This Spooky-Cute Brain-Teaser Serves as the Ideal Substitute to Spooky Scares

Not every Halloween horror experience has to frighten players. Starting with iconic favorites like mystery-solving cartoons to endearing shows like Over the Garden Wall, plenty of autumn-inspired staples offer entertainment without increasing anxiety. Additionally, a expanding collection of spooky-cute games with spooky themes, though lacking the keep-you-awake degree of horror. Gloomy Eyes arrived in the fall, and serves as an excellent comfortable choice to the intensely frightening releases of this year.

A Distinctive Single-Player Cooperative Journey

Labeled as a single-player cooperative brain-teaser, Gloomy Eyes pairs up a zombie boy named Gloomy and a mortal child known as Nena as they begin an quest to return daylight to their dark, dark world. Their design resembles Funko Pops combined with the characters from a animated feature. Their pale-skinned and tired-looking aesthetic is influenced by the look of Burtonesque cinema, and the narrative is a classic family-friendly adventure. The pair forms an enduring connection over the course of the game’s numerous levels as Nena attempts to prove to her priest uncle that, you know, maybe the undead aren’t half bad.

Original Gameplay Systems

This unique description stems from the game’s world-based challenges. Once Gloomy and Nena cross paths, you’ll swap among the newfound friends to solve puzzles and progress through the stages. Being a zombie, Gloomy is unable to traverse through the light of a streetlight, while Nena can be captured by loitering creatures unless a lamp is focused on them.

It's necessary for them to cooperate closely — in practice, players control them simultaneously — to complete stages. Nena could adjust or momentarily deactivate lights to open routes for Gloomy, while the thoughtful character will utilize his supernatural ability to move objects in the world, revealing paths for Nena.

Engaging Environment Creation

The brain-teasers bring to mind a touch of The Gardens Between, in the way the levels are floating, model-like structures that the view rotates in sync with your characters. Gloomy Eyes’ worlds are very enjoyable, guiding the friends around a fair and through a haunted house, amid other locations. Players can use a “diorama view” option that allows you to view from afar and spin the stages, both for admire the artwork and hunt for paths that may not have been clear.

Slight Challenges and Overall Gameplay

Here lies one of the only hiccups with Gloomy Eyes. Like other releases with a fixed perspective, sometimes it's unclear where the heroes are able to move. Players might have to randomly encounter a several various items to determine which ones are interactive, as it’s not always intuitive.

Nevertheless, those minor obstacles don’t get in the way of a spooky-cute good time. Gloomy Eyes runs on the short side, with roughly a few sessions worth of challenges. Advanced areas blend together subtle sneaking and exciting moments with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes marches toward a rewarding — and slightly surprising — finale.

Accessibility and Summary

Gamers shying away from the terror of terrifying games ought to experience Gloomy Eyes. The game is out on Switch console, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X, and is available at a reduced price for 25% off on game marketplaces.

Gloomy Eyes is out now on multiple platforms and provides a pleasurable option for fans in search of spooky entertainment without the fear factor.