Not every Halloween horror journey has to frighten you. Starting with beloved classics like mystery-solving cartoons to delightful stories like Over the Garden Wall, plenty of Halloween-themed titles are enjoyable without raising your heart rate. There’s also, a growing library of eerie-charming releases with Halloween vibes, yet without the keep-you-awake level of horror. Gloomy Eyes arrived in the fall, and stands as an superb comfortable option to the truly terrifying titles of 2025.
A Unique Self-Coop Journey
Described as a “self-coop” brain-teaser, Gloomy Eyes pairs up a living-impaired child known as Gloomy and a mortal child named Nena as they embark on an adventure to bring the sun back to their shadowy realm. Their design evokes Funko Pops mixed with the puppets from a animated feature. Their light-complected and tired-looking style is influenced by the look of Tim Burton’s films, and the plot is a classic all-ages adventure. These two develops an strong friendship over the course of the game’s numerous levels as Nena attempts to prove to her clerical relative that, hey, possibly zombies are actually good.
Innovative Puzzle Mechanics
The “self-coop” label stems from the game’s interactive problem-solving. After Gloomy and Nena meet, players alternate amidst the recent allies to complete challenges and progress through the levels. Since he's not alive, Gloomy cannot pass through the light of a light source, while Nena can be captured by wandering undead except if a beam is focused on them.
They must cooperate closely — in practice, players control them in tandem — to finish levels. Nena may move or momentarily deactivate lights to create passages for Gloomy, while the thoughtful boy will utilize his supernatural ability to shift around obstacles in the surroundings, revealing routes for Nena.
Engaging Environment Creation
The puzzles bring to mind a bit of The Gardens Between, in the manner the levels are floating, diorama-like constructions that the camera pans around in coordination with your protagonists. Gloomy Eyes’ worlds are quite fun, taking the duo around a carnival and through a haunted house, amid other locales. Players can use a “diorama view” option that permits you to zoom out and rotate the areas, both to enjoy the designs and hunt for paths that may not have been obvious.
Slight Issues and Complete Adventure
And that’s one of the few problems with Gloomy Eyes. Like other titles with a fixed perspective, occasionally it's confusing where the characters can and cannot go. Players might have to randomly encounter a few random elements to determine which ones are interactable, as clues aren't consistently provided.
Nevertheless, those slight speedbumps don't hinder of a eerie-adorable good time. Gloomy Eyes runs on the short side, with roughly several hours worth of brain-teasers. Later levels combine light stealth and exciting moments with the problem-solving, as Gloomy Eyes marches toward a satisfying — and moderately surprising — finale.
Accessibility and Summary
Players shying away from the scares of fear-inducing releases won’t want to miss Gloomy Eyes. The game is out on Switch console, PS5, computer, and Xbox Series X, and is available at a reduced price for a quarter off on game marketplaces.
This charming title is out now on several consoles and offers a enjoyable option for gamers seeking autumn enjoyment without the fear factor.
