Tarsier Studios has quietly pushed its boundaries with Reanimal, a cooperative survival‑horror built from the ground up rather than as another entry in an existing franchise. Launched amid a flurry of trailers, streams and early reviews, the game has sparked conversation for doing something familiar—tension, monsters, tight level design—while leaning hard into shared play.
Why people are talking
– Critics have welcomed Reanimal as a fresh take on horror that doesn’t sacrifice atmosphere for gimmicks. Early coverage—from written reviews to streamer impressions—kept returning to the same strengths: dense, carefully crafted environments; unsettling creature work; and a narrative that unspools through small, intimate scenes as much as through big scares. Several outlets landed in the 9/10 range and a few awarded perfect scores, and those marks have been prominent in the game’s launch publicity.
– Players, meanwhile, have focused less on scores and more on how they can actually play together: which platforms support co‑op, how the local and online modes feel, and whether friends who don’t own the game can still join.
How co‑op works (local and online)
– Reanimal supports both couch co‑op and online multiplayer. In local play, two players can control the orphaned siblings—switching controllers to swap roles—and share a single camera that keeps them physically close on screen. That design choice amplifies claustrophobia and forces tight coordination.
– Online sessions run on a host model with short join codes for convenience. Crossplay is enabled, so players on different platforms can team up without friction.
The Friend’s Pass: sharing without double buying
– Tarsier has included a Friend’s Pass system: a limited client that lets a second player join a hosted session run by someone who owns the full game. The guest’s game state lives in the host’s session, so the host must remain connected for the guest to play. Functionally, it means two people can experience the full co‑op campaign while only one of them buys it.
– There are trade‑offs: guests depend on the host’s connection and may face limitations around offline progress or saves. Still, for players who want to introduce friends to the game, the Friend’s Pass lowers the barrier to shared play.
Technical and accessibility notes
– Initial reports describe stable performance at launch, though the studio has acknowledged areas for optimisation and promised post‑launch fixes. Accessibility options are built in to broaden the audience and help players tailor difficulty and control schemes.
– Community priorities—bug fixes, mod support, and QoL tweaks—will almost certainly shape the roadmap over the coming weeks and months.
A deliberate creative gamble
– Reanimal represents a conscious pivot for Tarsier: instead of returning to a familiar IP, the studio opted to explore new themes and mechanics. That choice frees designers to take risks but also places pressure on sales and sustained player interest to justify continued support and any planned episodic content or DLC.
– Critical acclaim gives the game momentum. The bigger question is whether that momentum translates into a stable, engaged community that will carry the title beyond its opening window.
What to expect next
– More patch notes, community-driven updates and follow‑up coverage are likely as players settle into the game and report issues or ideas. Tarsier and the publisher have signalled they’ll continue supporting Reanimal, so expect evolving features and fixes rather than a static launch. Early reviews praise its mood, design and narrative touches, and features like crossplay and the Friend’s Pass make it easy to play with friends. If you value cooperative experiences and atmospheric level design, it’s worth checking the game now—keep an eye on post‑launch patches and community feedback as the studio polishes and expands the experience.