Disappointed Gamers: No Couch Co-Op in Little Nightmares 3

When the announcement for Little Nightmares 3 surfaced a few weeks ago, it brought with it a delightful surprise - the addition of a cooperative play mode to the series for the first time. However, the developers have changed, and an interview with Gamesradar confirmed that local or couch co-op will be unavailable.

Little Nightmares 3 - Two's company, Three's a crowd, Unless Online
An announcement for Little Nightmares 3, scheduled for a 2024 release, had fans ecstatic about the introduction of cooperative play into the series. But, with Supermassive Games taking the reins on the new title, word has been provided that local co-op will not be an available feature.

According to game director Wayne Garland, the exclusion of the local co-op option was not overlooked but a considered decision:
“We’ve often been asked about online versus couch co-op. We did contemplate couch co-op, but in the end, we decided it was crucial to maintain the atmosphere and immersion of Little Nightmares by sticking with online co-op only, foregoing the more traditional party elements.”

This was undoubtedly a well-deliberated decision by the developers. Given their past display of competence with games like the "Dark Pictures" series, which enables local play with friends, fans might understand and appreciate their motives once the game is released.