‘Little Nightmares III’ Brings Childhood Fears To Online Co-op For The First Time

If there’s one thing to learn from the Little Nightmares series, it’s that childhood fears shouldn’t be underestimated. At their scariest, these manifestations are a true threat to behold in the game, so it’s good news that the next title won’t leave players to sit through them alone.

Instead, Little Nightmares III will allow them to bring a friend along for the ride. The game, in a first for the series, is set to feature online co-op, with an announcement trailer offering a glimpse of the new setting and characters.

Moving on from the story of Six, it introduces Low and Alone as the central figures of an all-new narrative. There’s no sight of the Maw or Signal Tower here, only the sandy dunes of Necropolis, which is set in the larger world of Spiral. Like its predecessor, this upcoming entry equips the pair with a unique skillset to call their own; unlike it, they wield tools in lieu of special abilities.

It’s unclear whether Low and Alone will eventually gain powers similar to Six or Mono’s, but one thing’s for certain — there’ll be plenty of climbing and puzzle-solving to do. Players have to rely on Low’s bow and Alone’s wrench to navigate the new environment by shooting at objects from a distance, or use the latter to tear down obstructions and activate switches.

For those seeking company, Little Nightmares III has embraced the caring-is-sharing spirit. A Friend Pass will be included for owners, allowing them to invite a buddy who doesn’t own the game. There’s a catch, though: cross-play isn’t supported, with co-op limited only to the same manufacturing platform (e.g. PS4 and PS5, or Xbox Series X and Xbox One). Additionally, players won’t be able to switch once they have locked in their roles.

There’s the option to go solo as well, which replaces the second player with an AI companion like the first two games. In a preview session held for regional media, game producer Coralie Fenniello shared more details about the upcoming project by Supermassive Games, who took over the reins from Tarsier Studios, the developer of Little Nightmares I and II.

For starters, the first chapter features Necropolis, a once-populated civilisation turned ghost town. No other living beings reside there apart from giant beetles, with a towering Monster Baby lurking outside the premises. It’s an experience specific to this opening chapter, because players will journey through different places in the same area of the Nowhere, the place where the Little Nightmares games are set in, as the story progresses.

“The Monster Baby is a bit different from the other enemies because she’s so big that she’s not really in the room with you. For the rest of the game, we’ll have enemies that will be more similar to the previous games,” revealed Fenniello. “Monster Baby isn’t really a bad person; I would say more that she’s so clumsy and big that she’s very dangerous. You might have seen some statues around — these are the Dwellers, and they were here before living their life and creating Necropolis. But then Monster Baby arrived, and she kind of made Necropolis what it is right now.”

In a similar vein, Little Nightmares III will inherit some of its predecessors’ trappings. Despite being a whole new title altogether, it’s still set in the same universe, and the team has made sure to include some easter eggs and elements that old fans will recognise.

“We’re doing our best to follow the same DNA; in Bandai Namco, we have a team that worked on the previous games. We’re making sure that the game makes sense for the licence, and that we’re not going too far away from it,” assured Coralie, citing the return of collectibles, continued emphasis on puzzle-platforming elements, and a mechanic resembling the ability to call Six as examples in the new game.

Little Nightmares III is slated for release on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC in 2024.