Not every autumn fright experience has to terrify players. Starting with iconic favorites for example animated detectives to endearing shows including Over the Garden Wall, numerous autumn-inspired staples provide fun without needing raising your heart rate. Additionally, a growing library of ghostly-adorable games featuring spooky themes, though lacking the keep-you-awake intensity of terror. Gloomy Eyes was released in recent months, and serves as an excellent cozy alternative to the truly terrifying titles of the current season.
An Original Single-Player Cooperative Journey
Known as a solo collaboration puzzle game, Gloomy Eyes unites a undead youth named Gloomy and a mortal child named Nena as they begin an adventure to return daylight to their shadowy realm. Their appearance is similar to Funko Pops blended with the characters from a stop-motion animation. Their pale-skinned and heavy-lidded appearance is influenced by the appearance of Tim Burton’s films, and the narrative is a quintessential all-ages tale. The pair builds an unbreakable connection over the duration of the game’s numerous levels as Nena tries to demonstrate to her religious guardian that, look, possibly living-impaired beings are actually good.
Innovative Puzzle Mechanics
The “self-coop” description originates from the game’s world-based challenges. Once Gloomy and Nena cross paths, players alternate among the newfound friends to solve puzzles and move forward through the areas. As an undead, Gloomy can’t walk through the light of a light source, while Nena may be grabbed by wandering undead unless a lamp is focused on them.
They must collaborate effectively — well, you’ll use them together — to complete stages. Nena might relocate or temporarily shut off lights to create passages for Gloomy, while the thoughtful youth will employ his undead power to shift around obstacles in the environment, opening up paths for Nena.
Immersive World Building
The brain-teasers bring to mind a little of The Gardens Between, in the fashion the areas are hovering, diorama-like constructions that the view pans around in sync with your heroes. Gloomy Eyes’ settings are quite fun, taking the duo around a carnival and through a haunted house, among other places. There’s a “diorama view” option that enables you to zoom out and spin the levels, both to appreciate the visuals and search for paths that may not have been clear.
Slight Hiccups and General Gameplay
And that’s one of the few difficulties with Gloomy Eyes. Comparable to other releases with a locked camera, sometimes it's unclear where the protagonists are able to move. Players might have to simply collide with a multiple different elements to figure out which ones are usable, as clues aren't consistently provided.
Nevertheless, those slight challenges don't obstruct of a ghostly-charming good time. Gloomy Eyes is relatively brief, with approximately three to five hours worth of puzzles. Later levels combine minor hidden movement and action elements with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes progresses to a satisfying — and moderately unexpected — conclusion.
Availability and Conclusion
Players shying away from the frights of fear-inducing games should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. It’s available on Switch console, PS5, PC, and Microsoft console, and is presently discounted for 25% off on game marketplaces.
Gloomy Eyes is out now on multiple platforms and offers a enjoyable option for players in search of spooky entertainment without intense scares.
