Gamescom 2025: REANIMAL Delivers A Horrific Nightmare That I Can’t Wait To Play

REANIMAL is one of the strangest games I have ever played. Even as I sit here reflecting on everything I experienced at gamescom 2025, it is the one I cannot get out of my mind. Developed by Tarsier Studios, the team behind Little Nightmares and Little Nightmares II, REANIMAL tells the story of two orphans exploring a “hellish island” in search of safety. But with this being a horror game, survival is never that simple. They quickly learn there are many dangers waiting to harm them, and only their wits can keep them alive.

On the surface, it may sound similar to Tarsier’s previous work, but there is something deeply unsettling about REANIMAL. The studio has managed to inject unease into almost every scene. I did not expect this level of tension when I sat down for my gameplay demo at a behind-closed-doors session, but within minutes of picking up the controller alongside another member of the press, it was clear REANIMAL is something special.

The demo begins with simple... Read more