This Ghostly-Charming Puzzler Acts as the Perfect Substitute to Frightening Flicks

Not all Halloween horror experience has to scare gamers. Starting with iconic favorites like Scooby-Doo to delightful stories like Over the Garden Wall, many spooky-season favorites offer entertainment without needing raising your heart rate. There’s also, a expanding collection of ghostly-adorable releases with spooky themes, but not the keep-you-awake intensity of terror. Gloomy Eyes debuted in the fall, and stands as an excellent cozy alternative to the intensely frightening titles of 2025.

An Original Collaborative Solo Adventure

Described as a solo collaboration problem-solving title, Gloomy Eyes teams up a undead youth known as Gloomy and a human girl called Nena as they begin an quest to bring the sun back to their dark, dark realm. Their appearance is similar to collectible figures mixed with the figures from a stop-motion animation. Their light-complected and baggy-eyed appearance draws inspiration from the visual style of Burtonesque cinema, and the plot is a archetypal family-friendly adventure. The duo develops an enduring bond over the span of the game’s 14 chapters as Nena attempts to demonstrate to her priest uncle that, hey, possibly zombies are actually good.

Creative Problem-Solving Features

The “self-coop” term comes about from the game’s environmental puzzles. After Gloomy and Nena cross paths, you’ll swap amidst the recent allies to solve puzzles and progress through the areas. Since he's not alive, Gloomy cannot pass through the brightness of a light source, while Nena can be captured by loitering creatures except if a lamp is focused on them.

They must collaborate effectively — actually, gamers operate them simultaneously — to complete stages. Nena might relocate or temporarily shut off illumination to create passages for Gloomy, while the thoughtful boy will use his zombie strength to shift around items in the environment, revealing ways for Nena.

Engaging Level Design

The brain-teasers bring to mind a bit of The Gardens Between, in the way the areas are hovering, diorama-like constructions that the camera rotates in coordination with your characters. Gloomy Eyes’ worlds are quite fun, leading the duo around a amusement park and through a haunted house, among other locations. There’s a “diorama view” button that enables you to zoom out and turn the levels, both for appreciate the designs and look for routes that may not have been obvious.

Small Challenges and Complete Adventure

And that’s one of the few hiccups with Gloomy Eyes. Like other titles with a locked camera, occasionally it's confusing where the characters can and cannot go. You may need to just bump into a multiple different elements to determine which ones are usable, as the game doesn't always indicate.

However, those minor speedbumps don’t get in the way of a ghostly-charming fun adventure. Gloomy Eyes has a compact length, with approximately several hours worth of brain-teasers. Subsequent stages blend together minor stealth and action elements with the problem-solving, as Gloomy Eyes marches toward a rewarding — and somewhat unexpected — ending.

Availability and Conclusion

Those steering clear of the frights of terrifying titles won’t want to miss Gloomy Eyes. You can find it on Nintendo Switch, PS5, computer, and Microsoft console, and is presently discounted for 25% off on online stores.

The spooky-cute adventure is available on various systems and offers a enjoyable choice for players seeking Halloween fun without fear factor.