Little Nightmares 3 is the next entry in the atmospheric horror series that brings childhood fear to life. Coming to us this time around from Until Dawn and The Dark Pictures developer, Supermassive Games, the third installment of Little Nightmares was first announced during the Gamescom Opening Night Live showcase back in 2023. Originally slated for release the following year, it was later pushed to bring it into the lineup of new games for 2025, meaning that we’ve been waiting to step into its unsettling world for some time now.
But with plenty of gameplay footage, trailers, and interviews with the development team, the sense of anticipation for Little Nightmares 3 has only grown. Once again tapping into the distinctive blend of cute and creepy that the series has become so well known for, we’ll be meeting new characters and facing fresh frights in what promises to be one of the biggest upcoming horror games of the year, alongside the studio’s other major project, Directive 8020.
Exciting times are just ahead, too, with the Summer Game Fest schedule 2025 lineup set to bring us a host of showcases that promise to give us a look at some of the biggest games coming our way in the future. And while we don’t yet know if the next Little Nightmares game will make an appearance, we have our raincoats securely on and our fingers crossed that we’ll get to see more. In the meantime, we’ve brought together a helpful overview of everything we know so far about Little Nightmares 3, from running down its co-op support to rounding up its gameplay features, and more.
Little Nightmares 3 release date speculation
Little Nightmares 3 is expected to launch sometime in 2025, with no exact release date as of yet.
Following its initial reveal, the return of Little Nightmares was set to land sometime in 2024 before Supermassive posted a statement in May of that year confirming its delay into 2025. While the game then later appeared at Gamescom 2024, we’ve yet to get a confirmed release date beyond its year launch window. We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for any updates!
Little Nightmares 3 platforms
Little Nightmares 3 is set to release on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and Switch.
While it’s been confirmed that the horror-filled adventure will be among the upcoming Xbox Series X games, upcoming PS5 games, and upcoming Switch games, as well as last-gen consoles, we don’t yet know if Little Nightmares 3 will also come to the Switch 2. Given that Nintendo’s new console is launching in 2025, it’s not entirely outside of the realm of possibility, but we’ll have to await further news.
Little Nightmares trailers
We’ve gotten a helping of Little Nightmares 3 trailers following its initial reveal. With an announcement trailer (which you can watch above) giving us our first look at the new protagonists of the adventure, we also got to see various obstacles they’ll face in the dark world, with teases of different locations and a very ominous mirror.
In the “You’re being watched” trailer (below), we’re introduced to a mysterious figure who’s said to always be watching every move we make in the world. It looks like we’ll be tracked on surveillance-style monitors. How unsettling.
Little Nightmares 3 story
Little Nightmares 3 story follows protagonists Low and Alone, two young children who became best friends when they encountered each other in a “lonely nightmare”. As they get lost in the frightening world of Nowhere, they’ll have to work together to try and find a way out together, or risk being condemned to a “fate worse than death”.
With emphasis once again put on the idea that you’ll be entering a world “not made for children”, Little Nightmares 3 looks set to build on the chilling atmosphere of games past, and of course, just like any number of the best horror games, you can expect to face some unsettling figures that won’t be giving you a warm welcome in Low and Alone’s shoes.
For a refresher on the previous games, be sure to check out our Little Nightmares review and Little Nightmares 2 review.
Little Nightmares 3 setting
The setting of Little Nightmares 3 will once again bring us into the universe known as Nowhere, which is only accessible through dreams.
With Low and Alone lost in a nightmare, they’ll be venturing through various locations within a twisted place called The Spiral, and face all kinds of monstrous dangers. From a sandy Necropolis where a giant baby resides, to a creepy candy factory and “filthy funfair”. Each place will be filled with residents who will try to hunt you down, so you can expect to face obstacles and some nasty inhabitants.
Little Nightmares 3 gameplay
We’ve gotten to see quite a lot of Little Nightmares 3 gameplay since it was first announced, trailers showing off some gameplay elements, as well as an in-depth walkthrough from Bandai Namco which showed off 18-minutes of footage of the “many hidden hazards of the Necropolis”. In the latter video, we see Low and Alone venture through a sand storm before climbing up into the ruins of the Necropolis.
Unfortunately, this is the playground of a monstrous baby that looms large over the location, and who seems to be hellbent on making you its next playthings. We see how both Alone and Low have to sneak out of the way of the baby’s line of sight, or find safety behind cover, which transforms the area into a scary game of hide and seek.
Not unlike the earlier Little Nightmares adventures, the gameplay we’ve seen so far shows off some familiar elements, such as puzzle-like sections that see the pair work together to move boxes, or make it across a platform. There are also shots of the pair using various objects to make it through areas – such as using a parasol-like makeshift umbrella to float across a ledge. With some unsettling scenarios, we’ll often have to run, hide, or a combination of both, and even if the occasion calls for it, defend ourselves.
Is Little Nightmares 3 co-op?
Little Nightmares 3 will be the first entry in the series to support online co-op.
Speaking on co-op, Bandai Namco producer Coralie Feniello said it was “the most requested [feature] by our community” following Little Nightmares 2, which had the perfect set-up for a similar feature since it saw you play as Mono as he travelled through the world alongside Six – the lead character from the first game.
But you’ll also be able to play the entirety of Little Nightmares 3 solo, too. Should you do so, one of the characters will be an AI that you give instructions to, as Feniello explains:
“We don’t want to have the AI being too smart, because the player might feel like they are doing everything, but we don’t want to have the AI feeling dumb, either. The first time you see an object that the AI can interact with, you have to call the AI, and then they come and they do it. But in terms of gameplay, we are making sure that it’s the same level of experience and as enjoyable in multiplayer [as it is] in single. But maybe in single, you will have a bit more on the narrative part.”
Little Nightmares 3 development
While the first two games in the Little Nightmares series were made by developer Tarsier Studios, Supermassive has taken up the mantle for the third installment, with Bandai Namco back on board as the game’s publisher. Supermassive is a studio well-versed in the horror genre, having made narrative, survival experiences like Until Dawn and The Quarry, so it’ll be interesting to see how the team puts their stamp on the universe.
Tarsier, on the other hand, is currently developing a new horror IP with Reanimal, which promises to take you on an “even darker and more terrifying journey than ever before”.
