Gloomy Eyes

Gloomy Eyes is a puzzle game presented as a dark fairy tale set in a world of eternal night where humans and the undead coexist in fragile opposition. The game emphasizes environmental problem-solving and narrative exploration within a handcrafted visual style. It is the game adaptation of the VR story Gloomy Eyes VR released in 2020.

Players alternate between two protagonists: Gloomy, a timid zombie boy sensitive to bright light, and Nena, a lively human girl comfortable in illuminated areas. Each character possesses distinct abilities, such as moving objects, activating switches, or avoiding hostile creatures, that must be combined to traverse obstacles. Stages consist of compact, rotatable dioramas filled with levers, lifts, doors, and collectibles. Some areas feature light-based hazards or adversaries that respond differently to each character, encouraging strategic switching between them.

Across fourteen stages and a handful of boss encounters, Gloomy Eyes maintains a focus on gentle puzzle progression rather than high difficulty. Levels can often be completed within minutes once their solutions are clear, with the addition of optional secrets and post-game exploration. A narrator recounts the story as players advance, complementing the stop-motion-inspired art direction and subdued soundtrack. The presentation adopts a whimsical macabre tone, avoiding gore or jump scares in favor of a lightly melancholic narrative about friendship and restoring daylight to a darkened world.