Not each Halloween horror adventure needs to terrify gamers. Starting with well-known tales like mystery-solving cartoons to endearing shows like Over the Garden Wall, plenty of autumn-inspired titles offer entertainment without requiring increasing anxiety. Additionally, a growing library of eerie-charming releases with Halloween vibes, though lacking the sleep-with-the-lights-on level of terror. Gloomy Eyes was released in the fall, and serves as an excellent relaxing choice to the intensely frightening titles of 2025.
A Distinctive Collaborative Solo Quest
Labeled as a single-player cooperative puzzle game, Gloomy Eyes teams up a zombie boy called Gloomy and a mortal child called Nena as they start an mission to bring the sun back to their dark, dark world. Their appearance resembles Funko Pops combined with the figures from a Laika film. The pale-skinned and baggy-eyed aesthetic draws inspiration from the visual style of Gothic fantasy movies, and the story is a quintessential family-friendly journey. The duo develops an unbreakable friendship over the duration of the game’s multiple stages as Nena tries to demonstrate to her religious guardian that, hey, possibly living-impaired beings are actually good.
Original Problem-Solving Features
The innovative label originates from the game’s interactive problem-solving. After Gloomy and Nena encounter each other, gamers switch between the recent allies to overcome obstacles and progress through the stages. Since he's not alive, Gloomy is unable to traverse through the brightness of a lamppost, while Nena may be grabbed by idle zombies without a lamp is shone on them.
They must collaborate effectively — actually, gamers operate them simultaneously — to finish levels. Nena could adjust or momentarily deactivate lamps to create passages for Gloomy, while the thoughtful character will employ his undead power to rearrange items in the world, revealing ways for Nena.
Immersive World Building
These challenges remind me a bit of The Gardens Between, in the manner the stages are suspended, diorama-like constructions that the camera rotates in sync with your protagonists. Gloomy Eyes’ settings are quite fun, leading the companions around a fair and through a haunted house, including other places. There’s a “diorama view” feature that enables you to zoom out and rotate the levels, both to admire the artwork and search for routes that may not have been apparent.
Small Challenges and Complete Adventure
And that’s one of the sole hiccups with Gloomy Eyes. Comparable to other releases with a locked camera, sometimes it's unclear where the protagonists may or may not travel. You may need to randomly encounter a several various elements to figure out which ones are usable, as clues aren't consistently provided.
Nevertheless, those small challenges don’t get in the way of a eerie-adorable fun adventure. Gloomy Eyes runs on the short side, with about several hours worth of challenges. Subsequent stages combine minor stealth and dynamic sequences with the problem-solving, as Gloomy Eyes marches toward a satisfying — and slightly unexpected — ending.
Release and Conclusion
Those avoiding the scares of terrifying releases ought to experience Gloomy Eyes. It’s available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X, and is available at a reduced price for a discount on online stores.
This charming title is available on several consoles and delivers a enjoyable alternative for gamers seeking Halloween fun without the terrifying moments.
