The Spooky-Cute Brain-Teaser Serves as the Excellent Substitute to Frightening Flicks

Not each Halloween horror journey must frighten players. Including iconic favorites for example animated detectives to endearing shows including Over the Garden Wall, many Halloween-themed favorites provide fun without needing causing fear. Moreover, a growing library of spooky-cute games with Halloween vibes, though lacking the sleep-with-the-lights-on intensity of fear. Gloomy Eyes arrived in recent months, and stands as an outstanding cozy alternative to the truly terrifying titles of the current season.

This title visual
Visual: ARTE France, ATLAS V, Design Group, Game Company

An Original Single-Player Cooperative Adventure

Labeled as a solo collaboration brain-teaser, Gloomy Eyes teams up a zombie boy named Gloomy and a living girl known as Nena as they embark on an quest to bring the sun back to their gloomy environment. They look is similar to Funko Pops blended with the figures from a Laika film. The light-complected and heavy-lidded aesthetic draws inspiration from the appearance of Gothic fantasy movies, and the plot is a archetypal suitable for everyone tale. The duo builds an unbreakable connection over the span of the game’s 14 chapters as Nena attempts to show to her priest uncle that, hey, maybe the undead aren’t half bad.

Innovative Problem-Solving Features

The innovative description originates from the game’s interactive problem-solving. When Gloomy and Nena encounter each other, gamers switch between the recent allies to complete challenges and advance through the areas. Being a zombie, Gloomy cannot pass through the illumination of a lamppost, while Nena will get snatched up by loitering creatures except if a light is directed on them.

They have to work in tandem — actually, you’ll use them together — to finish levels. Nena could adjust or temporarily shut off lamps to create passages for Gloomy, while the intellectually curious youth will employ his undead power to move items in the environment, opening up ways for Nena.

This adventure gameplay
Screenshot: ARTE France, Studio, Design Group, Publishers

Captivating World Building

These challenges remind me a bit of The Gardens Between, in the fashion the levels are suspended, model-like designs that the perspective pans around in coordination with your protagonists. Gloomy Eyes’ environments are quite fun, guiding the companions around a fair and through a haunted house, among other locations. There’s a “diorama view” option that permits you to pull back and spin the areas, both for admire the visuals and search for routes that may not have been apparent.

Small Issues and Overall Adventure

This represents one of the few hiccups with Gloomy Eyes. Similar to other titles with a locked camera, sometimes it's unclear where the heroes are able to move. You may need to just bump into a few random elements to discover which ones are interactable, as it’s not always intuitive.

Nonetheless, those slight speedbumps don't hinder of a ghostly-charming fun adventure. Gloomy Eyes runs on the short side, with about three to five hours worth of challenges. Advanced areas integrate light hidden movement and dynamic sequences with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes marches toward a satisfying — and slightly unforeseen — ending.

Availability and Final Thoughts

Players avoiding the scares of terrifying games should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. It’s available on Nintendo Switch, PS5, Windows PC, and Xbox, and is currently on sale for a discount on online stores.

The spooky-cute adventure has been released on various systems and offers a pleasurable alternative for players in search of Halloween fun minus the intense scares.

Angela Campos
Angela Campos

Liam Verhoeven is a digital content curator who scours the web for the most engaging reels and videos.