumn fright adventure must scare gamers. From beloved classics for example Scooby-Doo to delightful stories such as Over the Garden Wall, plenty of autumn-inspired titles are enjoyable without requiring increasing anxiety. Additionally, a increasing selection of ghostly-adorable releases with Halloween vibes, though lacking the sleep-with-the-lights-on intensity of horror. Gloomy Eyes debuted in September, and stands as an excellent cozy choice to the truly terrifying titles of 2025.
A Distinctive Collaborative Solo Journey
Labeled as a “self-coop” problem-solving title, Gloomy Eyes teams up a living-impaired child called Gloomy and a human girl named Nena as they begin an mission to bring the sun back to their dark, dark world. Their appearance resembles Funko Pops blended with the characters from a Laika film. Their fair-toned and heavy-lidded aesthetic is influenced by the visual style of Tim Burton’s films, and the plot is a archetypal family-friendly journey. These two forms an enduring bond over the course of the game’s 14 chapters as Nena strives to show to her religious guardian that, look, perhaps zombies are actually good.
Original Problem-Solving Features
The “self-coop” term comes about from the game’s environmental puzzles. After Gloomy and Nena cross paths, you’ll swap between the budding companions to overcome obstacles and advance through the stages. Since he's not alive, Gloomy can’t walk through the brightness of a light source, while Nena will get snatched up by idle zombies unless a lamp is directed on them.
They must work in tandem — in practice, gamers operate them in tandem — to finish levels. Nena might relocate or briefly disable illumination to open routes for Gloomy, while the intellectually curious youth will use his zombie strength to move items in the environment, creating paths for Nena.
Captivating Environment Creation
These challenges bring to mind a little of The Gardens Between, in the fashion the levels are floating, diorama-like constructions that the camera rotates in sync with your protagonists. Gloomy Eyes’ settings are very enjoyable, leading the companions around a amusement park and through a ghostly building, amid other locales. Players can use a “diorama view” button that allows you to view from afar and turn the levels, both to admire the artwork and search for ways that may not have been obvious.
Minor Hiccups and General Experience
Here lies one of the sole difficulties with Gloomy Eyes. Like other releases with a locked camera, occasionally it's confusing where the protagonists may or may not travel. You may need to just bump into a few random objects to figure out which ones are usable, as it’s not always intuitive.
Nonetheless, those slight obstacles don’t get in the way of a spooky-cute good time. Gloomy Eyes runs on the short side, with approximately several hours worth of brain-teasers. Subsequent stages integrate light hidden movement and exciting moments with the challenge completion, as Gloomy Eyes advances to a rewarding — and moderately surprising — ending.
Accessibility and Final Thoughts
Gamers avoiding the terror of terrifying titles won’t want to miss Gloomy Eyes. It’s available on Nintendo platform, Sony system, Windows PC, and Xbox, and is currently on sale for a quarter off on digital platforms.
Gloomy Eyes is available on several consoles and offers a enjoyable alternative for fans in search of autumn enjoyment without the terrifying moments.
