It has been nearly four years since Tarsier Studios parted ways with Little Nightmares following its acquisition by Embracer Group, which gave developer Supermassive the opportunity to tackle the well-loved Bandai-Namco horror franchise. So, what direction has Tarsier taken in the meantime? It turns out the studio hasn’t lost its fascination with frightening kids in unsettling environments—its newest project, the recently unveiled Reanimal, is proof of that.
The gloomy, nightmarish storybook atmosphere of Reanimal, its towering, elongated creatures, and its pair of young protagonists—spotlighted in its announcement trailer—feel unmistakably tied to Tarsier’s Little Nightmares lineup. That similarity is hardly a drawback, especially considering how often the studio delivers standout work in that series. Still, after a roughly thirty-minute press briefing, it remains a little tough to pin down how large a departure Reanimal will be from earlier entries—beyond two headline changes.
Reanimal follows an orphaned brother and sister trapped in a warped version of the island that once served as their home. From there, they set out on a mission to rescue three friends. The game promises a harsh world of shadowy woods and decayed structures, where lifeless skin-like figures hang from trees and unsettling, animal-like monsters roam. It also aims for a “darker and grittier” tone than what Tarsier offered in its previous horror games.
Why the two leads end up in such a distorted version of their home is a key mystery at the heart of Reanimal’s narrative. Tarsier suggests that the monster designs and the look of its characters are connected to the children’s past. The story will be presented through a minimal, “controlled” approach—mirroring Tarsier’s earlier work in which visual storytelling stays front and center, though it will now be supported by some voice acting.
That said, this does not represent the biggest shake-up in Tarsier’s horror formula. Instead, the real change is in the form of local and online co-op. This is something Little Nightmares never fully delivered on, even if having two playable protagonists seemed like an obvious fit—yet now the studio is ready to introduce it in this new release. With the idea that “horror is better with friends” in mind, Reanimal lets two players move through the environment at the same time. Both experience the action via a shared camera that keeps them in the same frame, even as the game shifts between cinematic perspectives. If you’re playing solo, the second character can be handled by AI.
After that, Tarsier has kept quiet on more specifics, offering just one additional note: on-foot gameplay will be complemented by boat travel. That means players can sail between the broken-up islands that make up the game’s world. There also appears to be an option to stray from the main story route and explore smaller areas in a more non-linear way, should you want to.
Little Nightmares 1 & 2 were undeniably captivating examples of surreal fairytale horror, so another helping of that style wouldn’t feel like a burden. Still, early signals suggest Reanimal could be aiming higher than a straightforward evolution of a familiar idea. We’re hoping to learn more about what makes it distinct once Tarsier shares additional details.
There’s currently no confirmed release date for Reanimal, but when it does launch, it will be available on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC.