Little Nightmares: How to Immerse Players in Horror

Tarsier Studios did something unique for a genre that’s been immensely popular since the first Resident Evil game was released for the PlayStation 1 in 1996. A genre that’s arguably lost nuances with the constant development of mainstream titles and independent, indie Chum Buckets alike. With a high number of horror game titles released every year, most of which are planted under the radar by small game developers, it’s become difficult to stand out. Then Tarsier Studios introduced a hand-holding mechanic in a horror game, and it changed everything.

Starting as a small independent studio of around 70 employees, Tarsier Studios climbed the ladder and made a name for themselves after they released Little Nightmares. It wasn’t their first title, being the creators of Little Big Planet for the PlayStation 3, but it ended up being their first horror release— and they knocked it right out of the park on their first try.

For a very basic concept, the game goes through great lengths to get players invested:

“Tiny girl in a raincoat wakes up in the bowels of an enormous ship. As she makes her way through the entire deck, she encounters strange, giant creatures who make their intentions to eat her terrifyingly clear. You’ll have to escape by the skin of your teeth.”

That’s the entire premise, and it's fantastic. In describing the synopsis, it may sound like the usual running and hiding simulator—and to a certain extent, it’s not unfair to say that. However, what the game does with this mechanic goes above and beyond what’s normally expected of a horror game: it used the environment and the danger to its full advantage.

Unlike the Resident Evil and Silent Hill games of the 90s and early 2000s, game developers have adopted putting players in a first-person perspective. This perspective engages the player, making them feel like they’re trapped in the protagonist’s shoes. While not all horror titles do this, the modern Resident Evil, Outlast, and many other well-known franchises have presented their gameplay through this lens.

Little Nightmares, on the other hand, is framed in the third person-- making it similar to a side-scroller game, but with a three-dimensional landscape. In other words, the environment has depth to it to the point where objects stacked in the background can generally be scaled to reach higher places. Furniture and boxes that are normally used as set pieces in any other game can be climbed on or used for hiding space. There are no goal indicators either, so the player has to figure out the best approach by themselves.

The game fully embraces the player’s situation and the character they’re playing without relying on a first-person perspective. In the game, you are a tiny thing trapped in a gargantuan world, your small stature is both your detriment and your advantage, so be quick and smart about it.

While several notable horror titles will often spice up gameplay through random chases, LN is linear with these events but incorporates puzzles into each monster encounter for an extra challenge. This will force players to get up close and personal with a disturbingly weird array of creatures to progress. The creatures' wary walk cycles, tendencies to stop and listen out for your movements, grotesquely long limbs, and large bodies all contribute to your dread when you’re stagnant and fuels your adrenaline while being chased.

The sequel plays on this challenge tenfold with creepier hunters and a refreshingly new play on old, generic horror locations such as “the school building” and “of course there’s an abandoned hospital”. No ghosts, though. Ghosts can’t eat you—Tim Burton’s bestiary backlog can.

It’s a fun, memorable experience that had a handful of game theorists speculating for months with each addition to the franchise- from the original to DLC to the recent sequel. A lot of the games actual charm comes from the intricate craft the developers put into the visuals, puzzles, and tone. Small details will naturally catch your eye and the bigger picture of the actual story is left to constant interpretation. Replaying the entire experience again only adds to everything worth appreciating.