This Spooky-Cute Puzzler Serves as the Ideal Substitute to Spooky Scares

Not each spooky season journey must frighten gamers. From beloved classics such as animated detectives to endearing shows like Over the Garden Wall, many autumn-inspired titles are enjoyable without requiring raising your heart rate. Additionally, a increasing selection of eerie-charming titles featuring spooky themes, but not the truly terrifying level of terror. Gloomy Eyes debuted in September, and stands as an excellent cozy choice to the truly terrifying releases of this year.

An Original Self-Coop Journey

Described as a “self-coop” brain-teaser, Gloomy Eyes teams up a undead youth known as Gloomy and a human girl known as Nena as they embark on an quest to restore sunlight to their shadowy environment. Their appearance resembles stylized dolls combined with the figures from a stop-motion animation. The pale-skinned and heavy-lidded appearance draws inspiration from the visual style of Burtonesque cinema, and the plot is a classic all-ages tale. The pair builds an strong connection over the span of the game’s multiple stages as Nena attempts to prove to her priest uncle that, look, perhaps zombies are actually good.

Innovative Puzzle Mechanics

This unique term originates from the game’s environmental puzzles. Once Gloomy and Nena meet, players alternate amidst the newfound friends to complete challenges and advance through the stages. Being a zombie, Gloomy is unable to traverse through the light of a streetlight, while Nena will get snatched up by wandering undead except if a beam is focused on them.

They must cooperate closely — well, you’ll use them together — to finish levels. Nena could adjust or temporarily shut off lights to clear paths for Gloomy, while the intellectually curious character will utilize his supernatural ability to rearrange obstacles in the environment, revealing routes for Nena.

Engaging Environment Creation

The brain-teasers remind me a little of The Gardens Between, in the fashion the areas are hovering, model-like designs that the camera moves across in conjunction with your characters. Gloomy Eyes’ worlds are highly entertaining, guiding the duo around a carnival and through a spooky mansion, including other places. There’s a “diorama view” button that permits you to view from afar and turn the levels, both to enjoy the designs and search for paths that may not have been clear.

Minor Challenges and Overall Gameplay

And that’s one of the sole problems with Gloomy Eyes. Like other releases with a static view, it’s not always clear where the protagonists are able to move. You may need to just bump into a multiple different elements to discover which ones are usable, as it’s not always intuitive.

Nevertheless, those small obstacles don't hinder of a ghostly-charming good time. Gloomy Eyes is relatively brief, with roughly three to five hours worth of challenges. Later levels combine subtle stealth and dynamic sequences with the problem-solving, as Gloomy Eyes marches toward a rewarding — and moderately unforeseen — conclusion.

Release and Conclusion

Those avoiding the scares of intense horror titles ought to experience Gloomy Eyes. You can find it on Nintendo Switch, Sony system, Windows PC, and Microsoft console, and is presently discounted for a discount on game marketplaces.

This charming title is available on multiple platforms and offers a enjoyable alternative for players in search of spooky entertainment minus the intense scares.