Little Nightmares III [REVIEW] – Terrifying Together

The Little Nightmares series has always thrived on atmosphere, with its small and fragile protagonists typically stumbling through oversized worlds of dread and decay, but Little Nightmares III offers a fresh direction with the introduction of co-op play. The result?  A refreshing yet familiar adventure that captures the series’ hauntingly unsettling tone – but also one that doesn’t push it in too many new directions.

Check out some screenshots down below:

The big hook of Little Nightmares III is the introduction of co-op play, and it’s a surprisingly natural fit for the eerie adventure. Players either take on the role of Low, a masked boy with a bow and arrow, or Alone, a red-haired girl armed with a wrench, with each using their unique tools for solving puzzles. The setup encourages moments of co-ordination, communication, and trust, which come together nicely to make the experience feel more dynamic than ever. You’re not relying on your skills alone in order to survive, but also of that of your partner. It means there’s a real element of trust in play – something I’d typically be short of after Little Nightmares II (I’ll never forget), but that gives this game a compelling edge.

It really adds to the tension of the experience, and you’ll often find yourself whispering puzzle solutions, warning each other of potential threats, or just laughing nervously as you both hide from monsters on the prowl. It might sound like it reduces the tension of the experience, but instead, it re-shapes it – fear becomes something you share, and whilst this can also bring a comical edge to the scares, it also ups their intensity when you’re both caught off-guard together and can’t hide a shriek.

The only downside is that co-op is online only, which feels like a missed opportunity. In fairness, it does offer a Friend Pass, so you only need to own one copy of the game to play with someone else online – I just couldn’t help but to feel like it would’ve been the perfect experience to share with a friend at night, with the curtains closed, sitting together closely, all whilst waiting for the next eerie sight to make you jump out of your skin. It’s also worth noting that the game can be wholly enjoyed in single player, with the AI partner mostly reliable and responsive, only occasionally lagging behind or reacting too slowly during chase sequences.

“Despite some familiar beats, Little Nightmares III remains a hauntingly beautiful continuation of the creepy puzzle-platforming series.”

Low and Alone’s journey takes them through The Spiral: a series of twisted, self-contained realms, each built around a particular fear or grotesque inhabitant. From a nightmarish nursery filled with giant baby dolls to decrepit carnivals crawling with freakish performers, every setting feels handcrafted, distinctive, and, of course, utterly sinister. Visually, everything looks phenomenal, with richly detailed environments that seem pulled from a stop-motion nightmare, and when you add to that the excellent sound design where every creak, whisper, and distant thud builds a sense of unease, it’ll be clear that Little Nightmares III absolutely nails its presentation and atmosphere from start to end.

Like previous games, each chapter in Little Nightmares III also features a new environment and a unique antagonist , with these grotesque villains ALWAYS visually striking. And amid all of the terror, the relationship between Low and Alone adds faint touches of warmth and hope, with the way they reach for each other’s hands or help one another up after a fall adding a subtle human element to what is mostly a horrifying experience. Don’t get me wrong, the narrative is still as vague as ever, but it’s easy to find yourself completely pulled into it and rooting for the pair’s survival.

When it comes to gameplay, Little Nightmares III sticks closely to the formula of its predecessors: a blend of stealth, light platforming, and environmental puzzles, though many aspects of the experience revolve around cooperation this time around, requiring both characters to manipulate switches, move boxes, or help each other reach new areas. Team work makes the dream work in the game, and with puzzles built around working together, experienced players have to explore each conundrum from a new perspective. It’s a nice touch that does make the experience feel fresh.

Check out some screenshots down below:

A lot of these sequences are genuinely satisfying, especially when co-ordination with another player really clicks, but I also couldn’t help but to feel that the game leaned a little too heavily on what worked before. Low and Alone’s tools are clever in concept, but they’re used in a lot of ways that’ll be familiar to those that have played previous games in the series – it’s rare that it feels like it tries to innovate, but instead focuses on the tried-and-tested gameplay loop of before. And that’s fine, especially since it really does work, but I feel like there was a missed opportunity here to do something more unique and distinctive with the Little Nightmares formula, especially with the co-op focus. It doesn’t make Little Nightmares III bad at all – I still really, really enjoyed the game – but maybe it would have been nice if it had a few more surprises up its sleeve.

Developer: Supermassive Games
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Platform(s): Xbox Series X|S (Reviewed), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC
Website: https://www.playstation.com/en-gb/games/little-nightmares-3/