Not all spooky season journey needs to scare players. From iconic favorites such as animated detectives to charming series including Over the Garden Wall, numerous autumn-inspired staples offer entertainment without causing fear. There’s also, a expanding collection of spooky-cute games featuring autumn atmosphere, though lacking the sleep-with-the-lights-on level of terror. Gloomy Eyes arrived in recent months, and acts as an outstanding relaxing option to the intensely frightening titles of 2025.
A Distinctive Single-Player Cooperative Journey
Labeled as a single-player cooperative problem-solving title, Gloomy Eyes unites a living-impaired child called Gloomy and a mortal child named Nena as they embark on an quest to bring the sun back to their gloomy environment. Their design resembles Funko Pops combined with the figures from a Laika film. Their pale-skinned and tired-looking aesthetic draws inspiration from the look of Burtonesque cinema, and the story is a quintessential suitable for everyone adventure. The pair develops an strong friendship over the course of the game’s numerous levels as Nena attempts to prove to her clerical relative that, you know, perhaps the undead can be friendly.
Innovative Problem-Solving Features
The “self-coop” label originates from the game’s environmental puzzles. Once Gloomy and Nena encounter each other, gamers switch amidst the newfound friends to complete challenges and progress through the stages. As an undead, Gloomy is unable to traverse through the brightness of a streetlight, while Nena may be grabbed by idle zombies unless a lamp is focused on them.
They must cooperate closely — actually, players control them in tandem — to complete stages. Nena could adjust or temporarily shut off illumination to create passages for Gloomy, while the open-brained boy will employ his undead power to shift around items in the environment, creating ways for Nena.
Immersive Environment Creation
The puzzles bring to mind a bit of The Gardens Between, in the manner the areas are floating, miniature designs that the camera moves across in sync with your heroes. Gloomy Eyes’ settings are very enjoyable, leading the companions around a fair and through a spooky mansion, among other places. There’s a “diorama view” feature that allows you to zoom out and spin the levels, both for admire the visuals and look for ways that may not have been apparent.
Minor Challenges and General Gameplay
Here lies one of the few problems with Gloomy Eyes. Similar to other titles with a locked camera, sometimes it's unclear where the protagonists are able to move. Players might have to randomly encounter a multiple different objects to determine which ones are usable, as it’s not always intuitive.
However, those minor obstacles don't hinder of a ghostly-charming fun adventure. Gloomy Eyes has a compact length, with roughly a few sessions worth of puzzles. Later levels combine light stealth and action elements with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes advances to a fulfilling — and moderately unforeseen — ending.
Accessibility and Summary
Those shying away from the frights of terrifying releases should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. It’s available on Nintendo Switch, Sony system, computer, and Xbox, and is currently on sale for a discount on game marketplaces.
Gloomy Eyes is out now on several consoles and delivers a pleasurable alternative for fans seeking spooky entertainment without the fear factor.
