Not all spooky season experience needs to frighten you. Including iconic favorites such as Scooby-Doo to endearing shows including Over the Garden Wall, numerous autumn-inspired titles offer entertainment without needing increasing anxiety. Moreover, a increasing selection of eerie-charming games with autumn atmosphere, but not the keep-you-awake intensity of fear. Gloomy Eyes arrived in September, and serves as an outstanding relaxing choice to the truly terrifying releases of 2025.
An Original Collaborative Solo Adventure
Known as a single-player cooperative puzzle game, Gloomy Eyes unites a undead youth called Gloomy and a human girl known as Nena as they begin an adventure to return daylight to their gloomy environment. Their appearance evokes stylized dolls blended with the figures from a animated feature. Their fair-toned and tired-looking aesthetic is influenced by the visual style of Burtonesque cinema, and the plot is a archetypal all-ages journey. The duo builds an strong friendship over the span of the game’s 14 chapters as Nena strives to show to her priest uncle that, hey, maybe the undead aren’t half bad.
Innovative Gameplay Systems
This unique description originates from the game’s world-based challenges. After Gloomy and Nena cross paths, players alternate between the recent allies to overcome obstacles and move forward through the areas. Being a zombie, Gloomy is unable to traverse through the illumination of a lamppost, while Nena may be grabbed by loitering creatures unless a lamp is directed on them.
They have to cooperate closely — actually, you’ll use them simultaneously — to finish levels. Nena may move or temporarily shut off illumination to open routes for Gloomy, while the thoughtful boy will use his zombie strength to shift around obstacles in the environment, revealing routes for Nena.
Immersive World Building
These challenges bring to mind a touch of The Gardens Between, in the way the areas are hovering, model-like designs that the view pans around in sync with your protagonists. Gloomy Eyes’ worlds are very enjoyable, guiding the companions around a amusement park and through a ghostly building, amid other locations. Players can use a “diorama view” option that allows you to view from afar and turn the areas, both to appreciate the designs and hunt for ways that may not have been apparent.
Minor Challenges and General Adventure
Here lies one of the few hiccups with Gloomy Eyes. Comparable to other releases with a static view, it’s not always clear where the protagonists are able to move. You may need to just bump into a several various items to discover which ones are interactable, as clues aren't consistently provided.
Nevertheless, those slight speedbumps don’t get in the way of a eerie-adorable enjoyable experience. Gloomy Eyes is relatively brief, with roughly several hours worth of brain-teasers. Later levels blend together subtle sneaking and dynamic sequences with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes progresses to a rewarding — and slightly unforeseen — conclusion.
Accessibility and Conclusion
Gamers shying away from the frights of intense horror games won’t want to miss Gloomy Eyes. It’s available on Switch console, PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X, and is presently discounted for a discount on digital platforms.
The spooky-cute adventure has been released on various systems and delivers a pleasurable option for gamers in search of autumn enjoyment without fear factor.
