This post contains major spoilers for Reanimal. If you want to experience the game blind, now’s the time to turn back!
I fell in love with Little Nightmares I and II over the last few months, so when I learned that Tarsier Studios wouldn’t be developing Little Nightmares III, I hesitated. The atmosphere, the storytelling, the uncanny emotional weight of those first two games felt so uniquely theirs that I couldn’t imagine anyone else capturing it. Instead, my anticipation shifted entirely to Tarsier’s next project: Reanimal. And it turns out that faith was well placed.
Tarsier has a rare talent for crafting a sinister atmosphere that lingers long after you put the controller down. Yes, Reanimal is a horror game, and yes, there are moments that will replay in your mind as you try to fall asleep—but that’s not the whole story. The game is visually stunning. Collectible posters unlock concept art that only deepens your appreciation for the world’s design. Whether you’re drifting across a flooded landscape, navigating a war‑torn city, creeping through a pig‑filled barn, or dashing through trenches, every environment feels meticulously constructed. Nothing is just set dressing. The world is full of clues, hints, and quiet tragedies waiting to be noticed.
The children—miniature, fragile, and yet somehow the only anchors to reality—are surrounded by adults twisted into hunters. Even nature, usually a source of comfort, feels corrupted. It’s a world where safety has evaporated, and innocence is hunted.
A Beginning That Grabs You by the Heart
I’d been looking forward to Reanimal for so long that I worried I’d built it up too much. But the opening scene immediately dissolved that fear. You begin as a small child crossing a watery expanse toward a half‑drowned figure in a white dress and bunny mask. Their initial clash is startling, almost feral, before recognition dawns and their bond becomes clear.
As the story unfolds, it becomes obvious that the boy and girl are siblings, and the other boys are their friends. Or so it seems. Everything I thought I understood was shattered in the final chapter, when a blood pact is revealed and the sister is killed by the very boys we’ve spent the game trying to save.
The bosses are new, but the first—Sniffer—feels like a spiritual cousin to earlier Tarsier creations. The demon sheep, on the other hand, is something else entirely. It’s bizarre, unsettling, and absolutely worth the struggle.
Gameplay That Balances Tension and Trust
You can play Reanimal solo or in co‑op. In co‑op, one player controls the boy and the other the girl. In single‑player, which is how I played, you control the boy while the girl accompanies you. She’s helpful without ever solving things for you, which keeps the tension intact.
Their light sources—a lantern for her, a lighter for him—feel symbolic. Tiny flickers of hope in a world determined to snuff them out.
The game constantly raises questions. Are these children the cure or the cause of what’s happened? Why are they so relentlessly hunted? Do the monsters sense goodness in them, or fear their potential?
Camera angles are used with surgical precision. You see only what the designers want you to see, exactly when they want you to see it. It makes you want to slow down and absorb every detail, even as your instincts scream at you to run from whatever horror is lurking just off‑screen.
Short, Dense, and Rewarding
The game isn’t long—though more chapters have already been announced, which is fantastic—but it’s packed with collectibles. Posters, coffins, masks (some locked behind extra challenges), and statues to light all feed that completionist itch.
The only achievement that slowed me down was Lost at Sea, which requires travelling 10,000 metres by boat. Either the devs expected us to get hopelessly lost or they assumed we’d enjoy going round in circles. I spent a very long time drifting aimlessly just to make that achievement pop.
Experiencing It Through a Different Lens
I’m younger than the target audience, so I played my first run with my parents watching. Maybe being on the spectrum lets me approach things differently, but where my mum saw horror, I saw story, symbolism, and puzzles to unravel. I talked through my theories so much that they occasionally told me to concentrate—especially when my character was lugging around a giant eyeball and my mum just wanted that moment to end.
Final Thoughts
If you love Tarsier Studios and the worlds they build, Reanimal is an easy recommendation. It feels like the next step in their evolution as storytellers.
A full playthrough of the game is available to watch here on my YouTube channel.