This Spooky-Cute Puzzler Acts as the Perfect Replacement to Halloween Horror

Not all spooky season journey has to scare players. From beloved classics such as Scooby-Doo to charming series like Over the Garden Wall, numerous autumn-inspired titles are enjoyable without causing fear. Additionally, a increasing selection of eerie-charming titles featuring autumn atmosphere, yet without the sleep-with-the-lights-on level of horror. Gloomy Eyes was released in the fall, and stands as an excellent comfortable alternative to the truly terrifying titles of the current season.

A Distinctive Single-Player Cooperative Quest

Labeled as a “self-coop” puzzle game, Gloomy Eyes unites a living-impaired child named Gloomy and a human girl known as Nena as they embark on an mission to bring the sun back to their dark, dark realm. Their design evokes collectible figures blended with the figures from a Laika film. Their pale-skinned and heavy-lidded style draws inspiration from the visual style of Burtonesque cinema, and the plot is a archetypal all-ages tale. These two forms an enduring connection over the duration of the game’s numerous levels as Nena strives to show to her clerical relative that, hey, perhaps the undead are actually good.

Creative Puzzle Mechanics

This unique term originates from the game’s interactive problem-solving. Once Gloomy and Nena meet, gamers switch between the recent allies to complete challenges and advance through the stages. Being a zombie, Gloomy can’t walk through the light of a light source, while Nena may be grabbed by loitering creatures unless a lamp is directed on them.

It's necessary for them to work in tandem — in practice, players control them in tandem — to finish levels. Nena may move or momentarily deactivate lamps to open routes for Gloomy, while the open-brained youth will employ his undead power to move items in the surroundings, opening up routes for Nena.

Immersive Level Design

These challenges bring to mind a bit of The Gardens Between, in the way the stages are hovering, diorama-like structures that the view moves across in coordination with your protagonists. Gloomy Eyes’ environments are highly entertaining, guiding the duo around a carnival and through a spooky mansion, including other places. The game includes a “diorama view” option that allows you to view from afar and spin the areas, simultaneously to enjoy the designs and look for ways that may not have been apparent.

Slight Issues and General Experience

This represents one of the only problems with Gloomy Eyes. Comparable to other games with a static view, sometimes it's unclear where the characters can and cannot go. You may need to just bump into a several various objects to figure out which ones are interactable, as clues aren't consistently provided.

Nonetheless, those slight obstacles don’t get in the way of a spooky-cute enjoyable experience. Gloomy Eyes has a compact length, with roughly a few sessions worth of puzzles. Subsequent stages blend together minor stealth and dynamic sequences with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes advances to a fulfilling — and moderately surprising — ending.

Release and Summary

Players steering clear of the terror of intense horror releases won’t want to miss Gloomy Eyes. It’s available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Microsoft console, and is available at a reduced price for 25% off on game marketplaces.

This charming title is available on various systems and offers a pleasurable choice for gamers looking for spooky entertainment minus the intense scares.