Reanimal is a survival horror game and a cinematic platformer. The story follows a brother and sister as they try to escape a hellish version of their home while attempting to save their three friends.[1] The two must work together, explore the islands, escape from mutated animals, and solve various environmental puzzles in order to progress. Players will eventually unlock a boat which enables them to explore locations off the critical path in a nonlinear manner.[2] The game supports both single-player and two-player online or local cooperative multiplayer. The second companion will be controlled by artificial intelligence in single-player.[3]
Unlike the Little Nightmare series, Reanimal utilizes a dynamic game camera that constantly keeps both characters in frame.[2] The goal for the studio was to "maximise claustrophobia and tension" and created a shared sense of horror if players are playing the game cooperatively. Narratively, the game relied heavily on environmental storytelling,[6] though both protagonists in the game will be voiced.[7] The team wanted to evoke both a sense of adventure and sense of dread, and they were inspired by games such as It Takes Two, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and Silent Hill 2. The protagonists must face their troubled past as they confront these monsters, whose designs were "centered around" their shared past. The team also wanted to created a sense of eeriness using imagery that corrupts and defiles an otherwise peaceful and serene setting.[8]
