Little Nightmares is a qualified case: the original 2017 game was developed by Tarsier Studios, then an independent studio, but published by Bandai Namco, which owns the Little Nightmares IP. Calling it independently developed is defensible; calling it a completely self-owned, self-published indie release is inaccurate. Tarsier’s later acquisition is another separate part of the history.
Specify the original game rather than the entire franchise
Little Nightmares can mean the original title or the wider franchise. This explanation concerns the original 2017 game. A sequel or another edition can have a different production context, so one answer should not be copied automatically across everything carrying the name.
The original release’s credits identify Tarsier Studios as developer and Bandai Namco Entertainment as publisher. That is already more useful than a genre tag, because it names the organizations whose relationship needs examination. A title’s atmosphere or smaller scale does not settle the ownership question.
Separate development from publication
Tarsier performed the development role, while Bandai Namco handled publication. An independent developer can work with a major publisher, so that credit alone is not enough to say the developer was already owned by the publisher.
However, the project’s structure contains an additional important fact: the Little Nightmares IP belongs to Bandai Namco, as documented in the later acquisition announcement about Tarsier. That makes this more complicated than a simple creator-owned self-published example. Ownership of the developer and ownership of the game property need separate entries.
For the documented reference, see the original game’s developer and publisher credits.
Use the 2019 acquisition in the correct period
Embracer announced its acquisition of Tarsier in December 2019. Its announcement described the studio’s history and explicitly distinguished the ownership of Little Nightmares from other properties. The original game had already been released before that acquisition.
Do not use a later corporate relationship as proof that the original was developed under that same owner. Equally, do not use the studio’s earlier independent status as proof that all later work remained outside a corporate group. A dated timeline avoids both mistakes without needing to guess at private contract details.
Explain why different answers appear online
Someone using indie to mean a game made by an independently owned studio can include the original Little Nightmares. Someone requiring creator-owned IP or a project outside major-publisher financing may exclude it. Those definitions are asking different questions.
The disagreement is therefore not resolved by counting pixels, playtime or employees. State the criterion and preserve the documented relationships. A description such as an independent-studio-developed game published through Bandai Namco gives readers useful information even if they would apply a stricter indie category themselves.
Do not treat a store tag as a corporate record
Store tags help players discover games with similar experiences and associations. A user-applied indie tag is not a legal declaration about ownership or a complete account of a publishing contract. Tags can coexist with more complicated commercial facts.
For research, use the release credits, corporate announcements and first-party descriptions. For choosing a game, use the tags as one discovery aid alongside its actual mechanics and content. Confusing those purposes leads to a genre label being asked to prove something it was never designed to document.
Give the qualification before the shorthand label
The clearest answer is that the original Little Nightmares was developed by then-independent Tarsier, published by Bandai Namco and based on Bandai Namco-owned IP. This supports an indie-developed description while ruling out claims of a wholly self-published, creator-owned production.
That answer preserves the interesting part of the story rather than forcing a misleading binary. The game’s distinctive creative identity and its commercial relationships can both be recognized. Neither praising the design nor debating the label requires erasing the publisher’s actual role.
Frequently asked questions
Did Tarsier develop the original Little Nightmares?
Yes. The original game’s listing credits Tarsier Studios as developer and Bandai Namco Entertainment as publisher.
Did Tarsier own the Little Nightmares IP?
The acquisition announcement about Tarsier explicitly identifies Little Nightmares as Bandai Namco-owned IP. Do not equate developing a property with owning it.
Does the 2019 acquisition describe the original 2017 production?
It documents a later business change. The original game predates it, so use the correct period when discussing the developer’s status.