Little Nightmares: amazing—It made me afraid of being small again

Let me be honest with you: this game creeped me out. Not with cheap jump scares or gore. It just made me feel genuinely uncomfortable. I've played Little Nightmares twice now, and I'm convinced it's one of the best horror games out there. But it's also really annoying in some ways.

Let me explain why this game is both brilliant and frustrating at the same time.

What's It About? You're Tiny and Everything Wants to Eat You

You play as Six, a small girl in a yellow raincoat. You're stuck on The Maw—a huge, creepy ship full of monsters who want to catch you, cook you, or eat you. That's basically it. No long cutscenes explaining stuff. No tutorial teaching you how to play. You just wake up in a dirty room and have to figure out how to survive.
The best part? You're not a hero. You're the prey. Everything is bigger and scarier than you. When the Janitor's super long arms reach through doors looking for you, or when the fat Guests try to grab you—it all works because you really feel how small and weak you are.

The Visuals and Sound Are Incredible

This is where Little Nightmares really shines. The art style looks like a dark fairy tale come to life. Think Tim Burton meets Studio Ghibli, but way creepier. Every room is full of rusty metal, dripping water, dim lights, and shadows everywhere.
The sound is just as good. Every creak, every footstep, every weird noise builds tension. I played with headphones, and hearing the Chefs' heavy footsteps coming closer while I'm hiding in a suitcase? Terrifying. The game uses sound to warn you about danger before you even see it.
And here's the clever part: silence is scary too. When you're climbing through vents or solving puzzles and everything is quiet, you're always expecting something bad to happen.

The Gameplay: Great Ideas, Annoying Problems

Little Nightmares is a puzzle game with platforming and stealth. You navigate dangerous areas, hide from enemies, and solve puzzles. When it works well, it feels amazing—sneaking past the Janitor by timing your moves perfectly, barely escaping death.
But here's my biggest complaint: the camera angle.
The game shows you a 3D world from a side view. It looks beautiful. It creates cool shots. But you'll die over and over because you can't tell how far away things are. You'll think you're lined up with a platform and then just... fall off.
I'm not kidding—about 30% of my deaths happened because I misjudged where Six was standing. There's a kitchen section where you jump between floating boxes, and I fell in the water like 15 times because I couldn't judge the distance. That's not fun difficulty—that's just bad design.

The Pacing: Knows When to Go Fast and Slow

The game does pacing really well. It switches between scary chase scenes that get your heart racing and calmer puzzle sections where you can catch your breath. Right when you're relaxing, it throws you into a crazy escape sequence. Right when you're exhausted from running, it slows down.
Each chapter has a new area and new monster. The Janitor teaches you stealth. The Chefs make you deal with timing and multiple enemies. The Guests create cramped, panicky situations. By the end, you've learned everything you need to survive.
The checkpoints are harsh though. Sometimes if you die, you have to replay 5-10 minutes of stuff. When you're doing the same stealth section for the fourth time, it stops being scary and just becomes annoying.

The Story: No Words, Just Visuals

There's zero dialogue in this game. No text to read. No explanations. You learn everything by just looking around and figuring it out yourself.
I loved this approach. The mystery makes everything more creepy. Who is Six? What is The Maw? Why are these creatures like this? The game gives you hints but never tells you the full answer. It seems to be about greed, hunger, and being helpless as a child—but it never spells it out.
There are hidden collectibles called Nomes. These are tiny creatures you can find and hug. They're the only gentle moments in this cruel world. There are also statues to break that give you more story hints, but you need to replay to find them all.

The Length: Short and Sweet

Here's the truth: Little Nightmares takes 3-5 hours to finish. At $20 when it launched, some people thought that was too expensive. Personally, I think the length is perfect. The game doesn't drag or add filler content. Every moment matters.
But if you're someone who wants long games for your money, this might feel pricey. The good news? It goes on sale for $5-$10 all the time, which is a great deal.

Final Thoughts: Amazing Despite Its Problems

Little Nightmares is frustrating and captivating at the same time. The camera issues are real problems. The checkpoints can be punishing. The short length disappoints some people.
I can't stop thinking about this game. The images stay in your head. The atmosphere is unbeatable. The way it makes you feel small and powerless in a scary world is pure horror. This isn't about fighting monsters—it's about being completely helpless and using your brain, timing, and luck to survive.
If you like creepy games that focus on mood and atmosphere, Little Nightmares is a must-play. If you need perfect controls or detailed explanations, you might not like it.

My Rating: 8.5/10 — Worth playing even with the rough parts.