Little Nightmares Creators Explain Why They Left The Franchise For REANIMAL

Up to this point, the Little Nightmares franchise has been one of the most unique horror series of the past decade. It is no wonder it became a benchmark for the genre, with many subsequent titles drawing direct inspiration from its 2.5D structure and disturbingly cute aesthetic.

That is why many players (including myself) were puzzled when the team at Tarsier Studios announced they would no longer be developing the franchise they created – leaving Little Nightmares 3 in the hands of Supermassive Games.

Instead, they chose to focus on a completely new IP that, while still carrying the Little Nightmares DNA of small protagonists lost in a desolate world, represents a fresh start for the team.

Although their new project, REANIMAL, has already gained significant attention following a flood of positive reviews during the 2025 Steam Next Fest, fans continued to wonder why the studio walked away from their biggest success. Now, the developers have finally shone a light on the matter.

Escaping An Identity Crisis And Going For A Darker Tone

In a recent interview with GamesRadar, Tarsier Studios co-founder Andreas Johnsson discussed where the studio stood before leaving the Little Nightmares territory. According to him, the team has faced some identity crises over the last two decades. They basically began to question their core ideals and whether they were comfortable being known solely for one specific franchise.

"We talked a lot about that years and years ago – the idea of going from being known for a specific game," explains Johnsson, who now serves as a producer for REANIMAL. "[But] what if we could get into a place where people long for the next Tarsier game instead of the next 'whatever franchise' game?", he recalls what the team discussed.

And with REANIMAL, Johnsson feels they are nearing that goal. "I do get the feeling now that we're closing in on it. I'm not going to say that we're there, but we're getting closer to that point." He further noted that a "quality over quantity" philosophy was also one of the principles the developers agreed to moving forward, keeping their focus on smaller games.

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Then, by parting ways with Little Nightmares and Bandai Namco, the team sought a change in tone, since they wanted to create something darker that showcased how the studio had truly evolved over the last decade.

"When running a studio, you need to make sure that you have the skills to make the next game," Johnsson said. "You can't go 180 – well, you can, but it's extremely painful, doing a 180 and doing a racing game instead, or whatever. You want to evolve because standing still is just not of interest; then you're just going to go downhill." That was when they decided to go for a "darker and grittier" experience than anything they had done before.

Johnsson also explained their decision to implement a cooperative experience, inspired by how people used to play Little Nightmares together, despite being a single-player game. And, curiously, this new approach was also influenced by the devs’ memories of the Alien films.

"My experience with Alien, for example – when I was way too young watching it – and how a movie, especially a horror movie, changes from when you watch it alone versus when you watch it together with someone," says Johnsson. "How it can help you watch something that is really horrific, and you can kind of nervously laugh at it together."

That’s enough for me to get even more excited for REANIMAL, which seems to be a big step for the studio after Little Nightmares 1 and 2!

REANIMAL is set to bring this co-op horror to life when it launches on February 13, 2026, for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.

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Reanimal

Released February 13, 2026