Not all spooky season experience must terrify you. From iconic favorites for example mystery-solving cartoons to charming series including Over the Garden Wall, plenty of spooky-season staples provide fun without needing causing fear. Moreover, a increasing selection of eerie-charming releases including spooky themes, but not the keep-you-awake degree of horror. Gloomy Eyes was released in September, and stands as an superb relaxing alternative to the deeply scary titles of 2025.
A Unique Collaborative Solo Journey
Described as a “self-coop” puzzle game, Gloomy Eyes unites a living-impaired child called Gloomy and a living girl called Nena as they embark on an quest to bring the sun back to their gloomy environment. Their appearance resembles stylized dolls combined with the puppets from a Laika film. Their light-complected and tired-looking style is influenced by the visual style of Gothic fantasy movies, and the story is a classic suitable for everyone journey. The duo forms an unbreakable bond over the duration of the game’s multiple stages as Nena strives to show to her priest uncle that, you know, perhaps living-impaired beings aren’t half bad.
Innovative Gameplay Systems
The “self-coop” term stems from the game’s world-based challenges. When Gloomy and Nena meet, gamers switch among the newfound friends to overcome obstacles and progress through the levels. Being a zombie, Gloomy can’t walk through the light of a light source, while Nena may be grabbed by wandering undead except if a light is directed on them.
It's necessary for them to collaborate effectively — actually, you’ll use them in tandem — to advance through areas. Nena may move or momentarily deactivate illumination to create passages for Gloomy, while the open-brained character will use his zombie strength to move objects in the surroundings, revealing paths for Nena.
Engaging Environment Creation
These challenges remind me a bit of The Gardens Between, in the fashion the areas are floating, diorama-like constructions that the perspective moves across in coordination with your heroes. Gloomy Eyes’ environments are very enjoyable, taking the companions around a fair and through a spooky mansion, among other places. The game includes a “diorama view” button that permits you to pull back and rotate the stages, both to appreciate the artwork and look for paths that may not have been obvious.
Minor Issues and Overall Adventure
This represents one of the only problems with Gloomy Eyes. Similar to other releases with a static view, sometimes it's unclear where the protagonists are able to move. You may need to simply collide with a multiple different elements to determine which ones are usable, as the game doesn't always indicate.
Nonetheless, those slight speedbumps don’t get in the way of a ghostly-charming fun adventure. Gloomy Eyes runs on the short side, with roughly several hours worth of puzzles. Subsequent stages integrate minor sneaking and action elements with the problem-solving, as Gloomy Eyes progresses to a satisfying — and slightly unexpected — finale.
Accessibility and Summary
Those steering clear of the scares of terrifying games ought to experience Gloomy Eyes. The game is out on Switch console, PlayStation 5, PC, and Microsoft console, and is available at a reduced price for 25% off on game marketplaces.
Gloomy Eyes has been released on various systems and delivers a delightful option for players seeking spooky entertainment without intense scares.
