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This Ghostly-Charming Puzzler Serves as the Perfect Alternative to Halloween Horror

Not each Halloween horror journey needs to scare players. Starting with iconic favorites for example animated detectives to charming series including Over the Garden Wall, plenty of spooky-season staples are enjoyable without requiring causing fear. Additionally, a increasing selection of eerie-charming titles including autumn atmosphere, though lacking the truly terrifying level of fear. Gloomy Eyes debuted in September, and stands as an outstanding relaxing alternative to the intensely frightening releases of 2025.

Gloomy Eyes visual
Screenshot: ARTE France, ATLAS V, Design Group, Publishers

A Distinctive Single-Player Cooperative Journey

Known as a single-player cooperative puzzle game, Gloomy Eyes unites a zombie boy known as Gloomy and a living girl named Nena as they embark on an adventure to bring the sun back to their dark, dark world. They look evokes Funko Pops combined with the figures from a stop-motion animation. Their fair-toned and heavy-lidded style is influenced by the appearance of Tim Burton’s films, and the plot is a archetypal family-friendly journey. The pair develops an enduring bond over the span of the game’s multiple stages as Nena attempts to demonstrate to her priest uncle that, you know, perhaps living-impaired beings aren’t half bad.

Creative Puzzle Mechanics

This unique label originates from the game’s world-based challenges. When Gloomy and Nena meet, gamers switch among the recent allies to overcome obstacles and advance through the areas. As an undead, Gloomy can’t walk through the illumination of a lamppost, while Nena will get snatched up by loitering creatures except if a beam is focused on them.

It's necessary for them to collaborate effectively — well, players control them together — to complete stages. Nena might relocate or temporarily shut off illumination to create passages for Gloomy, while the thoughtful boy will employ his undead power to shift around items in the surroundings, creating routes for Nena.

This adventure gameplay
Screenshot: ARTE France, ATLAS V, Art Team, Game Company

Captivating Level Design

The brain-teasers bring to mind a touch of The Gardens Between, in the way the stages are floating, miniature structures that the view pans around in sync with your heroes. Gloomy Eyes’ worlds are quite fun, leading the companions around a amusement park and through a ghostly building, among other locations. The game includes a “diorama view” feature that permits you to zoom out and turn the levels, both to appreciate the visuals and hunt for paths that may not have been clear.

Small Challenges and Overall Adventure

This represents one of the sole difficulties with Gloomy Eyes. Comparable to other releases with a locked camera, occasionally it's confusing where the heroes are able to move. You may need to randomly encounter a few random elements to determine which ones are interactive, as the game doesn't always indicate.

Nevertheless, those slight speedbumps don't obstruct of a eerie-adorable enjoyable experience. Gloomy Eyes runs on the short side, with roughly several hours worth of brain-teasers. Later levels blend together light hidden movement and dynamic sequences with the problem-solving, as Gloomy Eyes advances to a satisfying — and moderately unexpected — conclusion.

Accessibility and Conclusion

Gamers shying away from the terror of intense horror games should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. You can find it on Switch console, Sony system, Windows PC, and Xbox, and is available at a reduced price for 25% off on online stores.

Gloomy Eyes is out now on various systems and delivers a delightful choice for players looking for autumn enjoyment without terrifying moments.

The writer

Alexandra Castro

Eleanor Hartfield is a classic car journalist and historian with a passion for British motoring heritage.

British Classic Collective

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