- April 27, 2017
- Engine Software BV
- 5h median play time
Little Nightmares
Little Nightmares is a well-crafted horror game that is held back by okay platforming, loose controls and a bad checkpoint system.
Platforms
About Little Nightmares
Little Nightmares is a single player and multiplayer survival platformer game with horror, fantasy and thriller themes. It was developed by Engine Software BV and was released on April 27, 2017. It received positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.
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Games Like Little Nightmares
Looking for games like Little Nightmares? Here are top survival platformer recommendations with a horror, fantasy and thriller focus, selected from player-similarity data — start with Little Nightmares 2, INSIDE or LIMBO.
Reviews
story
6,257 mentions Positive Neutral NegativeThe story of "Little Nightmares" is characterized by its minimalistic and ambiguous narrative, conveyed primarily through environmental storytelling rather than dialogue. Players navigate a dark, surreal world filled with grotesque creatures, piecing together the protagonist's journey and the underlying themes of fear and survival. While the game is praised for its atmospheric design and emotional depth, many reviewers note that the story can feel vague and is often left open to interpretation, with additional context provided through DLCs and external media.
“The game itself is in the spirit of the highly successful and outstanding game 'Inside'; a small puzzle platformer that focuses on a horror creepy dystopian vibe where the story unfolds itself by just moving through the levels.”
“The story is mysterious but incredibly well done, and you are rewarded for looking around the map and panning to different angles while playing.”
“Little Nightmares is a beautifully-crafted horror puzzle-platformer with an immersive atmosphere, well-designed puzzles, and a captivating storyline.”
“That said, the story is nearly non-existent and the game is fairly easy.”
“The story is minimal and a bit vague.”
“Got through it (and over it lol), but by the end of the game, there is no real payoff for the events and it becomes clear that there is no real story.”
Critic Reviews
Little Nightmares can't live up to the stomach-clenching dread of its second act
Little Nightmares offers some absolutely sublime moments of dread and intrigue, but just can't sustain that momentum. It isn't all it could have been with a more cohesive vision to wrap around its level design. It falls short of being a truly stand-out experience as a result of that, which is a shame. Still, worth a look.
Little Nightmares: Complete Edition (Switch) Review
Little Nightmares is a well-crafted horror game that is held back by okay platforming, loose controls and a bad checkpoint system.
75%Little Nightmares: Complete Edition Review
Little Nightmares: Complete Edition manages to do what it couldn't do when it wasn't complete: it satisfies the hunger for adventure. It is still not a game for everyone because of Tarsier Studios' complete devotion to telling a story in the most vague and dreamlike way imaginable, with no dialogue at all. It may be a bit obtuse for some people, but the intent of the developer has always been to allow the player to take what they will from the imagery and to consider it on a deeper level. Some subtle jabs at sardonic humour prevent this from ever feeling pretentious, but the bleak tone may still make this kind of hard to enjoy for some. Anyone with a passing interest in horror or those who like the idea of things that are cute and scary will love this. Most will be able to play it since it has very simple controls and even though it is much longer than when it first came out, it still does not overstay its welcome. Doing the core with the new chapters incorporated as one long story finally feels like every possibility has been seen and done with Little Nightmares.
90%
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Play Times
Game News

Little Nightmares and Idle Champions bundle free this week on Epic Games Store mobile

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"We wanted to make something darker", Reanimal's developer tells me: "We don't give people the safety net of the charm of Little Nightmares"

Former Little Nightmares devs' End of Abyss is a satisfyingly creepy blend of top-down twin-stick shooter and Metroidvania exploration

Good news, people who wish Little Nightmares were more like Zelda - Tarsier's Reanimal will release in February 2026

Little Nightmares studio's new horror Reanimal gets console demo and February release date
Frequently Asked Questions
Little Nightmares is a survival platformer game with horror, fantasy and thriller themes. Common tags for Little Nightmares include indie, trading, psychological, gaming, 2.5d and others.
Little Nightmares is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Steam Deck and others.
The main story can be completed in around 4 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 8 hours to finish. On average players spend around 6 hours playing Little Nightmares.
Little Nightmares was released on April 27, 2017.
Little Nightmares was developed by Engine Software BV.
Little Nightmares has received positive reviews from players and positive reviews from critics. Most players liked Little Nightmares for its story but disliked it for its replayability.
Little Nightmares is a single player game with multiplayer support.
Similar games include Little Nightmares 2, INSIDE, LIMBO, Darq, Bramble: The Mountain King and others.












