The third entry into the Little Nightmares franchise is gearing up to release in 2025, we were fortunate enough to test out both a small section of single-player and multiplayer gameplay and we can’t wait for the full thing.
Little Nightmares took off as a beloved indie horror sweetheart back in 2017. The side-scrolling platform puzzler encapsulated a perfectly creepy atmosphere that captured the hearts of gamers.
The sequel, Little Nightmares 2 was no different, bringing in rave reviews that put Swedish developers Tarsier Studios on the map.
Now with the third iteration of the franchise dropping in 2025, the hype is quickly building to see where new devs Supermassive Games take the series. Fortunately, we had the opportunity for a hands-on preview to try out a small portion of the game early, and we felt right at home with the new dev team.
Atmosphere unchanged
One of the biggest questions we had to ask was if the signature creepy and unsettling atmosphere, so well known by series fans, would see a change in the third entry. It’s safe to say that Supermassive has perfectly recreated the vibe.
Despite the multitude of different landscapes and areas you travel through, Little Nightmares 3 still does a fantastic job at capturing that unnerving and on-edge feeling as you traverse. We played on a PlayStation 5 Dualsense controller, which had light vibrations to mirror the terrain our characters were walking across.
This would become even more terrifying as we tried to sneak past enemies, as accidentally pushing or knocking something over felt that more pronounced.
The game’s art also lends perfectly to this vision, despite not being able to move into the background, the sheer amount of depth these backdrops provide only adds to the experience. The diegetic sound, or lack thereof in certain segments, further enhances the eerie vibes the game gives to players.
You’re not alone
Little Nightmares 3 varies from the previous two titles as you’ll always have a friend by your side. Whether you choose to play as Low or Alone, an AI or another player will pick up the role of the other. This helps ease you into the game a bit more and helps any scaredy cats to progress through knowing they’ve got a hand to hold.
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Playing with the AI felt good as well, it never gave away what was required of each puzzle, and was responsive when we did figure out what we had to do. Obviously, your mileage with another player can vary, but we found that being able to communicate and talk about the game made it a more enjoyable experience overall.
With that being said, you don’t have to be in the same room with the person you’re playing with, as you’ll be able to hop into the game with online multiplayer, which is always a welcome addition.
Puzzles, jumping, and jumping puzzles
Like the games before it, Little Nightmares 3 requires players to traverse through their environment. Whether that be through parkouring and jumping across various terrain, or by using tools provided to them to break their way through.
Puzzles in the game weren’t overly difficult, which is good for anyone who might not be able to communicate with their co-op partner. Most of the time puzzles revolved around moving from X to Y location, using a tool to hit a certain feature, or working together to get both players to the next zone.
None of the puzzles were particularly confusing either, with all of them being pretty easy to pick up and solve. Nothing felt too arbitrary or confusing, and each solution made sense given the tools you had at the time.
New developer, new horizons
Despite the change in developer, Little Nightmares 3 looks to continue to improve and deliver more content that fans love. The perfectly crafted environments, and the on-point eerie and unnerving vibes, all go hand in hand with puzzles and gameplay that aren’t too straining on the player.
With a release slated sometime for 2025, we’re more than excited to get our hands on the full thing.
