Not every spooky season adventure needs to frighten you. Including beloved classics such as Scooby-Doo to endearing shows including Over the Garden Wall, plenty of spooky-season titles are enjoyable without causing fear. Moreover, a increasing selection of spooky-cute games featuring Halloween vibes, but not the sleep-with-the-lights-on level of horror. Gloomy Eyes debuted in the fall, and serves as an outstanding relaxing choice to the intensely frightening games of 2025.
A Distinctive Single-Player Cooperative Quest
Labeled as a single-player cooperative problem-solving title, Gloomy Eyes unites a zombie boy known as Gloomy and a mortal child known as Nena as they embark on an mission to return daylight to their shadowy realm. They look evokes Funko Pops combined with the puppets from a Laika film. The fair-toned and tired-looking aesthetic draws inspiration from the look of Burtonesque cinema, and the narrative is a classic family-friendly tale. The pair forms an unbreakable bond over the course of the game’s numerous levels as Nena tries to prove to her priest uncle that, look, maybe the undead can be friendly.
Original Puzzle Mechanics
The “self-coop” label stems from the game’s world-based challenges. When Gloomy and Nena meet, gamers switch amidst the recent allies to overcome obstacles and advance through the areas. Since he's not alive, Gloomy cannot pass through the brightness of a lamppost, while Nena can be captured by loitering creatures unless a lamp is directed on them.
They must work in tandem — in practice, you’ll use them in tandem — to finish levels. Nena could adjust or momentarily deactivate lamps to open routes for Gloomy, while the intellectually curious character will use his zombie strength to rearrange obstacles in the world, creating paths for Nena.
Captivating Level Design
The puzzles remind me a touch of The Gardens Between, in the way the levels are hovering, diorama-like designs that the perspective rotates in sync with your heroes. Gloomy Eyes’ environments are highly entertaining, guiding the companions around a fair and through a spooky mansion, including other locales. The game includes a “diorama view” feature that enables you to zoom out and turn the levels, both for enjoy the artwork and hunt for ways that may not have been clear.
Slight Hiccups and Overall Gameplay
This represents one of the only hiccups with Gloomy Eyes. Similar to other games with a locked camera, it’s not always clear where the heroes can and cannot go. Gamers could require to just bump into a several various items to figure out which ones are interactive, as it’s not always intuitive.
Nevertheless, those small obstacles don’t get in the way of a eerie-adorable fun adventure. Gloomy Eyes runs on the short side, with roughly three to five hours worth of challenges. Subsequent stages integrate minor stealth and action elements with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes advances to a rewarding — and moderately unforeseen — conclusion.
Availability and Summary
Players avoiding the terror of intense horror games ought to experience Gloomy Eyes. The game is out on Nintendo platform, Sony system, PC, and Microsoft console, and is available at a reduced price for a quarter off on digital platforms.
Gloomy Eyes is out now on several consoles and offers a pleasurable option for players in search of spooky entertainment without intense scares.
