This Spooky-Cute Brain-Teaser Acts as the Perfect Alternative to Spooky Scares

Not every Halloween horror journey must terrify gamers. Including iconic favorites such as animated detectives to endearing shows such as Over the Garden Wall, numerous Halloween-themed staples are enjoyable without requiring raising your heart rate. There’s also, a increasing selection of ghostly-adorable releases featuring Halloween vibes, though lacking the truly terrifying intensity of fear. Gloomy Eyes was released in the fall, and serves as an excellent comfortable option to the deeply scary titles of this year.

Gloomy Eyes visual
Screenshot: Creators, Studio, Design Group, Game Company

A Distinctive Single-Player Cooperative Quest

Labeled as a single-player cooperative problem-solving title, Gloomy Eyes pairs up a zombie boy named Gloomy and a mortal child known as Nena as they begin an adventure to return daylight to their dark, dark realm. They look evokes collectible figures blended with the characters from a Laika film. The fair-toned and tired-looking appearance draws inspiration from the look of Gothic fantasy movies, and the story is a quintessential family-friendly adventure. The duo forms an strong connection over the course of the game’s numerous levels as Nena strives to prove to her priest uncle that, look, perhaps zombies are actually good.

Innovative Gameplay Systems

The innovative label originates from the game’s environmental puzzles. Once Gloomy and Nena meet, gamers switch amidst the recent allies to solve puzzles and move forward through the stages. As an undead, Gloomy can’t walk through the illumination of a light source, while Nena may be grabbed by loitering creatures except if a lamp is focused on them.

They must collaborate effectively — well, gamers operate them in tandem — to complete stages. Nena might relocate or temporarily shut off lamps to open routes for Gloomy, while the thoughtful boy will use his zombie strength to move objects in the surroundings, opening up ways for Nena.

The game gameplay
Screenshot: Creators, Production Team, Art Team, Publishers

Immersive Level Design

The puzzles evoke memories a bit of The Gardens Between, in the way the stages are floating, diorama-like structures that the perspective moves across in coordination with your characters. Gloomy Eyes’ environments are highly entertaining, guiding the friends around a amusement park and through a spooky mansion, among other places. There’s a “diorama view” button that enables you to pull back and spin the stages, both for appreciate the designs and search for paths that may not have been apparent.

Slight Hiccups and Complete Experience

And that’s one of the only difficulties with Gloomy Eyes. Comparable to other games with a fixed perspective, occasionally it's confusing where the heroes are able to move. Gamers could require to randomly encounter a several various elements to figure out which ones are usable, as it’s not always intuitive.

However, those slight speedbumps don't obstruct of a ghostly-charming good time. Gloomy Eyes runs on the short side, with roughly three to five hours worth of challenges. Subsequent stages integrate minor hidden movement and exciting moments with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes advances to a rewarding — and somewhat unexpected — conclusion.

Availability and Final Thoughts

Those steering clear of the frights of fear-inducing releases ought to experience Gloomy Eyes. You can find it on Nintendo platform, PS5, computer, and Xbox Series X, and is available at a reduced price for 25% off on game marketplaces.

This charming title is out now on several consoles and provides a enjoyable option for gamers seeking spooky entertainment without intense scares.

Paul Richardson
Paul Richardson

Liam Visser is a Dutch fashion journalist with over a decade of experience in luxury style reporting.