"We wanted to make something darker", Reanimal's developer tells me: "We don't give people the safety net of the charm of Little Nightmares"

The two protagonists in Reanimal walk through a dark train carriage surrounded by human skins strewn across the seating, with only a small light source to see - with the GamesRadar+ Big in 2026 frame.

Reanimal is terrifying. Evolving on the premise of controlling small characters pursued by bigger, looming monsters from the darkness that Tarsier Studios explored with the first two Little Nightmares games, it's familiar territory for the developer while striking out in its own, uncomfortable directions. After just playing the opening of Reanimal, I'm a little uneasy about playing more given how chilling the vibes are, while also being totally incapable of not yearning to find out what happens next, as all the best horror games do.

With Little Nightmares 3 releasing at the end of last year under a different developer, Reanimal is shaping up to be an important release for continuing Tarsier Studio's identity. But it's something the developer has been pondering long before the first Little Nightmares even released.