Playing 'Little Nightmares 3', developed by Supermassive Games, back in October 2025 was a rather deflating experience. While the atmosphere held up, it lacked a certain spark; the bosses felt toothless, and the puzzles were, frankly, a bit of a damp squib. This, naturally, sent my expectations soaring for 'Reanimal', the latest project from Tarsier Studios—the original architects behind the first two Little Nightmares titles.

When I was granted early access to the game—set to arrive on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2 on the 13th—I was burning with one specific question: what on earth does 'Reanimal' actually mean? Even now, sitting here basking in the lingering, dread-soaked afterglow of the finale, I’m still not entirely sure what the title was trying to tell me. It was a hell of a ride, but a deeply enigmatic one.

The first thing that hits you about Reanimal is the atmosphere. From the moment you wash up on the shores of that bizarre, wretched sea, the game establishes a relentless, oppressive tone. It doesn't waste time either—in an early, chilling sequence, your character is choked by a girl, the second protagonist, an act that immediately grounds you in the hostility of this world.

This kind of masterful world-building is exactly what fans of the Little Nightmares series have been craving. Tarsier Studios has a knack for taking the stuff of twisted fairy tales and sharpening the edges until they really bleed, creating monsters that are far more terrifying than the usual fare.

Take the 'skin-eel' monsters, for example. These things are scattered around the village, lying still enough that you might mistake them for some truly hideous decor. But that complacency is your undoing; when they start dragging their wretched bodies toward you, the sheer horror of it is quite something to behold.

The way the developers weave these bizarre elements into the environment—and then make them move—is unsettling. It’s not just the early game, either; from the sand-children in the clock tower to the harrowing, brutal depictions of war in the final stages, the game manages to evoke a sense of awe that transcends mere jump-scares. The war section, in particular, drops the subtle metaphors of previous works for something much more direct and visceral.

The adventure mechanics have seen a significant upgrade here. The journey hinges on the dynamic between the boy and the girl. It’s impossible not to compare it to the co-op focus of 'Little Nightmares 3', but Reanimal keeps its eyes firmly on the single-player experience while ensuring the gameplay remains robust.

The two characters have distinct physical traits—speed, weight, and the like—which forces them to rely on each other. The boy boosts the girl to high ledges; she reaches down to pull him up. There’s a constant sense of division of labour, whether they are operating a boat or one is shining a light while the other fends off threats.

I never felt like the tasks were repetitive or that one character was doing all the heavy lifting. Once you secure the crowbar, the game introduces light combat elements. It adds a nice layer of tension to the usual puzzle-solving, and the encounters with larger, grotesque bosses feel like well-constructed, mechanical boss fights.

That said, the pure puzzle count has dipped. Given the game’s overall length, the mechanics are more focused on momentum than head-scratching riddles. Still, because everything is so perfectly synced with the atmosphere and the world-building, I didn't find myself missing the complexity. It feels more grounded to be scavenging for items while dodging a monstrosity than to be fiddling with levers in a void.

Reanimal expands the scope of the adventure significantly compared to the Little Nightmares series. The maps are larger, the collectibles are more plentiful, and there is a genuine incentive to poke into every dark corner—especially while you’re out on the water.

The 'masks' are a highlight. You can customise the protagonists with these, and they are hidden in devious spots. Some are mundane—a potato, a strange hat—while others reflect Tarsier’s trademark obsession with the macabre, like actual entrails or naval mines.

You’ll also find 'posters' that unlock concept art, and hidden areas that flesh out the lore. The naval mine exploration section is a standout; triggering those explosives in non-critical areas often leads to secrets that hint at the broader, darker truths of the world.

However, I must address the length. My first run, driven by the sheer urge to escape the terrifying atmosphere, took me about 6 hours. My second, more thorough playthrough was also around 6 hours. By the third, purely for speed-running specific conditions, I finished in just over 2 hours. Each time, I was left wondering: is that really it?

After my first ending, I felt utterly bewildered. The final act was, to put it mildly, a riddle wrapped in a mystery. The 'sheep' that appeared late in the game? I haven't the faintest idea what it was getting at. Naturally, I started the game over from the beginning.

The second time around, I was meticulous. I scoured every region, found more collectibles, and yet, the question marks in my head only multiplied. The characters have snippets of dialogue, but they do little to illuminate the plot, leaving the story even more opaque than the Little Nightmares titles.

There are two culprits here: the intentionally cryptic narrative and the sheer strangeness of the setting. Like the developer's previous work, Reanimal refuses to hold your hand. Flashbacks and grotesque scenes are thrown at you without context. Aside from the basic drive to 'escape', the characters' pasts and motivations remain frustratingly out of reach.

This is compounded by mixing a realistic, historical setting—war—with surreal nightmare logic. When human-shaped monsters and giant sheep start taking centre stage, it becomes impossible to tell if a cutscene is a metaphorical fever dream or a literal event. Sometimes, what I assumed was purely symbolic suddenly manifests in the gameplay with jarring effect.

The ending itself was a head-scratcher, veering in a direction I didn't quite anticipate. Even after three playthroughs, the mysteries remain as thick as the fog. Story interpretation is a subjective beast, I suppose, and I’ll be very interested to see what the collective consensus is when it finally drops.

Reanimal is a horror experience that plays to all of Tarsier Studios' strengths. The grotesque atmosphere, the oppressive monsters, and the refined mechanics make for a compelling package. It’s just a shame that the narrative is so relentlessly opaque and the runtime a little on the short side. Best of luck with it.