Our curtain rises on a darkened stage. The show hasn’t begun yet. In the wings, past the faded backdrops and garbage mounds of unused props, in the hidden places where the limelight can’t reach, a Resident of the Nowhere toils in secret.

This is the Puppeteer.

She inhabits a new area of the Carnevale that you’ll explore this summer in the first chapter of Secrets of the Spiral, a two-part DLC story for Little Nightmares III, available now on XBOX One and XBOX Series X|S.

The Scissors Behind the Seams

The Puppeteer is the perfect lady. Too perfect, in point of fact. Hair too coiffed to be authentic. Skin too pale to be natural, although she’s seen her share of wear and tear.  She’s a fading façade of beauty inlaid over a grimy clockwork core. Every movement is mechanically studied and executed with ruthless efficiency.

And yet, in spite of her perfection, she never performs in the Carnevale. A grand circus should have need of a lovely dancer, flouncing and pirouetting gracefully to the delight of crowds, but instead, she’s preparing other talents for the spotlight. She is the creator of the Puppets who entertain and enforce throughout the Carnevale and the Backstage is her workshop.

In her element, she is an implacable stage mother, primping and fussing over every cockeyed button and loose thread. She stuffs and stitches her little darlings and transforms them from rough, lively raw materials into clattering shills or security for the boardwalk.

Do take care if you ever find yourself in the Backstage – she is always recruiting new talent.

What Still Remains

Visitors wandering through the Spiral are always at risk. Of the many terrible fates waiting for hapless children, one unkind end is joining the ranks of the Remains, shadowy forms of children who lurk on the edge of the darkness here behind the curtain.

They seem to crave the life and vitality of other Visitors, as if they’re missing the bodies they once had. They tend to attack en masse, blocking off retreat by slipping out of dim corners that were empty only a moment before.

It’s not completely clear what connection these Lost Remains have to the Puppeteer. They seem to stay out of her way, sticking to the dusty stockrooms and dilapidated rehearsal spaces far from the fuss and clamor of the Kin’s theater.

What might these pitiful shades have witnessed as they slipped between the studio and the stage? Perhaps that’s why they blind themselves with strips of cloth. Best not to ask, little ones. If you go poking around, you might find out.

New Raw Material

At the start of this first chapter of Secrets of the Spiral, Low sees Alone being captured and wakes up to find his friend is missing. Low and his new companion Dime set off on a journey through the Backstage to find her before she can be turned into a brand-new pincushion.

Unfortunately for them, the Puppeteer is terribly dangerous. Apart from her horde of sharp scissors and long needles, behind her mask of perfection is a petrifying glare that can hypnotically freeze any annoying living thing in their tracks. Low and Dime will have to keep out of her sight or they’ll be in the spotlight in the worst possible way.

There’s one small glimmer of hope, though. Dime shared one of two special helmets with Low. They each have a bulb that can be overloaded to give off an intense flash of light. If either of them are caught by the beam, the other can overload their bulb nearby.  This momentarily stuns the Puppeteer’s evil eye, giving the children a chance to escape.

It should be noted that this may not be the first time a known Visitor has encountered the Puppeteer. In the “Sounds of Nightmares” podcast, Noone described an encounter with a lady who was a kind of uncanny perfect manikin in an atelier full of costumes and living puppets. That interaction didn’t go particularly well, so if they are one and the same do try not to meet with the same fate.

Showtime Is Almost Here

This is only the start of the unfortunate journey deeper into the Spiral. Will Low be able to find Alone in time? Will the Puppeteer gain two more manikins for her next costuming project? No matter what, the show will go on – Secrets of the Spiral: Chapter 1 for Little Nightmares III is available now.

Last call, time for places, little ones.

Little Nightmares III

Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆ 542

★★★★★

$39.99

Get it now

Two young friends, lost in a frightening world not made for children. If they cannot find a way out of this Nowhere place, they’ll be condemned to a fate worse than death. FACE YOUR CHILDHOOD FEARS TOGETHER You play as Low and Alone, best friends ever since they found each other in this lonely nightmare. They each possess their own iconic item: a bow for Low and a wrench for Alone. Working together, they’ve become adept at sneaking through hidden passages, hoisting each other over massive obstacles, and watching each other’s backs. Whether you’re playing with a friend or an A.I. companion, you’ll depend on each other’s iconic items to create opportunities and to progress. The environment is full of clues and possibilities for imaginative children to exploit. Low’s arrows can reach high targets, cut through ropes, or down flying enemies, and Alone’s wrench is just the thing for crushing stunned enemies, smashing through barriers, or manipulating the workings of massive machines. EMBARK ON AN IMMERSIVE AND DISTURBING ADVENTURE No matter where you go, the Nowhere is home to horrific monsters. These Residents won’t hesitate to go out of their way to capture any intrusive little Visitors that draw their attention. You might find yourself playing a terrifying game of hide and seek with Monster Baby in the sandy ruins of the Necropolis, struggling to avoid swarms of voracious Candy Weevils in an unsetling Candy Factory, or dodging heavy feet while running along the rain-soaked promenade of a filthy funfair. You’ll need to be ready to run, hide, or even defend yourself at a moment’s notice to stay in one piece. SINK INTO THE SPIRAL Don’t be too distracted by the desolate beauty of the Nowhere. There are dark mysteries waiting for you as Low and Alone follow their mirror path across the Spiral. As each new location will become more dangerous and disturbing than the last, traumatic flashes from the past will begin to emerge. Will Low and Alone finally escape from this unending nightmare? Only you can help them, little ones…

Little Nightmares III – Secrets of The Spiral – Expansion Pass

Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆ 117

★★★★★

$14.99

Get it now

Delve deeper into the eerie lands of The Spiral with the Expansion Pass. Secrets of The Spiral gives you access to 2 additional chapters and the Ferryman Costumes Set, exclusive to the Expansion Pass. 2 ADDITIONAL CHAPTERS: While not essential to the main story, these additional tales enrich the experience and let you uncover hidden secrets, new perspectives, and unexpected horrors. FERRYMAN COSTUMES SET (exclusive to the Expansion Pass): A mysterious figure familiar to all children in The Nowhere. This costume is available in a set of two, suited for both characters Low and Alone. *Little Nightmares III – The Backstage can also be purchased separately, please be careful of duplicate purchases.