Not all autumn fright experience has to terrify gamers. Starting with iconic favorites like mystery-solving cartoons to charming series including Over the Garden Wall, numerous autumn-inspired staples provide fun without requiring raising your heart rate. Additionally, a expanding collection of ghostly-adorable releases featuring Halloween vibes, though lacking the keep-you-awake level of horror. Gloomy Eyes was released in the fall, and stands as an excellent cozy option to the intensely frightening titles of 2025.
A Unique Collaborative Solo Quest
Described as a solo collaboration brain-teaser, Gloomy Eyes pairs up a undead youth known as Gloomy and a human girl known as Nena as they embark on an mission to bring the sun back to their gloomy environment. Their design resembles stylized dolls blended with the figures from a animated feature. The fair-toned and heavy-lidded aesthetic is influenced by the visual style of Tim Burton’s films, and the narrative is a classic suitable for everyone tale. The pair builds an enduring bond over the duration of the game’s multiple stages as Nena tries to demonstrate to her clerical relative that, look, possibly zombies aren’t half bad.
Innovative Puzzle Mechanics
The innovative label originates from the game’s environmental puzzles. Once Gloomy and Nena meet, you’ll swap between the newfound friends to complete challenges and move forward through the stages. As an undead, Gloomy can’t walk through the illumination of a light source, while Nena will get snatched up by idle zombies except if a light is shone on them.
They must cooperate closely — in practice, players control them in tandem — to complete stages. Nena may move or temporarily shut off lights to clear paths for Gloomy, while the thoughtful character will utilize his supernatural ability to rearrange objects in the surroundings, opening up routes for Nena.
Captivating World Building
The brain-teasers remind me a touch of The Gardens Between, in the way the stages are hovering, model-like structures that the camera pans around in conjunction with your heroes. Gloomy Eyes’ environments are highly entertaining, taking the friends around a carnival and through a haunted house, among other locales. The game includes a “diorama view” option that allows you to view from afar and turn the stages, both to admire the visuals and search for routes that may not have been clear.
Small Hiccups and Complete Gameplay
Here lies one of the only difficulties with Gloomy Eyes. Comparable to other releases with a locked camera, it’s not always clear where the characters can and cannot go. Players might have to just bump into a few random items to discover which ones are interactive, as it’s not always intuitive.
However, those slight speedbumps don't hinder of a eerie-adorable enjoyable experience. Gloomy Eyes is relatively brief, with approximately three to five hours worth of puzzles. Subsequent stages combine subtle stealth and action elements with the challenge completion, as Gloomy Eyes progresses to a satisfying — and moderately surprising — ending.
Availability and Final Thoughts
Players shying away from the terror of intense horror releases ought to experience Gloomy Eyes. The game is out on Nintendo platform, PS5, Windows PC, and Xbox, and is available at a reduced price for a discount on online stores.
Gloomy Eyes has been released on multiple platforms and provides a pleasurable option for fans looking for Halloween fun without intense scares.
