Denna recension är på engelska. En svensk, AI-genererad, sammanfattning finner du i slutet av recensionen.

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Då är det åter dags för succéserien Little Nightmares. Nu i ett tredje spel.

With Tarsier Studios having moved on from the series, can Supermassive Games handle the monumental task of continuing their signature Lovecraftian-inspired world? Read on below to see how this new entry stacks up against the previous installments.

Little Nightmares: A Retrospective

Back in 2017, gamers were blessed with the spectacle that was Little Nightmares. Its unique style and theme changed the future of platform-puzzle games and immersive storytelling for the better. Years later, after Little Nightmares’ viral success, Little Nightmares 2 was released, and it pushed the boundaries even further. Now it’s 2025, and we have Little Nightmares III, a wholly unique take on the genre that’s already dividing fans down the middle with its completely different take and story.

Little Nightmares III moves away from the pre-established story, featuring two new characters, Low and Alone, two small children searching for their way through the delusional worlds before them. They deal with admittedly much easier puzzles than before, and encounter Lovecraftian-inspired creatures dubbed ”the Residents” as they traverse the void between worlds to reach their end goal.

The art style perfectly complements the original aesthetic of Little Nightmares, and Little Nightmares III ups the ante (with a little too much focus on it) with frankly stunning visuals and sound work. Low and Alone’s designs fit each character perfectly, from their hairstyles to Low’s bird mask, both of which can be changed with the plethora of DLC costumes on offer that mimic previous characters from the series.

Low and Alone each have unique features that they must use to traverse each chapter. However, many additional features are admittedly tossed aside after their introductory chapter and are rarely used again.

• Low has access to a handy bow and arrow, which can be used to shoot enemies as well as take down hanging, decayed ropes to open further platforms.
• Alone comes complete with a wrench, which can be used to bash open doorways as well as turn and bash switches to activate doorways and platforms as required.

As Low and Alone progress through the story, they’ll also gain additional devices they can use, such as an umbrella and a flashlight, each used to navigate the various puzzles of each chapter.

A Co-op Experience

The defining feature of Little Nightmares III is that it’s now fully co-op. Little Nightmares III does the smart thing by including a ”Friend Pass,” allowing users to play with a friend throughout the entire game even if said friend does not own a copy. This is a wonderful feature, but this is purely an online experience; there is no local couch co-op, which is a massive mistake when handling a game such as this.

I have since played the game through to completion with both the AI and a co-op friend. Outside of the interactions and responses from friends, the game doesn’t really play too much differently, but it was nice that Supermassive Games took the time to include a feature such as this where other games wouldn’t have bothered, or they would have required both players to own a copy. With the current price of the deluxe edition, I don’t think you’d find many people playing this online to begin with.

With its stunning visuals, cute character interactions, and the terrifying residents that appear in each chapter, Little Nightmares III should be a massive hit. So, what’s holding it back? Read on below to see my issues with this current iteration of the series.

Conclusion

So, we’ve reached the conclusion yet again, and I have quite a lot to say regarding Little Nightmares III. While Supermassive Games gives the series a fresh new spin on the formula, does it play as well as the previous installments created by and in collaboration with Tarsier Studios? Honestly, no. While I did very much enjoy the experience, the visuals, and the lighting (despite the multitude of reused assets), Little Nightmares III just doesn’t capture what made the first and second games so enjoyable. It adds a plethora of mechanics and unique twists that are ultimately ignored come the following chapter. For example, the umbrella gained in the first chapter is never used again. There is also little room for error in new encounters; previously, you’d be able to encounter a resident and escape them using clever planning and movement. Little Nightmares III removes all of this, so if you come across a new resident at the wrong time, you’ll immediately be forced back a few rooms to try again. While it was interesting to see a new direction taken with the story, that’s just it, a new direction, nothing more.

Little Nightmares III spends so much time on its visuals and its multiple different areas that it doesn’t take the time to build upon them. Just as you’re getting into a new location and enjoying the experience, it’s already over, and you’re onto the next one with no context or reference for why you were there in the first place. The various residents are never mentioned again after each encounter and merely serve as a main antagonist for each chapter, unlike in previous games where there is an overarching plot with a proper villain.

The main problem I have with Little Nightmares III, outside of its lackluster story and janky controls, is its insane asking price. For perspective on just how much Little Nightmares III costs in comparison, please see below, along with its average playtime. Please note that these prices are based on the current Steam release window, totally, included base and DLC content.

Playing times and prices as of October 2025:

Little Nightmares 1:
Base Price: 19,99€
Deluxe Edition: 29,99€
Main Story: Approximately 3.5 hours
Main + Extras: Around 5 hours
Completionist (with DLC): Roughly 11 hours to get 100% completion

Little Nightmares 2:
Base Price: 29,99€
Deluxe Edition: 39,99€
Main story: About 5.5 hours.
100% completion: Approximately 9-11 hours.

Little Nightmares 3:
Base Price: 39,99€
Deluxe Edition: 59,99€
Main Story: Approximately 3.5 hours
Main + Extras: Around 5 hours
DLC content: Not released. (2 Additional Chapters stated to be unrelated to the Main story)

That’s nearly twice the price for less overall content. Little Nightmares III also eliminates most of what made the original two so special by taking out many secret encounters while keeping some of the issues that the previous games suffered from.

I really wanted to enjoy this game more. I’m firmly of the opinion that if Supermassive Games and Bandai had released this at the €29,99 price point, they’d have success on the same level as a title like Hollow Knight Silksong.

Currently, I can’t recommend this game to anyone, even a massive fan of the series, as this is such a departure from the norm that it feels like another game just wearing a Little Nightmares skin. I’m fully aware that listening to audio podcasts from the developers will give me a better understanding of the world, but that should not be a mandatory requirement.

Hopefully, the DLC will be worth the extremely overpriced Deluxe Edition price tag and give a better understanding of the world as a whole. This game is good on its own merits, just not worth the current investment.

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AI-genererad sammanfattning på svenska

Little Nightmares III markerar en viktig vändpunkt för den älskade Lovecraft-inspirerade serien, då Supermassive Games tar över efter Tarsier Studios. Den centrala frågan som recensionen ställer är om denna nya del kan behålla magin från sina föregångare. Det korta svaret: inte helt. Spelet får högt beröm för sin fantastiska grafik, konststil och ljuddesign, men lyckas i slutändan inte fånga den fängslande essensen och värdet från de två första spelen.

Historien introducerar två nya huvudpersoner, Low och Alone, som navigerar genom en serie vanföreställningsliknande, tomma världar befolkade av skrämmande varelser som kallas ”the Residents”. En viktig mekanisk förändring är övergången till en helt kooperativ upplevelse.’

Recensenten applåderar införandet av ett ”Friend Pass”, som gör det möjligt för en vän att spela hela spelet utan att köpa ett exemplar. Detta beröm dämpas dock omedelbart av det faktum att samarbetet endast är online, och avsaknaden av lokalt soffsamarbete betecknas som ett ”stort misstag”.

Spelet är visuellt fantastiskt och karaktärsdesignen är utmärkt, men recensionen lyfter fram flera kritiska brister. För det första lider spelet av dålig takt och bristande världsbyggande. Nya områden introduceras och avslutas så snabbt att spelaren inte hinner engagera sig i miljön eller förstå sammanhanget för sin resa. Dessutom överges de två nya karaktärsspecifika verktygen – Lows båge och Alones skiftnyckel – och andra förvärvade föremål, som paraplyet, ofta efter ett enda kapitel, vilket gör dem mekaniskt ytliga. Spelet förenklar också spänningen genom att ta bort de tidigare spelens möjlighet till smart planering och flykt, vilket ofta resulterar i omedelbart misslyckande när man möter en invånare.

Det galna priset är det mest avgörande problemet. Med ett pris på 39,99 euro för basspelet och 59,99 euro för Deluxe Edition är Little Nightmares III nästan dubbelt så dyrt som sina föregångare, samtidigt som det erbjuder mindre innehåll (cirka 3,5 timmar för huvudberättelsen). Recensenten föreslår att spelet sannolikt skulle bli en stor succé om det hade ett mer rimligt pris på 29,99 euro.

I slutändan känns Little Nightmares III som ”ännu ett spel som bara har ett Little Nightmares-skal”, vilket innebär en betydande avvikelse från seriens norm. Även om spelet är ”bra i sig” kan recensenten inte rekommendera det till det nuvarande priset, inte ens till stora fans.

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Written by: Steve Gilman