Not every autumn fright journey needs to terrify you. Starting with well-known tales for example mystery-solving cartoons to endearing shows including Over the Garden Wall, many autumn-inspired staples offer entertainment without requiring increasing anxiety. Moreover, a increasing selection of eerie-charming games including autumn atmosphere, though lacking the keep-you-awake level of horror. Gloomy Eyes arrived in the fall, and acts as an superb relaxing option to the truly terrifying titles of 2025.
A Distinctive Self-Coop Adventure
Labeled as a “self-coop” problem-solving title, Gloomy Eyes pairs up a zombie boy called Gloomy and a mortal child called Nena as they begin an adventure to bring the sun back to their gloomy world. Their appearance is similar to Funko Pops combined with the puppets from a Laika film. Their pale-skinned and tired-looking aesthetic is influenced by the visual style of Tim Burton’s films, and the narrative is a classic suitable for everyone tale. These two builds an strong friendship over the span of the game’s numerous levels as Nena strives to show to her clerical relative that, hey, perhaps the undead are actually good.
Original Gameplay Systems
The “self-coop” label originates from the game’s environmental puzzles. Once Gloomy and Nena cross paths, gamers switch amidst the newfound friends to solve puzzles and progress through the levels. Being a zombie, Gloomy is unable to traverse through the brightness of a light source, while Nena will get snatched up by idle zombies except if a beam is shone on them.
They must work in tandem — well, you’ll use them simultaneously — to finish levels. Nena could adjust or temporarily shut off lights to clear paths for Gloomy, while the open-brained character will employ his undead power to shift around obstacles in the surroundings, revealing paths for Nena.
Captivating Environment Creation
The puzzles bring to mind a little of The Gardens Between, in the fashion the levels are hovering, diorama-like structures that the perspective moves across in sync with your heroes. Gloomy Eyes’ worlds are quite fun, leading the companions around a carnival and through a ghostly building, including other locations. The game includes a “diorama view” button that permits you to zoom out and rotate the levels, simultaneously to appreciate the artwork and search for ways that may not have been obvious.
Minor Issues and General Experience
This represents one of the only difficulties with Gloomy Eyes. Like other games with a locked camera, occasionally it's confusing where the heroes may or may not travel. Players might have to randomly encounter a multiple different objects to discover which ones are interactable, as the game doesn't always indicate.
Nevertheless, those small obstacles don't hinder of a spooky-cute enjoyable experience. Gloomy Eyes has a compact length, with roughly a few sessions worth of brain-teasers. Subsequent stages blend together subtle hidden movement and dynamic sequences with the problem-solving, as Gloomy Eyes progresses to a satisfying — and moderately unforeseen — ending.
Accessibility and Summary
Players avoiding the scares of fear-inducing games ought to experience Gloomy Eyes. You can find it on Nintendo Switch, Sony system, computer, and Xbox Series X, and is available at a reduced price for 25% off on game marketplaces.
The spooky-cute adventure is available on multiple platforms and offers a pleasurable choice for players in search of spooky entertainment minus the fear factor.
