Little Nightmares 3 Hands-On Preview: A Leap for the Series

Tarsier Studios' Little Nightmares series has deservedly gained a cult following since kicking off in 2017, terrifying thousands of gamers with its distinctive art style and top-notch atmospheric horror. Little Nightmares 3 represents a natural progression for the series: the first game featured a lone protagonist, while its sequel brought on an NPC helper, and finally, this upcoming entry is built from the ground up for two-player co-op—and does a great job of it. While Little Nightmares 2's Six companion introduced some additional depth to the game's puzzles, Little Nightmares 3 benefits significantly across the board with the presence of a second player.

I played through roughly an hour of Little Nightmares 3 at PAX West in Seattle, Washington, teaming up with another journalist as we explored The Carnevale, a nightmarish fun fair populated with monstrous attendees. Using our characters' unique abilities and—often frantically—communicating were key to success, but not without a bit of trial and error. Little Nightmares 3 is not a terribly easy game—it's routinely challenging, which keeps up the tension even when retrying a sequence. Throughout the room, journalists could be heard screaming, laughing, and panicking as each team explored the carnival.

Little Nightmares 3 Preserves the Series' Iconic Atmosphere and Art Style

Little Nightmares 3 features the same timeless art style as its predecessors, with camera angles and vistas that often lend it the appearance of a Tim Burton film playing out across the screen. From the color grading to the lighting and character design, the game is visually striking and exceptionally moody, with a subdued soundtrack that keeps the focus on whatever terrible thing Low and Alone are witnessing next. Despite the vague cuteness of its art style, Little Nightmares 3 isn't afraid to hit players with some gruesome moments. At one point, my partner and I slowly tore a deceased carnival attendee's body in half, our grizzly action accompanied by the sickening sound of entrails collapsing to the floor.

Its pace feels right for an atmospheric horror game, with contemplative puzzle-solving sessions punctuated by heart-pounding chase sequences demanding quick thinking. Low and Alone are relatively tiny compared to the hulking beings that inhabit this nightmare, and that sense of helplessness maintains a fearful tension at every moment. While the protagonists have weapons, they're rarely effective against the greater threats, and so a great deal of sneaking makes up the bulk of those encounters. More than once, my duo met its demise because one of us forgot to crouch at an inopportune moment.

Little Nightmares 3's Gameplay Keeps You Feeling Helpless

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When it comes to moment-to-moment gameplay, Little Nightmares 3's movement and interactions have a weightiness that sometimes enhances the feeling of helplessness. Low and Alone aren't terribly fast, and most actions aren't automatic: to climb through a window, I had to remember to put my weapon away first. Minor mistakes like this can cost precious seconds while being chased. While we experienced some combat, it was relatively straightforward: the player with the bow must first shoot an enemy to disable it, and then the player armed with a melee weapon can finish it off. Even in combat, teamwork and coordination are essential, encouraging my partner and me to call out targets and time our strikes. Some basic actions also call for both players, such as numerous instances where one player might hoist the other to an elevated position and subsequently find a way to bring their partner along.

"Little Nightmares 3 is a game of trial and error."

Little Nightmares 3 is a game of trial and error, with numerous sequences where any failure would result in a do-over from a checkpoint. This was occasionally frustrating when one of us struggled repeatedly with a platforming jump. Still, more often it led to triumphant shouts as the solution to a tricky sequence became clear after a few more tries. In one instance, our characters were separated, and it required a significant amount of communication, brainstorming, and restarts to execute all the necessary steps to resolve the situation. The game sometimes even tosses in a red herring, leading to times when one of us would carry around a worthless object just in case it was the solution to a puzzle.

So far, Little Nightmares 3 appears to be another leap for the beloved series, with co-op gameplay that meaningfully evolves its gameplay and emotional impact. Gaming duos who recently enjoyed co-op jaunts like Split Fiction may want to clear their schedules for Little Nightmares 3's October 9 release.

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