Tarsier Studios, best known for their work on Little Nightmares and its sequel, are back with REANIMAL, a co-op horror adventure that builds on their legacy of crafting tense, atmospheric worlds. Published by THQ Nordic, this title promises a more collaborative experience while retaining the studio’s signature blend of dread and curiosity. Having first tried an early build at Gamescom 2024 and then going hands-on again with a more advanced demo at Gamescom 2025, REANIMAL has steadily proven itself to be one of the more exciting horror titles on the horizon. It now also has a release date, with a launch scheduled for early 2026.
What We Know
REANIMAL thrusts players into a haunting adventure where two orphaned siblings venture through a grim and mysterious island to rescue their missing friends. Balancing eerie tension with moments of hope, the game focuses on teamwork, whether in single-player mode or local/online co-op. Players explore by boat and on foot, navigating a world brimming with dark secrets, twisted monsters, and fragmented stories hidden in each location.
The game’s signature shared-camera system enhances the claustrophobic atmosphere, making every shadow and sudden movement all the more unsettling. True to Tarsier’s roots, REANIMAL features a distinctive visual style, blending grotesque monster designs with deeply emotional character narratives inspired by the siblings’ troubled past. With a confirmed release window in early 2026 and launches planned across multiple platforms, the game promises to deliver a gripping horror experience whether you’re playing solo or with a friend.
What We Saw
At Gamescom 2024, we saw an early slice of REANIMAL that already impressed with its mix of land and water traversal, puzzle-solving, and a tense encounter with one of its unsettling adversaries. A year later, the Gamescom 2025 demo offered a much larger and more polished look at the game. This expanded build reinforced everything that stood out before while giving a clearer sense of the game’s scope. We got to experience extended sequences of cooperative play, where players had to coordinate closely to progress, and saw more examples of the camera system dynamically adjusting to the action in ways that heightened both tension and immersion.
The new demo also showcased more complex puzzles and richer environmental detail, with lighting and sound design that added to the sense of dread. Tarsier’s commitment to building a deeply atmospheric world was evident throughout, and the presentation left little doubt that the studio is pushing their craft further than ever.
What We Thought
Our impressions from Gamescom 2024 were strong, but the 2025 demo cemented REANIMAL as one of the most promising horror adventures on the horizon. The cooperative gameplay feels integral rather than bolted on, with the need to rely on a partner enhancing the tension and creating moments of genuine connection. The camera system, which already impressed in the earlier build, proved even more refined in this new demo, making exploration and encounters feel cinematic without sacrificing player control.
Visually, the game retains Tarsier’s knack for blending the innocent with the macabre. The environments are richly detailed, from eerie shorelines to the intricate interiors of decaying structures. Each location invites exploration, yet the foreboding atmosphere keeps you on edge. The monster designs are another standout, both grotesque and disturbingly human, hinting at the underlying themes of the narrative. The soundtrack complements this, seamlessly weaving between haunting melodies and disquieting silences.
However, for all its strengths, REANIMAL may feel overly familiar to some players. The visual style and gameplay mechanics bear a striking resemblance to the Little Nightmares games, and cynics might argue that it treads too closely to its predecessors. Yet, moments of audiovisual brilliance, such as the dynamic camera angles we saw and some emotionally charged cutscenes, help to set it apart. We’re also convinced you can never have too much of a good thing, and REANIMAL feels like a step forward for what Tarsier’s done in the past.
Ultimately, REANIMAL feels like a refinement of Tarsier’s established formula, with enough new ideas to keep it fresh. Fans of atmospheric horror games and Tarsier’s previous work are in for a treat when this game releases, and we’re eager to see how the full experience unfolds.
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