The Ghostly-Charming Puzzler Functions as the Excellent Substitute to Frightening Flicks

Not every autumn fright experience has to terrify you. Including well-known tales like mystery-solving cartoons to delightful stories like Over the Garden Wall, numerous Halloween-themed titles are enjoyable without needing raising your heart rate. There’s also, a growing library of spooky-cute games featuring autumn atmosphere, but not the sleep-with-the-lights-on degree of horror. Gloomy Eyes debuted in the fall, and stands as an outstanding relaxing alternative to the truly terrifying releases of 2025.

A Unique Self-Coop Journey

Labeled as a “self-coop” puzzle game, Gloomy Eyes teams up a undead youth named Gloomy and a mortal child called Nena as they start an mission to return daylight to their dark, dark realm. Their appearance is similar to collectible figures combined with the characters from a stop-motion animation. Their pale-skinned and heavy-lidded aesthetic draws inspiration from the appearance of Tim Burton’s films, and the narrative is a classic family-friendly tale. The duo develops an enduring friendship over the duration of the game’s numerous levels as Nena attempts to prove to her clerical relative that, you know, maybe the undead are actually good.

Creative Gameplay Systems

The “self-coop” label originates from the game’s environmental puzzles. When Gloomy and Nena encounter each other, players alternate amidst the budding companions to complete challenges and move forward through the areas. Since he's not alive, Gloomy cannot pass through the illumination of a streetlight, while Nena may be grabbed by wandering undead without a beam is shone on them.

They must cooperate closely — actually, gamers operate them together — to complete stages. Nena could adjust or temporarily shut off illumination to clear paths for Gloomy, while the thoughtful youth will employ his undead power to shift around items in the surroundings, opening up routes for Nena.

Immersive World Building

The brain-teasers remind me a bit of The Gardens Between, in the fashion the stages are hovering, miniature constructions that the perspective moves across in sync with your protagonists. Gloomy Eyes’ worlds are quite fun, guiding the friends around a amusement park and through a haunted house, including other locations. There’s a “diorama view” button that enables you to pull back and rotate the areas, both to admire the designs and search for ways that may not have been apparent.

Small Challenges and General Experience

Here lies one of the only hiccups with Gloomy Eyes. Similar to other releases with a locked camera, sometimes it's unclear where the protagonists may or may not travel. Gamers could require to just bump into a multiple different elements to figure out which ones are usable, as the game doesn't always indicate.

Nonetheless, those slight speedbumps don't obstruct of a spooky-cute good time. Gloomy Eyes runs on the short side, with about a few sessions worth of puzzles. Later levels combine light hidden movement and action elements with the problem-solving, as Gloomy Eyes progresses to a fulfilling — and slightly surprising — conclusion.

Accessibility and Final Thoughts

Those steering clear of the terror of fear-inducing games ought to experience Gloomy Eyes. It’s available on Switch console, PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X, and is available at a reduced price for a quarter off on online stores.

The spooky-cute adventure is out now on multiple platforms and provides a delightful alternative for fans looking for autumn enjoyment without the fear factor.