I’ve spent the last few weeks trembling, solving, and occasionally cursing my way through Little Nightmares 3, and what a claustrophobic delight it has been. As someone who has followed Low and Alone since their first grotesque reveal, I can say without hesitation that this is the most ambitious entry yet—a sprawling, four-chapter nightmare that sinks its hooks into you and doesn’t let go. The puzzles here aren’t just roadblocks; they’re like a watchmaker’s puzzle forged from bone and whispers, each gear turning with a silent, dreadful precision that forces you to think with your skin as much as your brain. And with full online co-op finally letting a friend share the terror, every moment of silent communication becomes its own tiny miracle of survival.

Beating the main story is a surprisingly contained affair. If you’re simply aiming to see the credits roll, you can expect to complete the game in about seven hours. Throughout my runs, I noticed that puzzle-solving speed is the variable that bends time the most. Some sections had me floating through like a determined ghost in under six hours; a couple of the later mind-twisters in the Institute pushed my clear time closer to nine. But even when I took a few wrong turns in the dark, I never crossed the ten-hour mark for a single playthrough. The path is deliberately linear—there are no sprawling metroidvania backtracks here—so you won’t waste a minute on aimless exploration.

Hitting that gleaming 100% completion, however, is a different beast entirely. The game’s collectibles are dolls hidden on needless, often heart-stopping detours, and you’ll need to sniff out all 25 of them across the four chapters. What truly pads the runtime are the character-specific achievements. Because you can’t swap between Low and Alone mid-chapter, you’re forced to replay at least a few segments to see both sides of the story. It’s a beautiful, harrowing form of repetition—like winding through a spiral shell, each chamber darker and more compressed than the last, yet revealing new secrets with every pass. On average, I found that a full 100% completion sit somewhere between 15 and 20 hours, depending on how many dolls you managed to cradle during your first stumble through the Spiral.

To give you a clearer sense of the journey, here’s how the base game breaks down. Each chapter offers a tightly paced slice of dread, with a specific number of dolls to locate:

Carnavale is the clear standout here—not just because it’s the longest, but because it packs twice the collectibles and some of the most disturbing imagery the series has ever conjured. The Candy Factory, meanwhile, lulled me into a false sugar rush before yanking the floor out from under me more than once.

Now for the part that has many fans holding their breath: the DLC. Secrets of the Spiral was confirmed long ago, and as of 2026, the first of its two additional chapters launched this past spring. Having waded through that fresh horror myself, I can report that it delivered around two-and-a-half hours of new, nerve-shredding content—perfectly in line with the length of the main game’s later chapters. The second chapter is slated for Fall 2026, meaning we’ll soon have the full portrait of the Spiral. Based on what I’ve played and what the developers have teased, expect the complete DLC to add between four and six hours to your playtime. That’s essentially a miniature sequel stapled onto an already generous package.

Ultimately, Little Nightmares 3 respects your time while never once flinching in its commitment to pure, atmospheric misery. Whether you race through in a single evening or spend weeks untangling every achievement, the game sticks to your ribs like cold porridge. And with the Spiral still widening later this year, I’ll be keeping my flashlight close and my nerves steadier still.

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