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

Not each autumn fright journey needs to terrify gamers. From iconic favorites for example mystery-solving cartoons to delightful stories including Over the Garden Wall, plenty of spooky-season staples provide fun without needing increasing anxiety. There’s also, a growing library of ghostly-adorable games featuring spooky themes, yet without the sleep-with-the-lights-on degree of horror. Gloomy Eyes was released in the fall, and acts as an excellent comfortable option to the intensely frightening titles of the current season.

This title screenshot
Screenshot: Developers, ATLAS V, Art Team, Game Company

An Original Self-Coop Adventure

Labeled as a solo collaboration brain-teaser, Gloomy Eyes pairs up a undead youth named Gloomy and a living girl named Nena as they begin an mission to bring the sun back to their gloomy realm. Their design evokes Funko Pops mixed with the characters from a Laika film. The pale-skinned and heavy-lidded aesthetic is influenced by the visual style of Burtonesque cinema, and the story is a archetypal family-friendly adventure. These two forms an unbreakable connection over the course of the game’s multiple stages as Nena strives to show to her clerical relative that, look, perhaps living-impaired beings can be friendly.

Creative Gameplay Systems

The innovative term comes about from the game’s environmental puzzles. After Gloomy and Nena encounter each other, gamers switch amidst the budding companions to solve puzzles and advance through the stages. As an undead, Gloomy is unable to traverse through the illumination of a light source, while Nena will get snatched up by loitering creatures except if a light is focused on them.

It's necessary for them to work in tandem — actually, gamers operate them together — to finish levels. Nena could adjust or briefly disable illumination to clear paths for Gloomy, while the thoughtful boy will use his zombie strength to move items in the surroundings, opening up ways for Nena.

This adventure visual
Visual: ARTE France, Studio, 3DAR, Game Company

Engaging World Building

These challenges remind me a touch of The Gardens Between, in the manner the stages are suspended, miniature constructions that the perspective pans around in coordination with your heroes. Gloomy Eyes’ environments are quite fun, guiding the friends around a carnival and through a ghostly building, amid other locations. There’s a “diorama view” option that permits you to zoom out and turn the areas, simultaneously to appreciate the artwork and search for routes that may not have been clear.

Small Challenges and General Adventure

And that’s one of the sole problems with Gloomy Eyes. Similar to other games with a fixed perspective, it’s not always clear where the protagonists may or may not travel. Players might have to just bump into a several various objects to discover which ones are usable, as it’s not always intuitive.

Nonetheless, those small speedbumps don't obstruct of a eerie-adorable good time. Gloomy Eyes has a compact length, with approximately a few sessions worth of challenges. Advanced areas blend together minor stealth and dynamic sequences with the problem-solving, as Gloomy Eyes marches toward a satisfying — and somewhat unforeseen — ending.

Availability and Final Thoughts

Gamers avoiding the terror of terrifying games should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. You can find it on Switch console, Sony system, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X, and is currently on sale for 25% off on game marketplaces.

This charming title is available on several consoles and offers a pleasurable choice for players seeking autumn enjoyment without the fear factor.

Derrick Wong
Derrick Wong

A seasoned gamer and tech enthusiast with a passion for writing about the latest trends in gaming.