Reanimal Release Date, Trailer, Gameplay, And Everything Else We Know

Reanimal is an upcoming horror-adventure game from Tarsier Studios, the creators of Little Nightmares and Little Nightmares II. Players control two children striving to survive and uncover the dark secrets of a hostile island that was once their home. With its haunting visuals and cooperative gameplay, Reanimal aims to expand on Tarsier’s signature style of intimate, atmospheric horror.

The game mixes puzzle-solving, stealth, and exploration across a world teeming with twisted environments and unsettling creatures. As a brother-and-sister duo, players navigate the island’s ruins, tackling environmental puzzles and avoiding monsters shaped by their past trauma. Combat takes a backseat to survival, putting the emotional bond between the siblings at the center of the experience.

When will Reanimal be released?

Reanimal is officially set to launch on Friday, February 13, 2026. The release date was confirmed by developer Tarsier Studios in a recent announcement, solidifying the game’s launch just weeks after its long-standing “coming soon” listing on Steam. After previously stressing that the team wouldn’t rush the project, the confirmation signals that development is effectively complete, with the co-op horror game now on the final stretch toward release.

Will Reanimal have a Friends Pass?

Reanimal will feature a Friend’s Pass, allowing players who purchase the game to invite a friend to join them in co-op without requiring the second player to own a copy. This feature emphasizes the game’s cooperative focus, making it easier for players to experience the tense survival and puzzle-solving gameplay alongside someone else.

Reanimal Trailers

So far, Reanimal has received three trailers that each highlight different aspects of the game. The first announcement trailer introduced the sibling protagonists and set the tone with eerie island visuals and shadowy figures. A later gameplay trailer expanded on that foundation by showing puzzle solving, stealth, and cooperative movement between the two characters, giving players a better idea of how exploration and tension will unfold.

The most recent trailer focused on the story’s emotional weight, teasing new environments and darker creature designs while hinting at the personal history tying the siblings to the island.

Reanimal Platforms

Reanimal is set to launch on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and the Nintendo Switch 2. The release date hasn’t been confirmed yet, but the Steam page lists it as “coming soon.”

Reanimal Story, Setting and Characters

In Reanimal you play as two child characters–a brother and sister who head back to an island from their past only to find it corrupted, hostile, and transformed. The setting fuses childhood nostalgia with horror–abandoned amusement parks, homes frozen in time, and creatures that reflect past trauma. The game uses the siblings’ relationship as the emotional core, making exploration and survival something personal rather than purely mechanical.

Reanimal aims to make horror more human. Where most horror games focus on powerlessness, this one highlights vulnerability and connection–how two people face fear together. The game’s co-op mechanics, psychological tone, and handcrafted environments set it apart from more action-heavy titles, offering something closer to a playable dark fairy tale.

Reanimal Gameplay

Players can explore the world solo with an AI companion or in two-player co-op, either online or locally. The camera shifts between dynamic and fixed angles to build tension, much like classic survival-horror games. Tarsier’s signature use of scale and lighting returns here, making even quiet moments feel unsettling. Every corner of the island hides a piece of the story, from broken toys to forgotten homes, encouraging exploration and reflection rather than speed.

Combat is minimal. Your tools are stealth and evasion rather than firearms or brute force. The world design emphasizes hiding, running and reading the environment for clues. Environmental puzzles, exploration of hidden paths, and uncovering story fragments are key components. The game promises a tighter runtime and focused structure rather than an open-ended map.

Reanimal Development News

A Reanimal demo was available during the Steam Next Fest in October of 2025. The demo showcases the grimy world Tarsier Studios has created. It’s a major change of pace from both Little Nightmare games the team had created ahead of this project. One of the biggest elements that has enticed us so far is how it feels to explore the world of Reanimal.

“Little Nightmares 3–and even Little Nightmares 2–got away from the first game’s especially morbid, skin-crawling monsters, or Residents, as they’re called,” GameSpot’s Mark Delaney wrote. “The Reanimal demo feels like a return to form for Tarsier […] Reanimal’s slithering skin suits, inky black waters, ever-present unease, and air of mystery combine to give me the sense that this is the game that will get us there.”

The Reanimal demo also featured some evolution in how Tarsier approached using camera angles. Little Nightmares, as a series, has mostly utilized a static, side-scrolling angle that sometimes shifted for tense moments.

“Reanimal’s demo showed off a lot more dynamism in its perspective. Sometimes the camera pulled far away; other times it was practically a third-person over-the-shoulder experience,” Delany continued. “By shifting the dynamics, Tarsier is able to experiment more with puzzle design and exploration, which may help eventually separate it from the Little Nightmares comparisons.”

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