Editor Reviews

There’s something about small characters in oversized, eerie worlds that just clicks. Very Little Nightmares captures that feeling from the first screen. You play as a tiny girl in a yellow raincoat — not quite the same Six from Little Nightmares, but close — waking up in a strange mansion full of danger, traps, and weird enemies that feel wrong in the right way.

The game is built around puzzle-solving and movement through rooms that feel like they want to crush you. You tap where you want to go, avoid things that want to kill you, and often die trying to figure out what the game asks you. Death isn't punishing — it just resets the puzzle. And honestly, the deaths are part of what makes the game feel tense and clever.

Visually, it's clean and sharp. Every room is detailed and quiet, which makes everything feel off. It's not "scary" in a jumpscare sense, but the slow movements and sudden shifts make it unsettling in a good way. The sound design is minimal, but it works. The silence and ambient creaks make you lean in more.

The pacing is steady. You move from one danger to another, solving light environmental puzzles that usually involve pressure plates, sneaking past monsters, or timing things just right. It's not particularly difficult, but it does require some thought. Some puzzles need trial and error. Others rely on timing. None overstay their welcome, which is good for a mobile experience.

The world design leans into the idea that you're small and everything else is big, strange, and dangerous. There's a weird kitchen. There's a weird nursery. Everything appears to have been something normal, but it has been twisted into something that is no longer right. It adds a subtle story that doesn't explain much, but you can make an educated guess your way through it.

How to Play?

Step 1: Open the game and wait for the cinematic to end. You'll find yourself controlling a young girl in a yellow raincoat stranded on a mysterious ship. Swipe to move her around and tap to interact with objects.

Step 2: Your main tools are movement and touch. Swipe left or right to walk, up to climb, and down to drop. The game’s puzzles rely on dragging, pushing, or pulling objects to open paths. Always scan your environment for objects you can interact with.

Step 3: Be cautious of enemies such as giant hands or creepy creatures. You can't fight back, so your only option is to run or hide. Look for boxes, closets, or shadowy corners to avoid being seen. Timing is everything.

Step 4: When solving puzzles, remember that nothing is random. Each piece — a lever, a door, a crate — is part of a solution. If you’re stuck, retrace your steps and see if you missed something.

Step 5: The game auto-saves when you pass key points. If you fail, you’ll restart close to where you left off. Take your time; rushing usually ends badly.

Step 6: Monitor the background. Environmental cues often hint at what is to come. The story unfolds wordlessly through atmosphere and movement, so pay attention to how things change around you.

Step 7: Use headphones. Audio cues can alert you to danger or indicate when it's safe to proceed.