The Spooky-Cute Brain-Teaser Serves as the Ideal Alternative to Halloween Horror

Not every Halloween horror adventure must frighten you. Including iconic favorites for example mystery-solving cartoons to endearing shows including Over the Garden Wall, plenty of Halloween-themed favorites offer entertainment without causing fear. Additionally, a growing library of eerie-charming releases with spooky themes, yet without the keep-you-awake level of horror. Gloomy Eyes arrived in September, and acts as an outstanding relaxing option to the deeply scary titles of 2025.

Gloomy Eyes screenshot
Image: ARTE France, Production Team, Art Team, Be Revolution/Untold Tales

A Unique Single-Player Cooperative Quest

Described as a single-player cooperative problem-solving title, Gloomy Eyes pairs up a zombie boy called Gloomy and a mortal child named Nena as they embark on an mission to bring the sun back to their shadowy realm. Their appearance resembles collectible figures blended with the characters from a animated feature. Their light-complected and heavy-lidded appearance is influenced by the look of Gothic fantasy movies, and the story is a classic family-friendly adventure. These two forms an enduring friendship over the span of the game’s numerous levels as Nena attempts to show to her clerical relative that, hey, possibly the undead aren’t half bad.

Original Gameplay Systems

The innovative label originates from the game’s environmental puzzles. After Gloomy and Nena meet, gamers switch among the budding companions to overcome obstacles and advance through the areas. As an undead, Gloomy is unable to traverse through the light of a lamppost, while Nena will get snatched up by idle zombies without a beam is focused on them.

They have to collaborate effectively — in practice, gamers operate them in tandem — to advance through areas. Nena may move or temporarily shut off lights to open routes for Gloomy, while the intellectually curious character will utilize his supernatural ability to move obstacles in the environment, creating routes for Nena.

The game screenshot
Screenshot: Developers, Studio, Art Team, Game Company

Immersive Environment Creation

The brain-teasers bring to mind a little of The Gardens Between, in the fashion the levels are floating, model-like designs that the camera rotates in sync with your characters. Gloomy Eyes’ environments are very enjoyable, leading the friends around a carnival and through a ghostly building, among other locations. There’s a “diorama view” feature that enables you to zoom out and spin the levels, both to appreciate the visuals and search for routes that may not have been apparent.

Slight Issues and Overall Adventure

This represents one of the sole problems with Gloomy Eyes. Like other releases with a fixed perspective, occasionally it's confusing where the protagonists are able to move. Players might have to simply collide with a few random elements to determine which ones are usable, as clues aren't consistently provided.

Nevertheless, those minor obstacles don’t get in the way of a eerie-adorable fun adventure. Gloomy Eyes has a compact length, with approximately three to five hours worth of brain-teasers. Advanced areas blend together minor sneaking and action elements with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes advances to a satisfying — and somewhat unforeseen — ending.

Accessibility and Summary

Players shying away from the scares of intense horror games ought to experience Gloomy Eyes. The game is out on Nintendo platform, Sony system, PC, and Microsoft console, and is presently discounted for a discount on game marketplaces.

The spooky-cute adventure has been released on multiple platforms and offers a delightful option for players seeking autumn enjoyment without the intense scares.

Gina Davis
Gina Davis

Eleanor is a British historian and writer specializing in UK culture and heritage.