Three years after the release of its predecessor, we're finally returning to The Nowhere with the upcoming Little Nightmares III video game. The highly-anticipated third installment in the Little Nightmares franchise was revealed last August at Gamescom 2023 and is gearing up to release later this year. But with any new game comes a slew of questions: How will it differ from the previous two games? Who are the new protagonists, and what horrors lie ahead for them? What kind of monsters will haunt our dreams this time? Have no fear, we're here to answer those questions and more as we break down everything we know about Little Nightmares III.
Development Insights
While still published by Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe, Little Nightmares III is not being developed by Tarsier Studios, the creator of the two previous installments. Instead, Supermassive Games is handling this threequel, a studio many will likely recognize as the developers behind horror hits Until Dawn and The Quarry. More importantly, they also developed Little Nightmares II: Enhanced Edition, the upgraded version of Tarsier's second game for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, so their connection to Little Nightmares started a few years back.
Little Nightmares III is set to release on PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. So, no matter your preferred platform, you'll be able to dive deep into The Nowhere and encounter its many nightmarish monsters on the day it releases.
Little Nightmares III Plot and Characters
Per an interview for Bandai Namco with producer Coralie Feniello, Little Nightmares III is a "brand-new adventure" set in a location called The Spiral, which is described as "a cluster of disturbing places" by Bandai Namco. The story follows two new characters named Low and Alone as they work together in a new adventure to survive and escape this terrifying place, much like how Six and Mono worked together in Little Nightmares II.
So far, three of The Spiral's locations have been revealed. The first is a desert location called The Necropolis, which recently got a very lengthy gameplay walkthrough to show it off. In this breakdown from Bandai Namco, The Necropolis is described as a "peculiar place raised from the desert sands and powered by gusting winds" and is "a city of eternal energy and certain death." Bandai Namco has also mentioned "an unsettling fun fair" and "a gloomy factory," two locations that are sure to house some horrible surprises. Hopefully a few more locations will be revealed soon so we'll know just what to prepare for.
Gameplay Mechanics
Like its predecessors, Little Nightmares III is a puzzle platformer set in a 2.5D world filled with plenty of spooky encounters for players to get into. However, what makes this game stand out from the previous two is that you'll be able to adventure with another player in online co-op. What better way to bond than dragging a friend through the nightmarish Nowhere with you? Or, if you'd rather spare them the scares, you can play solo and utilize the AI companion as your player two.
Alongside the announcement of online co-op, producer Coralie Feniello stated in an interview for Bandai Namco that the team will also be incorporating the Friends Pass. This feature allows two people to play using just one purchased copy of the game. This is helpful if one party wants to save some money, but you still want to play together.
In terms of gameplay, Little Nightmares III will also feature unique weapons for its protagonists that they'll use throughout the game. Low has a bow and arrow while Alone has a wrench. These can be used to fight off certain smaller enemies, but they can also be used to solve puzzles while journeying through The Spiral. The Necropolis gameplay walkthrough offers an excellent look at these mechanics in action, showing how both characters will need to use their respective items in order to progress through certain locations.
Art and Design
Little Nightmares is a series with a distinct art style beloved by plenty of players and artists. Its characters, enemies, and world designs lean into a very surreal side of horror, with visual elements crafted to unease players as they journey through the story. Little Nightmares III appears to continue with this style, as seen from the brief glimpses of the unique world and enemy designs shown in the trailer and Necropolis gameplay.
Don't let the warmer tones of places like The Necropolis fool you, there are still plenty of dark secrets within to keep you on your toes. During an interview with Games Radar, Supermassive's game director Wayne Garland explained, "Horror doesn't have to come from just being dark, right? It's how you play with that." It'll be exciting to see how Supermassive utilizes lighter areas to still get under our skin. It seems like they're already on the path to success with that introduction to the first enemy lurking around The Necropolis, Monster Baby.
Soundtrack and Atmosphere
Both Little Nightmares and Little Nightmares II have very haunting soundtracks that perfectly contribute to the eerie atmosphere. But it's not just the soundtrack that's important to Little Nightmares; the sound design also plays a pivotal role in how you experience the game. During an interview with The Sound Architect, Little Nightmares' Audio Director Tobias Lilja explained how he "wanted the sound effects to have a prominent role and not just work as mood enhancer or something to accompany the visuals." The two elements blend together to immerse players into the haunting world of The Nowhere, making them feel just as small and vulnerable as Six and Mono.
While very little about music and sound design has been spoken of so far for Little Nightmares III, its reveal trailer and Necropolis gameplay video offer a nice little peek at what the soundtrack and atmosphere will be like. Thankfully, both capture that blend of music and sound design with a soundtrack that, once again, leans in a hauntingly whimsical direction. This is especially evident in the reveal trailer which features a childlike humming throughout. The Necropolis gameplay, on the other hand, really highlights the sound design of the world around Low and Alone, from the howling wind to the thud of Monster Baby's hand as it comes crashing through a wall. Hopefully, the third installment in this franchise will continue to follow in its predecessor's atmospheric footsteps.
Release Date and Platforms
As of right now, Little Nightmares III does not have a set release date. All that's known is that it's coming sometime in 2024. Don't worry, though. We'll update this piece the moment we have a solid Little Nightmares III release date. As for platforms it will be available for, you'll be able to play it on PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.
Trailers and Teasers
The first trailer for Little Nightmares III was released last August as part of Gamescom's Opening Night Live, and fans were thrilled to see the series return. In it, we were given a good look at Low and Alone as they traverse through various locations in what we now know to be called The Spiral. It also gave us a brief look at some of the new co-op mechanics through various puzzles and platforming sections. More importantly, though, the trailer showed off some monsters lurking around. This includes the very large (and absolutely terrifying) baby doll we've previously mentioned, Monster Baby.
Bandai Namco has also released an 18-minute-long gameplay walkthrough for The Necropolis alongside this trailer. The walkthrough offers an in-depth look at the area, the previously mentioned co-op mechanics, and how Low and Alone's weapons can be used in the environment. Not only are they great for defending against smaller enemies, but you'll also use them to solve certain puzzles. The walkthrough also provides a closer look at Monster Baby in action if you want an even better look at that creepy creature ahead of release.
Expectations and Speculations
Many fans were hoping for co-op to be introduced into the world of Little Nightmares, and the developers were thrilled to share the news of it when Little Nightmares III was revealed. It was "the most requested feature from our fans, so it was really important for us to give them that," said producer Coralie Feniello in an interview with Games Radar. And while some players are disappointed there's no couch co-op, game director Wayne Garland stated in the same interview, "Couch is something that we considered, but again, when you come back to the atmosphere and the immersion that we're trying to elicit through Little Nightmares, I think it was important for us that we stuck to our online co-op only rather than traditional more party aspects."
Regardless, fans still seem thrilled to have another Little Nightmares game coming out. Given the in-depth look they've shown of The Necropolis, it seems gameplay will be just as fun this time around. In that video, it was clear that Low and Alone's weapons play an important role in navigating different levels, not just combat, so it'll be interesting to see how complex these puzzles get as they journey forth.
Considering the fact that it also won Best Trailer/Announcement at Gamescom 2023, it's clear that fans are eager to get their hands on it and dive deep into the world of The Spiral with Low and Alone.
Summary
Even though we still have to wait for an official release date announcement, it's still exciting to know that Little Nightmares III is coming at some point this year. The newly added online co-op is one of the biggest aspects to look forward to, as journeying through The Spiral with someone else is sure to make the nightmares a touch more tolerable. It also looks like Supermassive wants to adhere to the creepy, surreal style that Tarsier Studios crafted so wonderfully with the first two games, and so hopefully, the series' original soul remains despite the change in developer. It'll be interesting to see how Supermassive Games utilize lighter locations like The Necropolis to keep players on their toes, but I have faith that they can find creative ways to pull players into this new world of Little Nightmares.
For more, check out our list of all the new horror video games we can't wait to play in 2024.
