Not each autumn fright experience must terrify players. Starting with iconic favorites like mystery-solving cartoons to delightful stories like Over the Garden Wall, many spooky-season staples are enjoyable without causing fear. There’s also, a increasing selection of eerie-charming releases including autumn atmosphere, but not the truly terrifying intensity of terror. Gloomy Eyes arrived in recent months, and acts as an outstanding comfortable choice to the truly terrifying titles of 2025.
An Original Self-Coop Adventure
Labeled as a solo collaboration problem-solving title, Gloomy Eyes unites a undead youth named Gloomy and a human girl named Nena as they begin an quest to restore sunlight to their gloomy realm. Their appearance resembles Funko Pops combined with the puppets from a animated feature. Their fair-toned and tired-looking aesthetic draws inspiration from the visual style of Burtonesque cinema, and the story is a quintessential all-ages tale. The pair builds an unbreakable friendship over the course of the game’s 14 chapters as Nena strives to demonstrate to her clerical relative that, you know, possibly zombies can be friendly.
Original Gameplay Systems
The “self-coop” term comes about from the game’s world-based challenges. When Gloomy and Nena encounter each other, gamers switch between the budding companions to complete challenges and progress through the stages. As an undead, Gloomy is unable to traverse through the brightness of a light source, while Nena will get snatched up by idle zombies without a light is focused on them.
They must work in tandem — in practice, gamers operate them in tandem — to complete stages. Nena might relocate or temporarily shut off illumination to create passages for Gloomy, while the thoughtful boy will utilize his supernatural ability to shift around obstacles in the environment, creating paths for Nena.
Engaging Level Design
These challenges evoke memories a touch of The Gardens Between, in the way the stages are hovering, miniature designs that the view rotates in conjunction with your characters. Gloomy Eyes’ environments are quite fun, leading the friends around a carnival and through a haunted house, among other places. The game includes a “diorama view” option that permits you to pull back and rotate the levels, both for appreciate the designs and search for ways that may not have been clear.
Slight Challenges and General Adventure
Here lies one of the few hiccups with Gloomy Eyes. Similar to other games with a static view, occasionally it's confusing where the protagonists may or may not travel. Players might have to simply collide with a few random objects to determine which ones are interactable, as it’s not always intuitive.
However, those minor challenges don’t get in the way of a spooky-cute fun adventure. Gloomy Eyes has a compact length, with about a few sessions worth of brain-teasers. Advanced areas integrate minor stealth and action elements with the challenge completion, as Gloomy Eyes advances to a rewarding — and somewhat unforeseen — conclusion.
Accessibility and Conclusion
Those steering clear of the scares of terrifying titles won’t want to miss Gloomy Eyes. You can find it on Switch console, PlayStation 5, computer, and Xbox, and is available at a reduced price for a quarter off on digital platforms.
This charming title is available on several consoles and offers a delightful choice for players seeking spooky entertainment without intense scares.
