Little Nightmares Review – A Chilling, Small-Scale Horror That Leaves a Big Impact

Reviewed on: PC
Also Available On: Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch
Developer: Tarsier Studios
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Release Date: April 28, 2017

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Little Nightmares is a single-player puzzle game that revolves around a child, Six, who is small in both power and size, trying to escape a vessel. The world is filled with a variety of fears that range from a giant leap across a gap to the Long-Armed Man. Many of the obstacles can fall under both the physical and metaphorical childhood fears. There is very little dialogue, so the story is explained through gameplay and overall atmosphere. The game features beautiful artwork reminiscent of Tim Burton, yet it polishes it up to make it smoother than a stop-motion movie. The creators did an incredible job of creating scenes that incorporate interactive items you have to seek out.

The game does not provide the typical “yellow paint” that other games give you. A good example would be that there are certain boards you must climb up to get out of a level, but other pieces (that look identical) need to be pulled away to pass through a door. The very next level could have boards that are solely background art, and you cannot do anything with them at all. Basically, if you want to acquire all achievements, you do have to commit to a little investigating of your surroundings. A scene can be so dark and eerie sometimes, yet the raincoat will stand out well enough that I began to cling to the faint glow of yellow in the abyss. Personally, I think the ability to make such a generic object seem like a lifeline is incredible.

A small child in a yellow raincoat standing on a dark wooden floor, illuminated by a faint light, surrounded by shadows in an eerie setting.

Music haunts the background, and the enemies even have different types of breathing that would heighten my fear to the literal speed of each monster. Everything artistically just hits exactly the way it should to melt together and provide a masterpiece. There is truly so much to praise about the game, and it is hard to find all the words to do it justice. The story enticed me to question things while escaping from the prison. I wanted to take in the scenery to try to figure out just what defines these creatures, while also wanting to get away from them as quickly as possible.

The puzzles range from obvious solutions to others requiring a bit more thinking. This led me to actually overthink some of the simpler challenges, solely because they mix them up, and I felt this kept me on my toes. Falling off the edge (more than once, might I add) brought to my attention just how sensitive the controls were regarding my location, and if I could climb something or if I tumbled because I turned too sharply. If I wasn’t lined up exactly right, then it didn’t click for the game. I am unsure if this can be adjusted in the settings, but I would recommend keeping this in mind if accessibility features are required.

If you’ve ever experienced any level of childhood trauma, it will resonate with you on a deep emotional level. If you haven’t experienced any trauma, you will still be disgusted by the enemies and even a good portion of the NPCs. Some parts made me want to stay in the box I was hiding in, just so I wouldn’t have to face the horrors. Meanwhile, other portions made me want to sprint past the creature just to get out. The psychological aspect was very well done. The main story gave me just enough that when I found out there was DLC, I had to try not to jump at the idea of buying it to learn more. This game is relatively short compared to most games, but it does not overstay its welcome. The ending was frustrating in the best way. Even if I didn’t already know there was a second one, I would have been clamoring for more!

It was more of a psychological thriller than a horror game for me, as there was not much gore, nor jump scares. There were moments when I held my breath and other times when I would yell for Six to escape, knowing full well I was the one controlling the character. It eats away at the player, and I wanted to know more about Six! You get bits and pieces as you progress along, such as seeing a figure of a woman scattered throughout the game. The Long-Arm Man is someone whom I want to know more about as well. What happened to his eyesight? Why are his arms that long? Is he eating people? How did he end up on this crazy boat? I wanted to know everything about him after running away from him the first time. He is just an example of one of the handful of monsters that occupy this voyage.

A scene from the game Little Nightmares, featuring a character with long arms reaching toward a cabinet, while another character in a yellow raincoat stands nearby.

Pictures are scattered along the way, and looking at them in the low glow of candlelight caused me literally to lean into my screen so I could try to see if I recognized them from a previous moment in the game. Again, the DLC is something I’m keeping an eye on now. Even a week later, I need to know more. Little Nightmares is easily one of my favorite games now, and I can’t wait to dive into the franchise some more! My overall score would be a 9 out of 10. This stunning game will leave you questioning: How much of yourself would you lose to escape tangible Hell?