The abilities available to the player for solving puzzles include conjuring boxes, attaching ropes to objects, and telekinesis.

Prince Selius (introduced in Nine Parchments) had aptitude for magic, but misused his father's spellbook, releasing the shadow of his soul and destroying his family's castle.

Amadeus the wizard, Pontius the knight and Zoya the thief are tasked by the Academy headmaster to bring Selius back.

His unstable shadow magic causes his own nightmares, those of the heroes, and even the inhabitants of the wilderness to manifest physically, and Selius flees.

Some time after returning Prince Selius to the Astral Academy, some of the students (all first seen in Nine Parchments) began rehearsing for an autumn play.

[3][4][5][6] IGN gave the game an 8.5/10 saying, "Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince is a sequel that plays it very safe – which, in this particular case, is for the better.

Eurogamer stated that the game was "Outrageously pretty and newly refined, Frozenbyte's series finally strikes gold."

Destructoid also reviewed the game, saying, "It's an easy recommendation for platform fans, but it's also just a plain fun time.