Not every spooky season experience needs to frighten gamers. Starting with beloved classics like Scooby-Doo to charming series like Over the Garden Wall, numerous autumn-inspired staples are enjoyable without needing raising your heart rate. Moreover, a expanding collection of spooky-cute games with Halloween vibes, though lacking the sleep-with-the-lights-on intensity of terror. Gloomy Eyes arrived in September, and acts as an excellent comfortable choice to the truly terrifying titles of 2025.
A Unique Collaborative Solo Adventure
Described as a single-player cooperative problem-solving title, Gloomy Eyes pairs up a zombie boy named Gloomy and a living girl named Nena as they embark on an adventure to bring the sun back to their shadowy world. Their design evokes Funko Pops combined with the figures from a Laika film. Their fair-toned and baggy-eyed style borrows heavily from the look of Burtonesque cinema, and the plot is a quintessential all-ages journey. These two develops an unbreakable connection over the course of the game’s numerous levels as Nena attempts to show to her priest uncle that, look, perhaps the undead aren’t half bad.
Innovative Problem-Solving Features
The “self-coop” term originates from the game’s interactive problem-solving. Once Gloomy and Nena cross paths, players alternate between the budding companions to complete challenges and advance through the stages. Since he's not alive, Gloomy cannot pass through the illumination of a lamppost, while Nena will get snatched up by idle zombies without a beam is shone on them.
They have to cooperate closely — actually, players control them in tandem — to finish levels. Nena might relocate or briefly disable lights to create passages for Gloomy, while the thoughtful youth will employ his undead power to rearrange objects in the environment, creating paths for Nena.
Immersive Environment Creation
The puzzles bring to mind a little of The Gardens Between, in the manner the areas are suspended, diorama-like structures that the view pans around in coordination with your protagonists. Gloomy Eyes’ environments are highly entertaining, guiding the duo around a fair and through a haunted house, among other locations. There’s a “diorama view” option that allows you to zoom out and turn the levels, simultaneously to enjoy the designs and look for routes that may not have been apparent.
Minor Hiccups and General Adventure
And that’s one of the only hiccups with Gloomy Eyes. Like other games with a locked camera, it’s not always clear where the heroes can and cannot go. You may need to just bump into a multiple different objects to determine which ones are interactable, as clues aren't consistently provided.
However, those minor speedbumps don't hinder of a spooky-cute fun adventure. Gloomy Eyes runs on the short side, with approximately three to five hours worth of puzzles. Subsequent stages combine subtle hidden movement and exciting moments with the problem-solving, as Gloomy Eyes marches toward a satisfying — and slightly unforeseen — finale.
Release and Summary
Gamers avoiding the terror of intense horror games should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. The game is out on Nintendo Switch, PS5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X, and is available at a reduced price for a discount on game marketplaces.
This charming title has been released on multiple platforms and provides a delightful option for players seeking Halloween fun without the fear factor.
