With “Gloomy Eyes”, ARTE is releasing a stylistically striking adventure game for PC and consoles, which was produced by seven European studios. The eerily beautiful story about a forbidden friendship is characterized above all by a memorable visual language, an unusual setting and a narrative concept that focuses less on puzzle depth than on atmosphere.

Two characters, one goal

In a world haunted by eternal night, the living and the undead are hostile to each other. But that doesn’t stop two lonely children from becoming best friends: The zombie boy Gloomy and the human girl Nena work together against all the rules to bring the sun back to their dark home.

After a brief introduction, players control both characters alternately and benefit from their respective abilities when solving puzzles. The fluid switching works at any time at the touch of a button, provides variety, but rarely changes the basic game principle reminiscent of Little Nightmares: solve environmental puzzles and don’t get caught.

Gloomy, for example, moves heavy containers or uses his throwing power to clear obstacles out of the way. Nena, on the other hand, can climb or operate mechanical devices. While electric light is the undead boy’s kryptonite, Nena dances effortlessly through any light source. If the two encounter the living dead, the cunning girl must keep her distance to avoid being eaten.

Solving most of the environmental puzzles requires a combination of Gloomy’s strength and Nena’s skill – but the adventure never really demands much brainpower. The puzzles are always comprehensible, but rarely challenging, and remain narrative transitions rather than playful highlights. Anyone hoping for complex mechanics or creative puzzle solutions will rarely find them here. The camera work within the dioramas is also not always ideal, which makes it difficult to find your way around certain angles.

Dioramas with morbid charm

The visual design is particularly striking: each scene takes place within a rotatable diorama, which is lovingly decorated with small details and eerily beautiful elements. The aesthetics are strongly reminiscent of works by Tim Burton and rely on a mixture of childlike horror fantasy and melancholy poetry. Movements, objects and environments look as if they have been taken from a stop-motion film, giving the game an independent identity.

The story is told like a dark fairy tale, accompanied by a talking gravedigger who acts as narrator and appears in the game world from time to time. The music and sound design underline the atmosphere with mysterious melodies and subtle ambient noises. However, “Gloomy Eyes” deliberately avoids shock effects or violence. The horror always remains symbolic and fairytale-like.

Conclusion: Perfect for a rainy September evening

“Gloomy Eyes” impresses above all with its artistic style and atmospheric narrative style. The “self-co-op mechanic” brings variety to the gameplay, but remains limited in its depth. Adventure fans should definitely note that the focus here is clearly on the overall audiovisual experience. As an interactive fairy tale with morbid charm and a melancholy note, “Gloomy Eyes” works wonderfully. However, those who want to crack real brainteasers will soon feel underchallenged. Nevertheless, this charming adventure is well worth a look and, with a playing time of just under three to four hours, is not a huge time waster.

By the way: “Gloomy Eyes” is based on the VR short film of the same name for Meta Quest and SteamVR, which was released in 2019 and won awards for its storytelling at SXSW, among others. In the original English version, actor Colin Farrell (“The Gentlemen”) lends his voice to the narrator. If you own VR goggles and are taken with the visual style of the game, you shouldn’t miss out on the immersive narrative.

“Gloomy Eyes” has been available for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch since September 12, 2025. The game costs 25 euros and is rated 12+.

(joe)