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Wednesday, October 14, 2026
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This Spooky-Cute Puzzler Functions as the Ideal Replacement to Spooky Scares

Not each spooky season journey needs to frighten gamers. From well-known tales for example animated detectives to charming series like Over the Garden Wall, numerous spooky-season favorites provide fun without causing fear. Additionally, a increasing selection of eerie-charming titles with Halloween vibes, but not the truly terrifying level of terror. Gloomy Eyes debuted in recent months, and stands as an outstanding comfortable option to the deeply scary releases of the current season.

The game visual
Screenshot: ARTE France, Studio, Art Team, Publishers

A Distinctive Collaborative Solo Journey

Known as a single-player cooperative puzzle game, Gloomy Eyes unites a zombie boy called Gloomy and a living girl named Nena as they embark on an mission to bring the sun back to their dark, dark world. Their design resembles collectible figures mixed with the characters from a Laika film. Their pale-skinned and baggy-eyed style draws inspiration from the look of Gothic fantasy movies, and the plot is a quintessential suitable for everyone tale. The duo builds an unbreakable friendship over the course of the game’s numerous levels as Nena tries to demonstrate to her clerical relative that, hey, possibly the undead aren’t half bad.

Creative Problem-Solving Features

The “self-coop” description stems from the game’s environmental puzzles. After Gloomy and Nena encounter each other, players alternate amidst the newfound friends to overcome obstacles and move forward through the areas. Being a zombie, Gloomy can’t walk through the light of a lamppost, while Nena can be captured by wandering undead without a beam is directed on them.

They must work in tandem — in practice, gamers operate them simultaneously — to complete stages. Nena may move or temporarily shut off lights to open routes for Gloomy, while the open-brained youth will utilize his supernatural ability to rearrange items in the world, creating paths for Nena.

This adventure visual
Visual: Developers, Production Team, Design Group, Publishers

Engaging Environment Creation

The brain-teasers remind me a little of The Gardens Between, in the manner the areas are hovering, miniature structures that the view pans around in coordination with your characters. Gloomy Eyes’ settings are quite fun, leading the companions around a amusement park and through a spooky mansion, amid other places. There’s a “diorama view” option that allows you to view from afar and spin the areas, both to enjoy the designs and look for ways that may not have been apparent.

Minor Issues and Complete Adventure

And that’s one of the sole hiccups with Gloomy Eyes. Similar to other games with a locked camera, sometimes it's unclear where the heroes are able to move. Players might have to simply collide with a several various objects to discover which ones are interactive, as the game doesn't always indicate.

Nevertheless, those small speedbumps don’t get in the way of a ghostly-charming enjoyable experience. Gloomy Eyes runs on the short side, with about several hours worth of challenges. Subsequent stages integrate subtle stealth and action elements with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes progresses to a satisfying — and moderately unforeseen — finale.

Release and Conclusion

Gamers avoiding the terror of terrifying releases should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. It’s available on Nintendo platform, PS5, Windows PC, and Xbox, and is currently on sale for 25% off on digital platforms.

Gloomy Eyes is available on various systems and provides a enjoyable choice for fans seeking spooky entertainment minus the terrifying moments.

About the author

Jessica Fowler

A seasoned gaming journalist with over a decade of experience covering esports and industry trends across Europe.

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