This Ghostly-Charming Brain-Teaser Functions as the Excellent Alternative to Halloween Horror

Not every Halloween horror adventure has to frighten players. From well-known tales like mystery-solving cartoons to charming series like Over the Garden Wall, many Halloween-themed favorites are enjoyable without causing fear. Additionally, a growing library of ghostly-adorable releases with autumn atmosphere, though lacking the sleep-with-the-lights-on intensity of terror. Gloomy Eyes was released in recent months, and serves as an superb relaxing alternative to the truly terrifying games of this year.

A Unique Single-Player Cooperative Journey

Described as a solo collaboration brain-teaser, Gloomy Eyes teams up a living-impaired child called Gloomy and a mortal child named Nena as they begin an adventure to restore sunlight to their dark, dark realm. Their design resembles Funko Pops blended with the characters from a stop-motion animation. Their light-complected and tired-looking aesthetic borrows heavily from the appearance of Tim Burton’s films, and the plot is a quintessential family-friendly tale. These two forms an unbreakable bond over the duration of the game’s multiple stages as Nena strives to demonstrate to her religious guardian that, look, maybe zombies aren’t half bad.

Creative Problem-Solving Features

The “self-coop” label comes about from the game’s environmental puzzles. When Gloomy and Nena cross paths, gamers switch between the newfound friends to solve puzzles and move forward through the areas. Being a zombie, Gloomy cannot pass through the brightness of a streetlight, while Nena may be grabbed by wandering undead without a light is focused on them.

They have to work in tandem — well, gamers operate them in tandem — to complete stages. Nena could adjust or momentarily deactivate lights to clear paths for Gloomy, while the thoughtful character will use his zombie strength to shift around obstacles in the surroundings, creating paths for Nena.

Engaging Level Design

The puzzles evoke memories a bit of The Gardens Between, in the fashion the stages are floating, model-like structures that the perspective pans around in sync with your heroes. Gloomy Eyes’ worlds are highly entertaining, guiding the companions around a fair and through a ghostly building, amid other locations. There’s a “diorama view” button that enables you to view from afar and turn the stages, both to enjoy the artwork and hunt for ways that may not have been obvious.

Small Hiccups and Overall Gameplay

And that’s one of the few difficulties with Gloomy Eyes. Comparable to other titles with a static view, sometimes it's unclear where the protagonists are able to move. Gamers could require to simply collide with a multiple different objects to discover which ones are usable, as it’s not always intuitive.

Nonetheless, those slight speedbumps don't hinder of a ghostly-charming good time. Gloomy Eyes is relatively brief, with about a few sessions worth of brain-teasers. Later levels combine subtle sneaking and exciting moments with the problem-solving, as Gloomy Eyes progresses to a fulfilling — and moderately surprising — ending.

Availability and Conclusion

Those shying away from the frights of terrifying games ought to experience Gloomy Eyes. You can find it on Nintendo Switch, Sony system, PC, and Xbox Series X, and is currently on sale for a discount on digital platforms.

The spooky-cute adventure is out now on multiple platforms and delivers a delightful choice for gamers in search of autumn enjoyment without fear factor.