Lately, the Little Nightmares games have become so popular that it has spawned a new sub-genre within the horror landscape. This was particularly apparent with the recent launch of Reanimal, which is made by developers who used to work on its preceding franchise. Now, Wired Productions and WereBuff Studio are taking its own shot at the genre with Kumarn: The Wandering Spirit, a new horror title inspired by Thai culture. I was able to play a little bit during Gamescom 2026, and I came away thinking that it has a lot of potential if the developers iron out some key problems with the animations.
Kumarn focuses on the titular character and his companion Zeb trying to find their way back home, after being separated from it due to the consequences of a forbidden ritual. Both the protagonists and the monsters they encounter along their journey are directly based on Thai culture and folklore, which is a really creative decision that I admire, due to how it brings light to an often underrepresented mythology. Plus, the gameplay has the same sort of “miniature” style as Little Nightmares and Reanimal but with a few differences.
The main change is that the camera perspective is a little closer to the protagonists, rather than how far it is pulled back in the Little Nightmares games and Reanimal. I actually really like this change, as it gave me more chances to better appreciate the world design and observe the platforming jumps I needed to make. In regards to the former, the world of Kumarn is absolutely stunning. I love the use of Thai culture and effigies in the environment; it helps to further cement the game’s identity as a horror game that is very clearly inspired Thailand’s many folk tales.
Gameplay wise, it focuses a lot on puzzle solving and platforming, as well as avoiding any dangers by either outrunning from them or sneaking around them. The demo I was able to play had several chase sequences where I had to very quickly dart around obstacles so I could keep the protagonists safe from the monsters hunting them. These were thrilling in how they forced me to employ quick reaction times in order to survive, since even the slightest mistake could mean the difference between life and death.
That being said, the slightly jank animations did undercut the tension a little bit. For instance, everytime you make a jump towards a platform, it almost looks like Kumarn is floating in mid-air as he tries to mantle up the ledge. Later on, a gangly snake-like creature appears to be clipping through the floor when eating a dubious meat scattered across the floor. The stealth encounters with said creature also had some problems, as colliding with a certain part of the environment would cause an instant death. Thankfully, I suspect these glitches will be ironed out in the full release.
Still, the gameplay mechanics and use of Thai culture was enough to keep me interested throughout the demo and put my problems with it aside. I think Kumarn: The Wandering Spirit can turn out to be a fantastic game if those small pain points are ironed out and it further expands upon the demo’s strengths. Only time will tell how it all comes together when it releases in 2027 for PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.
