A new threat arrives at Little Nightmares III with The Backstage DLC

Bandai Namco Entertainment and Supermassive Games have officially launched The Backstage, the highly anticipated first chapter of the Secrets of the Spiral expansion pass for Little Nightmares III. The expansion plunges players deep into the grimy, hidden underbelly of the "Carnevale," introducing a grotesque new antagonist, unique co-op mechanics, and a rescue mission that tests the limits of childhood survival in the Nowhere.

A sinister new stage

In the main campaign of Little Nightmares III, best friends Low and Alone work together to navigate the surreal, distorted environments of the Spiral. However, The Backstage kicks off with a devastating twist: Alone has been captured.

Waking up entirely on his own, Low must team up with a mysterious new companion named Dime to infiltrate the theater workshop before Alone is permanently transformed into a "brand-new pincushion."

Standing in their way is The Puppeteer, the horrific resident ruling over the Backstage. Described as a fading facade of beauty over a grimy clockwork core, she toils in secret to craft the mindless puppets that enforce order throughout the Carnevale. Rather than a flesh-and-blood monster, she moves with a calculated, mechanical efficiency—acting as a deeply unsettling, abusive stage mother who primps, stuffs, and stitches her "little darlings."

New Mechanics and Terrifying Threats

To survive the workshop, Low and Dime must navigate pitch-black dressing rooms, dusty stockrooms, and a variety of new gameplay challenges:

• The Lost Remains: Players will face a new enemy type known as the Remains—shadowy, cloth-blinded forms of lost children who lurk in the dark and attack en masse to steal the vitality of any living Visitor.

• The Petrifying Glare: The Puppeteer possesses a horrifying, hypnotic gaze that can freeze the children instantly if they are caught in her line of sight.

• Flashlight Helmets: To combat this, Dime shares a special bulb-equipped helmet with Low. Players must coordinate carefully; if one child is pinned down by the Puppeteer's evil eye, the other can overload their bulb nearby to create an intense, blinding flash of light, temporarily stunning her and buying crucial seconds to flee.

The expansion also offers a nice nod to hardcore lore enthusiasts. The character design of the Puppeteer directly connects back to an encounter described by Noone in the official Sounds of Nightmares companion podcast series, cementing her place in the franchise's expanding universe.

With this DLC, the universe of Little Nightmares III significantly expands, offering players new challenges and another eerie story to dive into. Feel free to visit our comparator if you want to find the best deals for Little Nightmares III: The Backstage and get ready to face The Puppeteer today.