Little Nightmares

by John Shackleford, Aaron Alexovich (Illustrations)

Dive deeper into the terrifying and unpredictable world of one of the most hotly-anticipated games of 2017, with an all-new comics adventure based on the strikingly haunting indie horror!
A nine-year old girl named Six is kidnapped from her home and taken to work in The Maw - a surreal underwater resort that caters to the whims of the powerful elite, and where everything is built to towering and frightening proportions.
The Maw is a grim feeding trough for the swollen, corrupted souls of the world. A place where excess is encouraged and dark secrets kept far out of sight.
When an unexpected twist of fate offers her a chance at freedom, Six takes a journey through the bizarre and unpredictable world of The Maw, and catches a glimpse at the corrupt heart of modern happiness, in a thrilling new story that delightfully connects to the deranged video game.

Genres: Horror, Graphic Novels, Comics, Fantasy, Graphic Novels Comics, Video Games, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 4, 2017

Reviews

[s.penkevich [hiatus-will return-miss you all] · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picked this up as it was a free Hoopla download for the month—shoutout to libraries—and while I really enjoyed the art and the super creepy vibes…I have no idea what was going on. Turns out it’s based on a video game but even then it is sort of a fever dream of half-narratives and so jumbled together it never feels like it gets into any sort of groove. I does, however, really make me want to play the game and the art and horror elements are cool:

Do I have any context for that though? I sure don’t. It all seemed like the montage credits scene of a tv show but without the actual episode following. It’s probably cool if you have a lot of background on the games but even the longer scenes were difficult to follow. Oh well. Shoutout to the artists though.

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tie-in to a videogame, which I haven't and probably won't ever play. So yeah, don't read this if you haven't played the game because I very much felt like I was coming into a group meeting about an hour late. The artwork is creepy and lends to the horror of the tales being told 'round the campfire. Lives up to its name.

[Alison · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't realize this was a tie-in to a video game series, so I was a little confused. It also reads like stream of conscious. So, not my fav.

[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh, this was okay. I played the first game recently and loved it a lot, but I wanted so much more from the world and lore, so I was hoping this would really tie in well or explain some things. Unfortunately, it focuses on stories mostly unrelated to the game and while it's kind of neat, and the art is fun, it didn't feel necessary at all and didn't add anything to the game. On the other hand, if you've never played the game, I could see this graphic novel making you want to pick it up, so that's a plus?

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little Nightmares is the story of a young girl trapped deep in the bowels of a nightmarish prison. Waking up in her cell, she decides to make her escape and is hampered by the attempts of her jailers to return her to her cell (or bring her to new, worse places) and the constant hunger that haunts her every step. As the game continues, small pieces of this dark, mysterious world are revealed as the player and Six try to make their way out. It is a game of creepy atmosphere and almost complete darkness except the little lighter that Six carries around and occasionally a bit of ambient light. The game capitalizes on the feeling of dread that this atmosphere inspires and Six must constantly keep moving or be yet one more morsel caught in the grinder of the denizens of the corrupt, gluttonous Maw. In the comic, the story centers around a small fire built by some other survivors. Stumbling across them during her escape, Six pauses to see if she can learn anything from their stories.



At no point throughout the game experience does the player ever truly understand what’s going on. There are small hints and disturbing revelations that have led to any number of theories but few can claim real knowledge of what led to Six getting stuck in the Maw and what it’s all about. So I’m a bit disappointed that the summary on the back of the comic, lays all of these facts bare. It makes for a much less mysterious experience than the game. On the other hand, the writing by Shackleford in no way clears anything up so beyond the facts of the Maw being a resort which capitalizes on “the corrupt heart of modern happiness,” you don’t really learn all that much. The first two issues each tell a story of how a survivor came to be on the Maw and the theme of the day is definitely hopelessness. Only terrible things could have brought anyone to such a dark places and these stories are no exception. The fantastical elements of the game are turned up to 11 here and several of the stories involve monsters who are distinctly Lovecraftian. After reading both stories, you probably won’t know much more but you’ll be thoroughly creeped out just in time for the game’s DLC so bravo to Little Nightmares for that trick.



In picking up this comic, I was most concerned about how well it would translate the unusual and compelling style of the game to the comic panel. Alexovich and Santana do a pretty remarkable job of this. It’s still not quite as visually appealing as the game (this would be almost impossible given the 2D vs 3D issue) but the terrible dread of constant darkness and terrible monsters waiting in the shadows is very well translated in the panels of the first two issues. The use of vivid color in contrast to complete darkness was particularly well done.

Little Nightmares was one of those creepy stories which capitalized on the combined mystery and terror of the unknown to trail fingers along the spines of players in a fantastically disturbing way. The few moments of sheer terror scattered in and the ultimate hopelessness of it made for a great indie horror game. While the comic doesn’t fully capitalize on this, it does give readers a few creepy stories to fill out their experience in the Maw and continue the themes that the game introduced. You still won’t understand the motivations or even necessarily what’s really going on but the atmosphere is once again as dreadful as ever, and that's a good thing.

Full review here

[Cacky Clay · Rating 2 out of 5]

This reminded me of slam poetry. Some of it was beautiful, but it made absolutely no sense.

[Mika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little Nightmares #1 review:

It's good, except that the artwork unfortunate looks a bit uncanny or maybe I'm just not used to reading comics as it is a while since I last read one. The story is alright, even though it repeats itself a bit from the game, but we get a few new story parts so that's fair. I also disliked it a bit that it was so rushed and wished it would have been a bit longer.

If you haven't read it yet; Do it! Only 10 minutes of your time and it's so highly underrated. It's good, really.

Rating: 3/5

Little Nightmares #2 review:

I liked the previous one more. I know that the 2nd comic was more understandable and see-through from the story, but I liked the start as we also got to know a bit about Six and the art just seemed more cool on this one even though as already said in my other review I didn't like the art style. It was more like the length of drawing and more pictures than speech bubbles that gave it all an aesthetic I can't describe but like. But I also liked this new story of the children and the outcame was rather sad, which fits the genre of the game and the first comic.

Definitely nice read and kinda sad now that the developers of this comic never managed to finish the last part of it :(

Rating: 2/5

Total: 2.6
≈ 3

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one! I loved the video game and never realized there were tie in comics! I love the way the story is told and the illustrations!

[Kadi P · Rating 3 out of 5]

Given that I’ve never played the Little Nightmares game before, I didn’t exactly fit into the audience demographic for this tie-in comic. So, this was probably one of the most confusing reads and one of the hardest reviews for me to write in a while.

All the confusion I felt was mostly due to the fact that I’d never played the game before, and of course, because this comic is a tie-in, it didn’t stand well on its own. Without the reader having prior knowledge of the storyline or characters, this comic is pretty much useless.

I did manage to figure out that the stories had really nothing to do with the protagonist, Six, and were instead centred around two of the side characters. Whether those characters are important in the game though, I really couldn’t say. In any case, their stories were intriguing although not particularly cohesive nor complex.

The art style was atmospheric and I quite liked it, but it was difficult to figure out what was being depicted at times, so it sort of sacrificed comprehensiveness for scariness.

All in all, this takes about five minutes to read, but I wouldn’t recommend spending five minutes of your life doing so unless you’ve played the game and are a fan of it.

[Ange ⚕ angethology · Rating 2 out of 5]

[2.5 stars] I adore the Little Nightmares games. The artwork in these comics is stunning but the storyline is incredibly abstract that even if you've played the games, it'll still be a bit of a headscratcher.

The first issue is almost like a recap of the first Little Nightmares game — focused on Six and the other kids — told through a stream-of-consciousness narrative.

The second issue makes a little more sense and I did enjoy it more. If you're not familiar or haven't played the games then these comics are definitely not for you.

What I do recommend however are the digital motion comics, those are really creepy and well-written as well. They have a different art style but it works with how animated they are.

[BookCupid · Rating 1 out of 5]

You are better off playing the game!

As a fan of the game, there was no denying myself from reading this story (too short for me to call it a book). It was so promising. The game never really delves into why Six was locked up in the Maw in the first place (think dark vessel with odd monsters and giants). Instead, it focuses on getting Six out. Although the story provides us with such insight, the sequences don't really mash up well. It seemed like the author was more interested in marketing glimpses of the Maw's monsters.

Next time, maybe just do a colouring book.

[Etienne · Rating 2 out of 5]

After finishing the game last week I was surprise to find this comic book. I didn't even know it exist. Unfortunately, it wasn't really good. It brings very little to the story of the video game and never was able to bring the same vibe of creepiness I felt playing the game. I wouldn't recommend reading it, but if you're a gamer, the game with the same title is totally worth it, very short game, but you can get it for a very low price and it's worth playing!

[Graice · Rating 5 out of 5]

everyone actually hates on these so hard i dont understand WHY they are the perfect extension to the games. the immersive read versions are insane and terrifying its fantastic. literally brilliant, to quote my mate when he found out people are booing the newest edition ‘what the hell, what do you want? its a comic? do you want another game? play another game. there is literally no room for improvement how could you make something unique like this better? you cant.’

[Katey · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite “indie” video games! I had no clue there was a tie-in comic series involved. I purchased this through kindle and found the comic art to be absolutely amazing. I love seeing backstories of the little people like Six and understanding why they are hiding in this crazy boat place.
A must read for anyone who appreciates indie and/or wants to check out the video game!!

[Tera Slawson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh... It looked creepy. But it was hard to understand. Not looking forward to part two.

[rafia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars ✧

honestly, as a huge fan of the games and game lore in general, I was really excited to read these comics !! I was quite disappointed though. I expected some backstory or something of the sort but this was just hella confusing.

I kind of just wanted to read these to watch those "little nightmares lore explained" videos and such haha but it wasn't really worth it. imma go watch those now

[Kelsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Absolutely LOVED the game (the second one too!). As other reviewers pointed out, this graphic novel doesn't really focus on Six or her background (which is what I was hoping for), and instead introduces new characters...and it's a bit choppy to read. However, I do love the art style as it matches the game, so it gets points for that.

[Meg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting concept but not really my thing.

[Michelle Graf · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's okay. Not that memorable. I do highly recommend the video game and it's sequel, they are excellent.

[Brooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Literally nothing made sense. I was so confused the whole time. The art style was nice though.

[chickienuggies™ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Severely okay as a companion to the games, but I did like the additional art. Very strange plot-wise and it was weird that the kids talked a whole bunch. At least they kept Six silent...

[Hubert Zubik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dosyć krótkie, ale nawet fajne

[Jocelin Willshaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Little Nightmares comic is interesting and it certainly poses a lot of questions. Unfortunately it may leave you with many of them unanswered and most of the story is down to interpretation.

Having loved the game I thought I'd give this a read, let me start by saying the artwork is fantastic and follows the Coraline esc aesthetic of the game. A strange combination of creepy and somehow adorable. As stated previously though the story starts to go places and then abruptly stops, you're constantly left with an unfulfilled feeling. I suppose that's me projecting and hoping for some kind of pay off in terms of the plot.

If like me you crave something more interesting story wise stick to the game, however if you just want a comic with fantastically creepy artwork I'd recommend it.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations were gorgeous, and the monsters scary and creative, but I'm glad I wasn't the only one who had no idea what was going on.

[Stephanie Yuzuki · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short-lived comic tie-in to the 2017 video game Little Nightmares. It's a shame it died so quickly because it has an excellent premise: stories of other surviving children in the Little Nightmares setting. Using a framing narrative of Six encountering other escaped children deep in the Maw at some point, she listens to stories of how these children came to the Maw. The writers had only the first game to work off of and that just featured the Maw with no glimpse of the outside world, but they do a good job showing the chaotic horror the world over. The artwork is lovely and evocative, the storytelling fractured and vague, capturing the lack of dialogue in the game. It's a wonderful idea, but it's over all to soon with only two issues released. There were more planned but it's unlikely they'll see the light of day unless incorporated into the upcoming Little Nightmares: Descent to Nowhere comic. I love the Little Nightmares series and am anxiously awaiting Little Nightmares III but if only the comic was allowed to last longer. There's real potential here for a horror anthology beyond a video game tie-in.

The collection is sparse for the price. The only bonus feature is a cover gallery and it's lovely but it could've been supplemented with preliminary art and interviews with the writers and artists. Get it on special or borrow from the library unless you're a super fan of the series.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent addition of stories to the Little Nightmares world! Six encounters a group of kids on her travels (that happen in-game) and listens to two of their tales of their past woes and how they came to be passengers on The Maw. The stories were very compelling to me, written in a poetic way with beautiful artwork that captures the mysterious, creepy world of Little Nightmares. I feel like a lot of this world is to be taken metaphorically, with a lot of emphasis on light and darkness (truth and ignorance) and masks (hiding who one truly is and the ugliness inside), so it's to be expected that the children's tales take on more of that note too. I found it cryptically entertaining and it heightened my need to learn more about the Little Nightmares world and how it works, but another person just might find it confusing. If you loved the hidden details in the game and are a fan of the game in general, then I'd definitely recommend it! Even if you're just a fan of interesting, unique art styles it's definitely worth a look through.

I just wish there was more to it. I know that this book is a combination of Issues #1 and #2 out of 4, but #3 and #4 were either cancelled or taking longer to be published. With the recent news of Little Nightmares II being released in 2020, I hope more will come to light. Can't wait to find out more about this intriguing world!

[Kristin Katsuye]

I’m not going to rate this as it’s not complete & doesn’t plan to be. I guess some can make the argument, then why rate other singular books from series. Well to me this is too short. As a story itself it’s neither a 5 star nor a 1 star.

Like many, I played the games & wanted more. That’s when I stumbled onto the available comic tie in for the game. If you’re looking for answers, this isn’t it, but if you’re just looking for anything more because the game left you that obsessed, then this is it. Well not really because unfortunately it’s very brief & not complete.

As the Little Nightmares pattern goes, anything they give us sets no questions to be answered but instead just more to be asked. Since these were made before II was official some things don’t seem the same. I believed they have now said these to be uncannon to the story but still fun to look at & go through.

I wish these were somewhat of a completed story in some way. No matter how short, but the games will still hold all the love from me.

Was eager to see more from the story, but sad to not see anything actually given for it. What glimpse we got of the story was okay. Glad to see others 5 star enjoy them for the little that’s given.

[Caleb M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short, disappointing, and I don't understand the point.

I recently beat the video game Little Nightmares and it was fantastic. I was drawn into the dreary world of The Maw and found myself equally creeped out and entranced. It's a well realized little world and I wanted more of it! As I was looking up stuff I came to find out about this prequel comic. It's unfortunately not what is was hoping for.

I was hoping to learn more about Six before she escaped. Or if not about her than maybe more about The Geisha. Give me some more context to the wonderful game I just played.

Instead, it's about random prisoners that I don't know from the game and don't care about and how they got captured and imprisoned. That's fine in theory but this isn't long enough to make me care or wonder about those characters at all.

I wanted the world of Little Nightmares to get more fleshed out, but instead I got a disappointing comic about characters I didn't care about before and still don't care about now. No need to read this one.

[Bluebelle-the-Inquisitive (Catherine) · Rating 2 out of 5]

The edition of this I am reading was a download as part of a book pack from Humblebundle. It appears the file is corrupted, the text is varying degrees of offline from minor to radically. Either way, it makes the graphic novel essentially unreadable. I can see the ideas but I can't read it. Take that into account when judging this review.

This is a rather attractive work. It uses art and text style well. From my memory of the game, it is adding words to the story of the game. The changes in setting and time are indicated through the use of completely different colour palettes and text styles. The core style does align quite well to the game but it doesn't give off the same unsettling air.

My low rating is essentially because I can't look talk about the actual story. I'm not sure I even really read this. But the beauty of the art and the intelligence of the design but it beyond a single star.

A representative gif:

[Severind Alexander · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure what I was expecting with this tie-in. I adored the Little Nightmares games for so many reasons. The art design in those games was incredible. The world was fascinating. The story fun. The atmosphere was everything I needed it to be. So, needless to say, I was expecting something similar here. And I'd say it got it about half right. The artwork was wonderful. I really felt like I was in the Little Nightmares world. I just think this story lacked direction and nuance. Things happened too quickly, and at times, it was hard to figure out what was happening, what the point of the story and the characters were. I loved the second half more than the first, and it was a little clearer there. Overall, I did actually have fun with this. I'm just not sure if it really added a whole lot to the world. It was fun seeing Six again, but she was hardly the focus of the stories, and I think I wanted more of her than anything else.