Does Little Nightmares 3 Have Local Co-op?
Nope, Little Nightmares 3 does not offer local co-op. If you’re picturing a classic “pass the controller” evening or a side-by-side couch adventure, maybe with snacks and playful jabs when your buddy walks into a shadow monster, this new installment takes a rain check on that. In a move that’ll surprise more than a few fans, the developers made co-op online-only. There’s no split screen, no couch-sharing; you and your friend each need your own device and a web connection, even if you’re literally sitting in the same room. Online only, folks, no old-school sharing of couch, chips, or screams.
Why No Couch Co-op?
The official story is that the developers wanted to keep the horror sharp and the vibe weirdly tense. According to Supermassive Games, doubling up physically in the same space (outside the screen) made things just a bit too cozy, possibly even silly. They wanted to make sure playing with a friend still left players squirmy and fully soaked in the game’s gloom, not laughing at each other’s jump scares right there in the living room. There’s a difference between gripping your controller and whispering “go go go!” across a Discord call versus just elbowing your friend on the same couch when they trip the wrong trap.
What Kind of Co-op Is There?
There’s genuine online co-op, so you and someone else can creep through the darkness together, but only digitally. There’s also a neat “Friend Pass” feature: one buddy buys the game, and a friend can join without buying their own copy. Pretty generous, actually. Still, you have to both be online, in your own worlds, probably chatting on headsets instead of over the crunch of popcorn.
If your partner decides midway that their nerves are shot, you can’t just seamlessly switch and continue solo. You’d have to start over with AI or from a different save. It’s strangely old-fashioned in that way, for a game that skips traditional couch play.
How Does Online Co-op Actually Feel?
Playing online with a friend is an adventure, sometimes in the wrong way. Some puzzles really sing with two people. Like those moments when each of you has to use a special item: one wielding a bow, the other smashing stuff with a wrench. You feel the teamwork, the mutual dread of “did you hear that?” as something thuds in the darkness. When it works, it’s the kind of cooperative panic that’s almost fun.
But sometimes, it’s just chaos. I remember one frantic sprint through a kitchen, my friend screaming into the mic while I desperately tried to hide from a puppet-thing. We failed. And failed. And failed. It devolved into who could blame whom the fastest for getting caught. Co-op can turn funny, then tense, then somehow hilarious again as both of you blame “lag” or bad aim for yet another restart. If your friendship survives, count that as a win.
Would Local Co-op Really Ruin the Scares?
Maybe. Maybe not. Fear is weird; sometimes being alone is scarier, sometimes it’s the sound of your buddy’s nervous laugh. But the devs were serious about keeping the solo vibe alive, even online. Some of the dread comes from feeling a little isolated, even with someone alongside you in another city or maybe just another room. Kind of clever, actually, if you squint at it.
Still, I can’t help but think a little local chaos would fit perfectly with the game’s slapstick deaths and close shaves. Guess we’ll have to settle for yelling at each other through headsets for now.
Disclaimer: Gameplay and feature details are based on official developer information from Supermassive Games as of the current release period. Online requirements and features may change with future updates.
