An Analysis of Nowhere | Little Nightmares Theory

Thanks to the excellent Sounds of Nightmares podcast, we now know the events of Little Nightmares have all occurred within an alternate realm called the Nowhere - but how does this mysterious place work? And why does it exist at all? Join me as I discuss & present a possible theory for unifying the diverse locations Noone visits in her dreams with those traversed by Six, Mono, and countless others in this world of eternal horrors.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
05:05 Maslow's Hierarchy
06:34 Area Classification
17:17 Outliers
19:29 Transcendence
21:39 Nowhere
23:47 Outro
=== Sources ===
'​Little Nightmares 2' Writer Explains The Game's Horrifying Ending
www.gamingbible.com/features/...

[@aydinmakesthings]

I found it funny how a lot of people were disappointed about learning the Nowhere is another realm, but in my opinion, that adds a new layer of horror. Firstly, imagine the parents POV. You're kid has been having strange nightmares, and one morning, their bed is empty. The horror of your child simply disappearing and never knowing how or where they went. Secondly, with the exception of kids possibly building their own homes, there's no adults to save them. There's no place for children to find comfort other than other kids... if they can even find another. And thirdly, it adds so much mystery as to "Who" is in charge? Is it the eyes? Thinman? Ferryman? What if the Ferryman is simply one of the many monsters?

[@beeman2434]

wait so when the kids go in the dream to the nowhere and their bodys disspear are they gone forever or only until they wake up

[@aydinmakesthings]

@@beeman2434 If they are PHYSICALLY THERE, they are forever gone If they are DREAMING, they just disappear till they wake up.

[@ivon1671]

​​​​@@beeman2434 at first, they come back. But when they cross the "Treshold" with the Ferryman, they dissapear forever and are stuck in the Nowhere permanently. We don't know if it's possible to escape back into the "real" world. We might find out in the third game.

[@Broomer52]

Who’s in charge isn’t the right question. It’s who’s in control. The Lady rules the Maw because she provides food for all and then consumes everyone on board, The Thin Man rules that dreary city because all creatures live in fear and awe of his power. Theirs no Order in Nowhere, none that matters anyways. The “Rulers” of Nowhere stand at a supreme point of power none can challenge like Parents standing over their Children. Theirs nothing enforcing their authority than how they provide and the internalized logic of following them.

[@wowyzowy1895]

@@ivon1671 It's confirmed that the boy in the third game is traveling to a certain place that could possibly take him home!

[@Blub_Shaped_Kitsune]

Love this idea! I remember when I first heard the Sounds of Nightmares, I wasn’t too thrilled when I learned that it was a sort of ‘dream state’ rather than being a real place. Overtime though it’s grown on me through others theories like these as there could be deeper reasons behind it. I await more of your theories! You have earned a new subscriber

[@theorcamafia]

Its noy really a dream state if they are physically taken at the end of it. They are basically trapped inside of the nowhere at the end

[@Bee-yh7rm]

Im delighted by the use of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, it’s such a clever way to break down the meaning of every part of Nowhere. I find it refreshing to see this part of psychology applied to a story (since most things about psychology seem to be on the more biology side)

[@greenhydra10]

This is actually something I've been wondering about since it was revealed the games are in a literal nightmare realm, and more or less matches my own conclusion. I figured parts of the world manifest as a direct result of the needs/desires of the children who end up in Nowhere. Not the protagonists specifically, any given child would do. The themes of escapism have been quite blatant since 2, meaning their desires taking on physical form works perfectly. On that particular note, I like the fact that, by this reasoning, the Signal Tower is still something truly other, even in a nightmare realm. It's likely the reason the Viewers look the way they do, and potentially so much other weird stuff is how it is in the Pale City. Not to mention all the potential time-space weirdness suggested by the time paradox Mono is trapped in. I wonder if the Mall could have similar potential. I doubt we'll ever know.

[@winneythephoo]

I love this theory! But the thought of something that you yearn for manifesting in a nightmarish way is heartbreaking.

[@bob_bub]

damn why doesn't this have more views lol

[@lancenatsim2720]

Because little nightmares three is a cash grab. That's why there was no proper DLC for part 2. We have seen smaller companies.do this a million times and you're not gonna get any real answers in little nightmares 3 because they want to keep it going forever. I could not stop laughing at the baby.In part three it looks ridiculous and the color palate of the world does not look interesting. Part three is a cash grab most likely and I will not buy it until it has been well reviewed.

[@agusnicoletti3051]

@@lancenatsim2720 Damn, that's A LOT of assumptions my guy

[@plaidhatter1674]

​@@lancenatsim2720 Think what you want. The audio books that were given literally explain everything the games bring into question, so why make a 3rd one if that lure is gone? The reason is passion. You didn't find the giant baby scary. Ok, I did. You find the color pallete bland, I like how different it looks for each area showcased, and it always looks drab! You call it a cash grab, yet it looks better than both prior games.

[@alansmithee419]

@@lancenatsim2720 "I personally didn't like what little we've seen of the game so far so blatantly it's just a low-effort cash grab." Careful, your ego is showing.

[@nymthetyrant]

@@lancenatsim2720what the fuck are you even talking about 😭

[@Raiethstar]

Wouldn’t entertainment be a cognitive need? Doing the same task over and over can actually rot the brain. Entertainment allows the mind to flex and grow. With the bad twist being escapism.

[@indiexplorergames]

Yeah I think there's definitely an argument to be made for that!

[@MrSailing101]

..... wouldn't the signal tower be the cognitive need? i know the phrase "TV rots your brain" implies the opposite, but mental stimulation is still stimulation

[@GoulGames]

you earned my sub, little nightmares is my favourite game series of all time and I'm very impatiently waiting for a release date for the third since its nearly been 7 months since they announced it

[@Lughrochben]

Well done on another theory. Appreciate the work you do.

[@Fluffy_Ky]

Criminally underated!!

[@InkAnimates]

That does make a lot of sense. Sort of reminds me of my own theory about how it functions (with the kids growing or turning into nomes or adults). My theory is that it's incredibly dependant on memories and how forgetting makes them grow up meantime having them stolen nomes them.

[@fruitriosomebodyplays640]

by far the best theory I've heard

[@bluargie7906]

This is such a good video. I always were curious about the meanings and Themes in Little Nightmares but I have never found good lore videos about it. This channel sparked my curiosity again. I will keep an eye on your uploads!

[@brystella]

This is an incredible video and one of the most interesting Little Nightmares Analysis that ive seen! I actually viewed this a while ago but have decided to comment now as this viewpoint of Nowhere has inspired a lot of how I see Little Nightmares since. Great work!

[@seb333n]

ive been watching some of your videos and your analysis is genuinely incredible. thank u for this !!!!!

[@monamoh1]

This is amazing, I can’t wait for the rest of the theory

[@nether0701]

Keep up the good work IX Bro👍🏻

[@d00mnoodle24]

Will you do mostly little nightmares now or are there other games that picque your interest? Other games that are very interesting to talk about are hyper light drifter, rain world, outer wilds, blasphemous, grime, the last faith, death's gambit, ghost song, chants of sennaar, penumbra, amnesia, INSIDE or any fromsoft game. I'd watch any of these topics because i love your video format, and even though i'm far from the biggest little nightmares fan i still watch these as your videos ar very well made. I discovered your channel through the afterimage video and then binged all your ender lillies content as well. I've yet to play signalis but i'll gladly check out that video after i have

[@indiexplorergames]

For the next little while I'll be prioritizing LN, but I'm definitely planning to cover more games! I want the channel to have a diverse spread, and several of the titles you listed are are on my list of potential topics 😁

[@SlopCentral]

I love this theory dude

[@plasma8321]

This is actually pretty similar to my theory!

[@Mmouse.]

You have earned my sub👍

[@jonathanlau7673]

If i were design a little nightmare level. I will design a mothman who Iseed a city and turn everyone in the city into tree. The town exist because of adultry

[@k9vendettathewolfofmordor529]

Pretty neat sound of nightmares is now our basis for theory crafting now

[@Noshushpls]

They said there’s ’no craftsman’ in nowhere so the entity creates all the objects but I think it can only create what the kids minds show it hence why it’s all traumatic and childlike, the school with the bullies, the nest , the doctor (we know noone has doctor trauma so others could too) and the factory with the sweets possibly a consequence of one of the children Otto has pushed into nowhere referencing the possibly narcotic sweets he gives the kids

[@juliemassam933]

I like this theory and it makes sense!

[@tru9589]

Solid video

[@cookabadge]

The bathouse reminds me of that one concept art in ln1

[@WheatDos]

Nowhere is where Courage the Cowardly Dog lives.

[@liuser]

Entertainment can be placed in Cognitive imo, since it's mental stimulation in some way. We need entertainment to maintain a semblance of enjoyment and, to a degree, sanity.

[@kamiwriterleonardo6345]

14:35 *It's been so long intensifies*

[@ravendelacour1917]

Having arrived here just after watching your excellent Signalis videos, I am struck about how Nowhere in Little Nightmares is a children's version of the twisted reality Alina created from her nightmares. Maybe the red wasteland was Alina's portion of Nowhere?

[@SasuNaruL0vR80]

The mystery around Little Nightmares makes it even better because we can speculate and, therefore, create a Little Nightmares world that makes sense to what we individually take from the franchise. Anonymity meeting Individual Imaginations equals happy fans. So don't Demand to know what the creator's story is, put your imagination to work & use your own ideas to build what you perceive/get out of the games into your very own story! 😊 even if the creators were to spread out their whole plan, we would still tweak it because we like to create! 🎉

[@LisaaP.T.]

while you're doing an analysis I'm IN THE DAMN PLACE It SUCKS . AUAGHSHSHJFJNF

[@davidhedgecock6311]

Are the adults suffering in this world the surviving children that actually got to grow up?...

[@SasuNaruL0vR80]

How do we know any of the children we see DO grow up? Maybe they succumb to what the adults have in each game when they age to double digits/teens. Not an argument but a possible answer 😊

[@Monkeman973]

"oh a cool game wonder how deep the rabbit hole go- well shi"

[@theopmster4210]

Hi, I love your videos. Could you please talk about Ender Magnolia, please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@indiexplorergames]

Yup, already working on a trailer analysis!

[@theopmster4210]

@@indiexplorergames OH MY GOD IM SO EXCITED

[@aiyanajackson1090]

As a fellow theorist and theorist debunker, I LOVE the logic and the science you took while compiling this Theory. However, you touch on topics that describe what could or could NOT be the meanings of the placement of entities like the Teacher, Doctor, etc, but you never really touch on the topic of the Pretender, and all of the entities in Very Little Nightmares in particular, and what kind of plain on your scale they represent, like for instance what you said about the Doctor, "He makes patients to achieve perfection that he will never get". Where, in that aspect would it place the creatures of VLN? What would that say about the Butler and Doll maker? Would they just simply be there to cater to the needs of the Pretender, as in this world children wouldn't normally get such treatment (ie the bullies from the school), or is there some kind of unfinished achievement they're lurking toward but never getting? I also find interesting that you bring up the nest as a home, and things like the pretender to be a "sibling" or "supposed to be sibling" even though the world of Little nightmares is based on trauma as confirmed by the podcast makers. Which trauma would she then represent, seeing as how she is the main big bad of VLN. You also say that Six finds her iconic coat in the Pale City, which while that IS true, she initially pulled it from the water after the coat's original owner perished after her showdown with the pretender in VLN before losing it, and finding it again in the Pale City. So what happened during that Six initially pulled it from the water, and how could it have ended up in the Pale city? unless Six has been there before and LOST it there. As shown in the trailer for LN 3, The Nowhere may be entire separate regions created by the mind, but it's not necessarily hard to get to, especially if you claim the school and the hospital in LN 2 are regions themselves even though they are located within the Pale City. Otherwise, how did Six get from the Nest, to the Wilderness to travel with Mono through the Pale City and betray him, JUST to end up on the Maw miraculously, and especially if she's crossed the threshold permanently? The only ones we know of with these kinds of powers thus far is Mono with T.V.s, and Low with Mirrors. Six only has the hunger, but only recieves it after her showdown with the Lady. But she leaves the Maw, and that's the last we see Six, Unlike Mono who is forever trapped in a timeloop, and forced to stay in the tower until released again by his, for lack of better term, better half. In the podcast, Noone travels from region to region, yes, but that was only because she didn't cross over fully. So how would Low, being fully stuck for according to creators "a long time", without his powers or before getting them go place to place to just so happen run into Alone? Just to debunk the "only children with trauma goes to the nowhere", you are right on that as creators even confirmed it with a single voiceline from the ferry man himself while talking to Otto in the final chapter, and Noone's final line before it cuts off where she states that the secret of the nowhere was to take what's broken, and create a "better you". Only difference in this twisted story of Peter pan and Wendy is that when you go to this "Neverland" to become as Noone states, it is a false hope that mangles the perception of being better, only to no longer realize that you are in actuality worse off because you no longer have humanity, one of the key sources of humans, within you. Why else would the doctor be "operating on patients", and think he's doing God's work? He lost his humanity! Same thing for the creature in the Podcast you deem as "The Collector". Noone proves this by saying, "He wasn't always like that though." And the nome showing her a lone propeller cap further proves this notion that once in this world and CONSUMED by it, you lose what was once you, and the unthinkable and unimaginable that you never consider doing becomes the possible. In other words, as a kid you'd never harm nobody mortally on purpose out of cruelty, but if you remove that sense of humanity, it goes out the window, leaving a savage husk of your former or rather "Former" self. I myself has a theory as to who Cici may be. When Noone mentions a yellow raincoat, Otto seemingly perks up at the thought. This means Cici had a yellow raincoat, and most minds would float toward Six being Cici. BUT! Six never had the coat until the girl with the braid, as she's so fondly called, in Very Little Nightmares perishes. So what if this girl with the braid IS in fact CICI? Another interesting thing I'd like to point out is that in the release image promoting LN 3, if you brighten the image and look into the black vortex in front of the mirror behind low and Alone, there is a hidden entity that looks like it depicts a skull figure with ram horns. Just a little thing I spotted, though it may just be me. Sorry this is so long, I LOVE theories I can correlate with and giving my own thoughts and debunking them. Keep it up😊!

[@indiexplorergames]

You make a lot of great points here! I did neglect to mention the specific monsters of VLN, and probably could have spent a bit more time on that section - the Nest is definitely one of the most unique places we know of so far. And I agree that Cici being the braid girl would make a lot of sense! I'm really interested to see if LN3 continues the story of the podcast to any extent, and if we might get more hints regarding this stuff.

[@aiyanajackson1090]

@@indiexplorergames I'm looking forward to it as well :). Super psyched even to see where the plot leads, especially if it works in tandem with the podcast! I hope you have yourself a wonderful day, and thank you:)

[@k9vendettathewolfofmordor529]

I also wonder if any of the leaders of these nightmare regions have met each other. The janitor and the chefs or the teacher and the daughter or if like some of the monaters manifest to serve the apecific monsters. Nightmare

[@cookabadge]

So then would it be plausibly the pale city was born from collective children using television for escapism and then even places inside such as the school may be born from the lollipop boy being abused and bullied by his classmates and possibly even his teacher. Maybe he noticed she had an abnormally long neck and thats why our tracher has her abilities. It would be likely then the maw was born of a child who was starved

[@ravendelacour1917]

Given that "biblically accurate angels" are noted for being made up of many eyes, and arguements can be made that fear devouring beings of similar nature are fallen angels within that framework.

[@indiexplorergames]

Yes I thought of that as well! Glad to see I'm not the only one, TSON really opened the door for connections like this.

[@ravendelacour1917]

@@indiexplorergames If you're familiar with Gnosticism, the fallen angels in that myth that once ruled mankind and are now cast into the darkness that feed off mankind are called the Watchers. That would be a good title for these beings

[@indiexplorergames]

Oooh I'll have to look into that! Sounds eerily similar to how Nowhere appears to work...

[@arstotzkanplaguedoctor]

🎠

[@CamiYippeeeeee]

Jesus, someone actually smart is finally talking about little nightmares Not another Basic surface level analysis with baseless theory’s 😋😋

[@scrizzl05]

So... it's all in le head?

[@thesmilyguyguy9799]

:) D