Little Nightmares III Review: Beautiful to look at, a nightmare to play
Little Nightmares 3 is hauntingly beautiful, but beauty alone isn’t enough to carry this game. As the third entry in a series known for its eerie atmosphere and clever puzzle design, I went into this game expecting something that would push the franchise forward, a bigger and bolder nightmare. Instead, it feels like a gorgeous echo of what came before: familiar, haunting, and full of potential, but missing the emotional depth and tension that made the first two so iconic.
That is what stings the most. This world still looks incredible. It is dripping with style and atmosphere. The lighting, the character design, the sound, all perfectly crafted to crawl under your skin. But for every moment that took my breath away, there was another that left me confused, frustrated, or wondering if the magic had faded somewhere along the way.
It is not a total nightmare, but it is definitely not the dream I was hoping for.
This one tested my patience more than my fear. Let’s dive in.
Once you are actually in it, Little Nightmares 3 does what the series does best: it makes you feel small. The sense of scale is still incredible. The problem is that the game rarely gives you much to do inside these spaces. Earlier entries had puzzles that made you stop and think, clever moments where the environment itself told the story. Here, most of that tension is replaced by simple traversal and long stretches of walking.
It is not bad, exactly, but it is strangely passive. You end up admiring the world instead of interacting with it. The result is a game that looks alive but often feels like it is happening to you instead of with you. It is haunting to watch, but harder to feel connected to.
Little Nightmares 3 gives you plenty of accessibility options, and honestly, I needed all of them. Turning on object outlines and cranking up the brightness was the only reason I made it past the opening puzzles. The game is dark in every sense of the word, and even with everything maxed out, I still found myself squinting to see what I was supposed to grab or climb.
It also doesn’t really bother explaining itself. There is barely any tutorial, and even for returning players, it is easy to feel lost. The game loves throwing you into a room full of objects without much direction, leaving you to figure out which one is actually useful. Half the time, I felt like I was playing hide and seek with the environment instead of solving puzzles.
The story itself feels like it is missing a piece. The pacing is fine, but the game ends just as it starts to find its rhythm. Clocking in at around four hours, Little Nightmares 3 feels more like half a game than a full experience. Earlier entries gave you time to settle into their worlds, to slowly unravel the mystery. Here, everything moves too quickly to build tension or meaning.
By the time the credits rolled, I felt like there should have been at least one more chapter. The ending comes abruptly, leaving questions hanging in a way that feels less mysterious and more incomplete. It is the kind of ending that makes you open Google right after just to make sure you did not accidentally miss something.
With DLC already announced, it is clear more story is coming, but that only makes the base game feel thinner. When a $40 title ends with a promise of “more later,” it stops feeling like a bonus and starts feeling like something was left on the cutting room floor.
What made the first two Little Nightmares games so special was how much they said without words. The original explored hunger and survival; the sequel dug into control and obsession. Both felt like dark reflections of childhood fears made real. Little Nightmares 3 wants to tap into that same energy, but it never fully figures out what it wants to say. Mirrors and companionship seem to be at the heart of it, but the meaning gets lost somewhere between the cinematic set pieces and the broken pacing.
It is not that the game lacks heart, but it just feels unsure of its own. It wants to be emotional and terrifying, but those moments never quite connect. Instead of leaving me unsettled or thoughtful, I mostly felt confused. The mystery that once defined this series now feels like an unintentional side effect.
And yet, I cannot say I did not enjoy it. The world is gorgeous, the bosses are beautifully designed, and the atmosphere still pulls you in. There is so much potential here that it hurts to see it stumble. Little Nightmares 3 is not a bad game, but it is a disappointing one.
I ONLY died a total of 89 times, 23 of those thanks to my AI companion, and somehow I am still glad I played it. While this short game is on the pricer side, it is a perfect game to stream during spooky season… visually stunning, short enough to finish in one session, and frustrating enough to make my Twitch chat scream along with me.
It is haunting, beautiful, and just a little broken… kind of like me after seeing my death count!
Score: 6/10
About The Author
