Reanimal

Game images by RAWG

Reanimal

Tarsier Studios

PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo SwitchPremium

Health Score

DECENT

Watch Gameplay

About This Game

Super Review

Reanimal is a cooperative survival horror adventure where players navigate a terrifying island to save friends. It excels in fostering teamwork through stealth and environmental puzzles, especially with its unique 'Friend's Pass' feature. However, parents must be aware of extremely intense horror themes, graphic violence, and frightening scenes, making it suitable only for older teens with strict limits. Its value lies purely in its tense, shared experience, not in learning or creativity.

Super Review

Parent verdict

With a "Decent" health score, Reanimal is a qualified fit that works best for older teens (16+) who enjoy intense survival horror and cooperative play. The game offers strong teamwork opportunities, particularly with its generous Friend's Pass, but demands careful consideration due to pervasive graphic violence and disturbing themes. Parents should be prepared for mature content that is definitely not for younger audiences and may still be overwhelming for many teens.

What kids actually do

Players and a friend (or AI) navigate a dark, monster-infested island, using stealth to avoid grotesque creatures and solve environmental puzzles to progress. This requires careful observation and strategic planning.
Players work together to overcome obstacles, coordinating movements and actions, which naturally fosters communication and shared problem-solving skills.
Engage in tense encounters with monstrous enemies, sometimes fighting, but more often escaping or outsmarting them through environmental interactions, promoting quick thinking and adaptability.

Where it shines

The game is designed around cooperative play, allowing two players to engage in shared problem-solving and teamwork, enhancing social interaction and communication with a trusted friend.
Its unique 'Friend's Pass' system is a significant benefit, enabling one player to invite a friend to play the entire campaign for free, promoting shared experiences without requiring two purchases.

Parent watch-outs

Reanimal features extremely intense horror themes, graphic violence, blood, gore, and genuinely frightening scenes that are unsuitable for anyone under 16, and potentially disturbing for some older teens.
While primarily designed for invited friends, online co-op features can expose players to interaction with strangers if not managed carefully, though the game's nature leans towards private sessions.
The game offers no educational value, creative tools, or opportunities for player expression, focusing solely on its survival horror experience.

Family rules worth setting

Limit play sessions, particularly for younger teens who may be allowed to play with close supervision, to prevent overexposure to the intense content.
Require that online co-op is only played with pre-approved friends or family members, disabling or avoiding in-game voice chat with strangers to maintain a safe social environment.

Talk about this

Discuss the nature of fear and horror in entertainment: What makes something scary? How do you know when to stop playing if it becomes too intense?
Talk about the importance of teamwork and communication in overcoming challenges within the game, and how those skills translate to real-life situations.

Play style

Reanimal features a tense, atmospheric session rhythm, often requiring careful, slow progression through stealth and puzzle-solving rather than fast-paced action. Difficulty comes from navigating perilous environments and outsmarting formidable monsters. It is best experienced in cooperative play, either locally or online, where communication is key. Solo play with an AI companion is an option, but younger players or those sensitive to horror may need help managing frightening moments or complex puzzles.

Score Breakdown

Positive Aspects

Educational Value

0/5

Creativity

0/5

Pro-Social

4/5

Risk Factors

Addictive Monetization

1/5

Time Pressure / FOMO

1/5

Social Risk

2/5

Content Intensity

4/5

Why this rating

Educational Value

0/5

Reanimal offers no explicit educational value or learning objectives. Its design focuses entirely on delivering a survival horror adventure experience without incorporating academic or skill-building content.

Addictive Monetization

1/5

As a premium game, Reanimal is free from addictive monetization features, earning a low risk score of 1. There are no loot boxes, microtransactions, or other predatory purchasing mechanics to encourage excessive spending.

Content Intensity

4/5

The game features extremely intense horror themes, graphic violence, blood, gore, and frightening scenes, resulting in a high risk score of 4. Official ratings such as ESRB M (Mature 17+) and IMDA M18 reflect the presence of disturbing content including decapitations, dismemberment, bloody corpses, and partial nudity.

Pro-Social

4/5

Reanimal is designed for cooperative play, fostering teamwork, communication, and shared problem-solving among players, which contributes to its strong pro-social score of 4. The inclusion of a 'Friend's Pass' further enhances opportunities for positive social interaction by allowing a friend to join the entire campaign without needing their own purchase.

Negatives

•Contains intense horror themes, graphic violence, blood, gore, and frightening scenes, making it unsuitable for younger players.
•Provides no educational value or learning opportunities.
•Lacks creative tools or opportunities for player expression through building or designing.
•Online co-op features expose players to interaction with strangers, though the game is designed for invited friends.

Positives

•Designed for cooperative play, fostering teamwork and shared problem-solving.
•Offers a unique 'Friend's Pass' allowing a friend to play the entire campaign without needing their own purchase.
•No addictive monetization features like loot boxes or microtransactions are present.
•Free from time-pressure mechanics such as daily login rewards or FOMO events.

Gameplay Videos

REANIMAL Gameplay Walkthrough FULL GAME 100% [4K 60FPS PS5 PRO] - No Commentary

MKIceAndFire

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Official Ratings

No official ratings available.

Age Fit

ℹ️Ages 3-5

Not suitable due to extremely intense horror themes, graphic violence, and frightening content.

ℹ️Ages 6-8

Not suitable due to extremely intense horror themes, graphic violence, and frightening content.

ℹ️Ages 9-12

Not suitable due to extremely intense horror themes, graphic violence, and frightening content.

ℹ️Ages 13-15

Not suitable due to extremely intense horror themes, graphic violence, blood, gore, and disturbing psychological horror elements. Rated Mature 17+ by ESRB.

ℹ️Ages 16-18

A qualified fit for older teens (16+) with strong parental supervision due to pervasive graphic violence, partial nudity, and mature psychological horror. Best played with clear boundaries and discussions.