Here at In Game News, we're rarely surprised by a studio making player-friendly moves, but Tarsier Studios' announcement regarding Reanimal has genuinely caught our attention. The spiritual successor to the acclaimed Little Nightmares will launch with a Friend's Pass, a game-changing feature that dismantles one of the biggest barriers to entry for co-op gaming.
For those unfamiliar, the Friend's Pass model allows a single owner of the game to invite a friend to join their co-op session, even if that friend doesn't own a copy themselves. This isn't just a quality-of-life improvement; it's a fundamental shift in how co-op titles are consumed. We've seen this executed brilliantly by Hazelight Studios with titles like It Takes Two and Split Fiction, and it consistently proves to be a massive win for the player base.
Our analysis indicates that this move by Tarsier will significantly broaden Reanimal's reach. How many times have we wanted to jump into a co-op game with a buddy, only to hit the roadblock of both parties needing to pony up for the full price? The Friend's Pass eliminates that friction entirely. The invited friend simply downloads a free, specific Friend's Pass version of the game and can immediately dive into the horror alongside the owner. This fosters social gaming, encourages word-of-mouth, and ultimately, means more players experiencing the game as intended.
While the full specifics are still incoming, if Tarsier mirrors Hazelight's implementation, the only notable caveat will be that the guest player won't earn Trophies. For most, this is a minor drawback, easily overshadowed by the sheer convenience and accessibility of playing a brand-new title without a secondary purchase. The core experience, the scares, and the cooperative challenge remain fully intact.
Let's break down the key details announced so far:
- Game Title: Reanimal
- Studio: Tarsier Studios (Spiritual Successor to Little Nightmares)
- Genre: Horror, Co-op Focus
- Player Count: Single-player, Local Co-op, Online Co-op
- Core Mechanic: Control a brother and sister rescuing friends on an island.
- Platform: PS5
- Launch Date: 13th February 2026
- Friend's Pass Availability: Targeted "as soon as possible," though Tarsier Studios cannot guarantee it at release.
This commitment to a player-first co-op experience is exactly what we champion. In an industry often fixated on microtransactions and gated content, Tarsier's decision to embrace the Friend's Pass for Reanimal is a refreshing signal of trust in their product and their community. We predict this feature will significantly increase initial player engagement and cultivate a stronger, more connected player base for their upcoming horror title. Watch this space for more information as it drops in the coming weeks. We're ready to #ShareTheScare.