REMEMBER when you were a kid and you were convinced that monsters were lurking in your wardrobe and under your bed?

The aptly-named Little Nightmares by independent Swedish studio Tarsier pays tribute to those youthful days when imagination ran wild. But the difference between childhood and this eerie ‘2.5D’ platform game is that everything you once feared is real.

You play as a nine-year-old girl called Six who is attempting to escape a ship called The Maw. There is no dialogue and no explanation about why you are there and why the ship has become this nightmare world – but this only heightens the sense of dread.

The game – separated into five chapters in different sections of the ship – features a ‘dollhouse’ view meaning everything surrounding Six looks huge and intimidating.

Completely vulnerable to all she encounters, Six is armed only with a lighter, a grubby yellow raincoat and her survival instinct. Climbing up things like chests of drawers and stacks of dishes become vital to her survival against the odds. The game is fairly linear but tough at times. You need hide in dark spaces and cubbyholes, run for your life and outsmart the grotesque creatures you encounter.

The platforming elements feel similar to the Little Big Planet series that Tarsier worked on previously and there are various puzzles too.

One negative is it is difficult to gauge depth perception leading to many frustrating accidental deaths when you misjudge a platform.

The AI (artificial intelligence) is a bit silly at times too with enemies making a beeline straight for you when you are out of their line of sight. There were also long loading screens on the Xbox One version tested.

But these flaws are more than made up for by Little Nightmares’ atmosphere. The outstanding sound design with the likes of creaky floorboards and rattling generators makes the experience so tense. The lighting is hugely impressive too with a surprise – or should I say shock – around every corner.

rating: 8.5/10

DAVID MORGAN