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This Spooky-Cute Puzzler Functions as the Excellent Alternative to Frightening Flicks

Not each autumn fright adventure needs to terrify gamers. Starting with iconic favorites for example animated detectives to delightful stories such as Over the Garden Wall, many spooky-season titles offer entertainment without needing raising your heart rate. There’s also, a growing library of ghostly-adorable games including spooky themes, yet without the sleep-with-the-lights-on degree of terror. Gloomy Eyes debuted in recent months, and stands as an excellent relaxing choice to the deeply scary games of 2025.

The game visual
Screenshot: Creators, ATLAS V, Art Team, Be Revolution/Untold Tales

An Original Single-Player Cooperative Journey

Described as a single-player cooperative problem-solving title, Gloomy Eyes teams up a undead youth known as Gloomy and a human girl named Nena as they start an mission to restore sunlight to their dark, dark world. They look is similar to stylized dolls mixed with the figures from a animated feature. The light-complected and baggy-eyed aesthetic is influenced by the look of Gothic fantasy movies, and the plot is a classic family-friendly journey. These two builds an enduring friendship over the course of the game’s numerous levels as Nena strives to demonstrate to her priest uncle that, hey, perhaps zombies aren’t half bad.

Innovative Problem-Solving Features

The innovative label stems from the game’s interactive problem-solving. When Gloomy and Nena cross paths, gamers switch among the recent allies to complete challenges and move forward through the stages. Since he's not alive, Gloomy is unable to traverse through the brightness of a streetlight, while Nena may be grabbed by idle zombies without a lamp is shone on them.

They must work in tandem — well, players control them in tandem — to advance through areas. Nena could adjust or temporarily shut off illumination to clear paths for Gloomy, while the open-brained boy will use his zombie strength to rearrange objects in the surroundings, revealing ways for Nena.

Gloomy Eyes screenshot
Image: ARTE France, ATLAS V, Design Group, Game Company

Engaging Environment Creation

The brain-teasers evoke memories a touch of The Gardens Between, in the fashion the stages are suspended, miniature designs that the camera moves across in conjunction with your protagonists. Gloomy Eyes’ environments are quite fun, leading the friends around a amusement park and through a spooky mansion, amid other locales. Players can use a “diorama view” option that allows you to view from afar and rotate the levels, simultaneously to appreciate the artwork and look for paths that may not have been obvious.

Small Issues and Overall Experience

And that’s one of the only hiccups with Gloomy Eyes. Comparable to other games with a static view, it’s not always clear where the protagonists are able to move. Players might have to just bump into a multiple different elements to determine which ones are usable, as clues aren't consistently provided.

Nonetheless, those small challenges don't hinder of a spooky-cute enjoyable experience. Gloomy Eyes runs on the short side, with about three to five hours worth of puzzles. Later levels combine light hidden movement and exciting moments with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes progresses to a rewarding — and slightly unforeseen — conclusion.

Accessibility and Final Thoughts

Players steering clear of the frights of fear-inducing releases ought to experience Gloomy Eyes. It’s available on Switch console, Sony system, computer, and Microsoft console, and is available at a reduced price for a quarter off on online stores.

Gloomy Eyes has been released on multiple platforms and provides a enjoyable choice for players seeking spooky entertainment without the intense scares.

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About the author

John Sullivan

Emma Velthuis is a Dutch film critic with a passion for uncovering hidden gems and analyzing cinematic trends.

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