Heading into Gamescom Opening Night Live this year, Geoff Keighly told us to head in with realistic expectations, stating that a lot of the titles showcased tonight would be games that were already announced and/or due for a release later this year. So needless to say, when the second game showcased during the event turned out to be a world premiere for a game coming out next year, it was quite the surprise. Even more of a surprise when it was revealed to be Little Nightmares III, a sequel to Bandai Namco’s horror puzzle-platformer series, which was an unexpected reveal, even with confirmation last year that it was in the works, thanks to a job ad.
And yet, there was one more surprise to be had, that being with the game’s announcement trailer - which you can see below - also revealing that this latest entry wouldn’t be developed by Tarsier Studios like with the last two games, but that the keys would be handed off to Supermassive Games this time around. While Supermassive did indeed help with the Enhanced Edition ofLittle Nightmares II,they’ve been associated more in recent years with cinematic adventure titles likeUntil DawnorThe Quarry.In their early days, though, they did start out by developing DLC for various LittleBigPlanet games, so while unexpected, this could be seen as a bit of a return to their roots.
As for the game itself, the footage shows that Little Nightmares III will be focusing on another pair of protagonists this time around, with both of them playable, in contrast to the previous game’s setup. This will also be the first game in the series to feature co-op play, although players can go it solo as well. As always, the plot is a mystery for now, with our diminutive masked protagonists navigating the land of the Nowhere, which features shambling, obese adults, lots of puzzles to solve, an ominous cracked mirror, an even more ominous factory seen at the end, and oh yeah, the horrific fifty-foot mangle baby doll that will stalk you around at some point. And keep in mind, that’s just the initial horror they chose to unveil for us.
Little Nightmares III will arrive in 2024 for all major platforms, but for those who can’t wait for more of the Little Nightmares franchise, Bandai namco also announced a six-part podcast series for the games, title The Sounds of Nightmares, with the first episodes being released tonight, so fans of series should tune into that, and also stay tuned to Hardcore Gamer for more Little Nightmares III info as it comes.
