Not all autumn fright journey needs to terrify players. From iconic favorites for example Scooby-Doo to endearing shows including Over the Garden Wall, numerous Halloween-themed staples are enjoyable without needing causing fear. Moreover, a expanding collection of spooky-cute releases with autumn atmosphere, though lacking the keep-you-awake level of terror. Gloomy Eyes was released in recent months, and stands as an superb cozy choice to the intensely frightening titles of 2025.
An Original Collaborative Solo Adventure
Labeled as a solo collaboration brain-teaser, Gloomy Eyes pairs up a undead youth named Gloomy and a living girl called Nena as they start an adventure to restore sunlight to their shadowy world. Their appearance is similar to collectible figures blended with the puppets from a Laika film. The pale-skinned and tired-looking aesthetic draws inspiration from the visual style of Gothic fantasy movies, and the narrative is a quintessential family-friendly tale. The duo builds an strong connection over the duration of the game’s 14 chapters as Nena attempts to show to her religious guardian that, hey, maybe the undead are actually good.
Innovative Problem-Solving Features
The innovative label originates from the game’s environmental puzzles. Once Gloomy and Nena cross paths, gamers switch among the budding companions to solve puzzles and progress through the levels. As an undead, Gloomy is unable to traverse through the illumination of a lamppost, while Nena may be grabbed by wandering undead without a beam is shone on them.
They have to work in tandem — actually, players control them together — to finish levels. Nena may move or momentarily deactivate lamps to open routes for Gloomy, while the intellectually curious character will employ his undead power to rearrange objects in the surroundings, opening up routes for Nena.
Immersive Level Design
These challenges remind me a bit of The Gardens Between, in the fashion the stages are suspended, diorama-like designs that the camera pans around in sync with your characters. Gloomy Eyes’ environments are quite fun, taking the friends around a carnival and through a haunted house, amid other locations. The game includes a “diorama view” feature that permits you to pull back and spin the areas, both to enjoy the visuals and hunt for ways that may not have been clear.
Slight Issues and Overall Gameplay
Here lies one of the sole problems with Gloomy Eyes. Similar to other releases with a fixed perspective, sometimes it's unclear where the heroes can and cannot go. You may need to randomly encounter a multiple different objects to determine which ones are interactive, as clues aren't consistently provided.
However, those small obstacles don't obstruct of a spooky-cute fun adventure. Gloomy Eyes is relatively brief, with approximately three to five hours worth of challenges. Later levels combine light sneaking and exciting moments with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes progresses to a fulfilling — and slightly surprising — conclusion.
Release and Summary
Those shying away from the scares of terrifying releases should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. The game is out on Nintendo Switch, PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X, and is currently on sale for 25% off on digital platforms.
Gloomy Eyes has been released on several consoles and provides a pleasurable alternative for players looking for Halloween fun without the fear factor.
