Four years after the second game, we finally have Little Nightmares III, the latest entry that promises to deliver the same thrills and chills that previous games have delivered, all while adding a fresh new spin on things.
Specifically, this new take on the series is courtesy of the new characters. Instead of following Six and Mono, Little Nightmares III introduces two new protagonists, Low and Alone. What’s more, this new game sees Low and Alone together during gameplay. That’s because this game is designed with co-op in mind, meaning players can experience the game in its entirety with a friend. Of course, players can still go through this game solo, though they will always have an AI companion with them (playing either Low or Alone).
It’s not just the co-op spin that’s new here, as this latest series entry is the first one to be developed by Supermassive Games, the studio behind titles like Until Dawn and The Dark Pictures Anthology. Given their experience in horror games, coupled with the fact that the studio also worked on the Little Nightmares II Enhanced Edition, it seems that the studio is well-suited to picking up where Tarsier Studios left off.
So, is this new Little Nightmares game a new entry that will satisfy fans? In many ways, the game delivers a similar experience to the first two, though the co-op gameplay gives this title its own identity.
A (Mostly) Fun Co-op Experience
As co-op play is the game’s biggest addition, we played through the entire game in this mode. Note that you won’t be able to play co-op with random players, as you can only do so with a friend. This makes sense, considering how important working together is. For our playthrough, we also communicated via voice chat; you’ll need to use something like Discord on PC or your console’s voice chat option. If you don’t do this, you’ll only be able to communicate in-game via basic call commands.
In our experience, co-op is the best way to play this game, as the shared experience is a lot of fun. While gameplay remains mostly the same as the previous two series entries (gameplay still revolves around solving puzzles and sneaking past or hiding from enemies), the fact that two players are working to solve puzzles does make levels feel a bit more complex. Plus, some moments where we had to sneak past enemies did feel tense, especially as we had to coordinate our movements during these times. Given this, solving puzzles and progressing through levels often feels more rewarding. For us, this is a particular highlight of the Little Nightmares III experience.
Our playthrough wasn’t all smooth sailing, as there was a time when we got a bug that necessitated a restart. More than this, there were times we got frustrated. When played in co-op with a friend, the game doesn’t exactly give much in the way of hints. On one hand, this is great, as too many hints can make puzzles feel trivial. There were times we wished more hints were given though, as there were moments that felt frustrating. For instance, there was a time when we were stuck on a level for almost 15 minutes because we didn’t see / notice a vent that we had to go through. This was quite a frustrating time, though thankfully, it didn’t happen often enough to sour the experience. Plus, we imagine that this might not be as big of an issue for some players, especially those who are quick thinkers when faced with puzzles.
Speaking of lack of hints, the game also doesn’t seem to teach you much regarding its controls and some mechanics. Often, the game only tells you about certain abilities when you’re struggling. Again, some players might like this lack of hand-holding. On the other hand, it might not be the best for players who want to get through the levels faster, without roadblocks. If you ask us though, we would’ve liked some extra tutorial pop-ups, at least at the earlier parts of the game as there were some controls that I only knew how to do because I played the earlier demos.
We played the game as two players, but we also gave it a spin in solo mode. As mentioned above, playing the game solo means you’ll have an AI companion with you at all times, pretty much. We found that the AI companion was more active in showing where you need to go, alleviating the frustrating parts from our co-op playthrough. There were even times that the companion would start pushing doors or begin doing a task. During the times you need to get your partner to do something, you’ll need to use the “Call” command. Thankfully, we didn’t run into any issues in this regard.
The active nature of the AI companion is great for players who don’t want to think too much about the puzzles, though playing solo does mean you’ll miss out on the eureka moments in co-op that, for us, felt more satisfying. Because of this, we would still say that co-op is the way to go with Little Nightmares III, that is, if you have a friend who’s interested in playing the game.
One thing worth noting is that the game’s co-op mode is only available online, with no local multiplayer options. This is a bit of a shame, as we think that this would be an ideal couch co-op title, especially for friends, family, or couples. To experience multiplayer, you’ll need another console or PC, and another copy of the game.
Even though you may need to jump through a few more hoops for co-op, we still think it’s worth it, especially for fans of Little Nightmares. That’s because this game still packs plenty of the charm of the first two titles. Of course, there are some big differences with this new title. Co-op aside, Little Nightmares III’s story and presentation may not be what some fans would’ve expected.
A Different Take on Little Nightmares
Before we get into how this new game differs in terms of story, the co-op definitely has an effect on how the game feels when it comes to scare factor. Little Nightmares I and II weren’t exactly the scariest games in the genre, but they did have some memorably creepy / horrific moments. Little Nightmares III doesn’t exactly dial down the scares, but when you’re playing with a friend, the experience isn’t as scary.
This is great for players who get scared easily, though some of the tension sometimes feels lessened when you’re playing with a friend while on voice chat. Of course, this is much less of a thing when playing solo, though the fact that you still have an AI companion with you does still have an effect scare-wise.
There’s also the fact that the monster designs in this game seem a bit less grotesque than the ones in the previous entries. You’ll still see plenty of hair-raising and memorable foes (the disturbing big baby comes to mind), but the designs seem a bit “softened.” Combining this with the co-op play, you get a game that feels more “comfy,” or almost relaxing, if that makes any sense.
Another difference worth mentioning is the story and lore. If you ask us, one of the biggest appeals of Little Nightmares I and II is the intriguing world and levels that Six and Mono go through. For the third game in the series, you also get interesting lore, but the story seems to be more focused on the two new characters instead of the world.
It’s tough to explain this without getting into spoiler territory, but we found that, while the non-verbal story presentation from the previous games is still here, Little Nightmares III’s emphasis on Low and Alone meant we didn’t get as engrossed in the lore and world as in the previous games. That’s not a bad thing, as this difference is interesting in its own right, and is enough to get us invested throughout our six-ish hour playthrough.
Given this, it should be worth noting that the game’s story is still very much open-ended, meaning events are open to interpretation. As such, how the story lands will differ depending on each player. What we can say is that, if you’re coming from the first two games, you may want to keep an open mind for this new series entry, given the differences in focus. On the flip side, in many aspects (such as the atmosphere and visual design), this is still very much what the Little Nightmares fans have come to know and love.
Little Nightmares III Final Verdict – 8/10
While Little Nightmares III isn’t a complete 180 from the previous games, the co-op experience and the differences in story focus do give it a different feel from the first two titles.
Even though we had some snags while playing co-op, Little Nightmares III is still very much an enjoyable game, especially given how fun it is to solve puzzles and get through enemies with a friend. Plus, in terms of visuals and style, this is still very much a Little Nightmares game.
Little Nightmares III will be released on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch 2, Switch, and PC on October 10, 2025.
[This review was made via PC game codes provided by the publisher.]