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Poppy Playtime

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Poppy Playtime
Poppy Playtime cover.jpg
Developer(s)MOB Games
Publisher(s)MOB Games
Director(s)Isaac Christopherson
Producer(s)Zach Belanger
Designer(s)Dana Willoughby
Programmer(s)Achebe Spencer
Composer(s)Zachary Preciado
EngineUnreal Engine 4
Platform(s)
Release
Chapter 1
  • Microsoft Windows
  • October 12, 2021
  • Android, iOS
  • March 11, 2022
Chapter 2
  • Early 2022
Genre(s)Survival horror
Mode(s)Single-player

Poppy Playtime is a survival horror video game developed and published by indie developer MOB Games. The first chapter was released on Steam for Microsoft Windows on October 12, 2021, and later released for Android and iOS on March 11, 2022. The second chapter is planned to be released in early 2022 and as downloadable content, along with future chapters.

The player plays as a former employee who is revisiting an abandoned toy factory previously owned by the game's in-universe company Playtime Co. 10 years after the staff have seemingly vanished without a trace. In the game, players navigate through a first-person perspective and must solve puzzles, some requiring a gadget named the GrabPack, in order to progress further while avoiding various enemies.

The game quickly gained positive reviews for its gameplay, but was later met with negative reviews after the developers announced non-fungible tokens.

Gameplay

Poppy Playtime is a first-person survival horror where the player plays as a former employee of Playtime Co. who returns to the abandoned toy factory of said company after receiving a letter from the staff who were thought to have disappeared 10 years ago. The protagonist discovers that Huggy Wuggy, a large humanoid figure that acts as the mascot of the company, is alive and is malicious towards them, along with other enemies throughout the factory.[1] The game utilises multiple puzzles throughout, which the player must solve in order to progress further, with some requiring a gadget named the GrabPack, a backpack that can be equipped with two extendable hands which can be used to pull and reach objects from a far distance, conduct electricity and access certain doors.[2][3][4][5] The player can also find various VHS tapes lying around the factory, which gives a more in-depth explanation of the story.[6]

Plot

Chapter 1 – A Tight Squeeze

The protagonist receives a package that contains a VHS tape, which shows a commercial for the titular doll Poppy Playtime and tours of the factory, before abruptly cutting to spliced in footage of graffiti of a poppy, and a letter from the missing staff, requesting them to "find the flower". They then visit the abandoned toy factory to figure out what happened to the staff. After solving the code to a security door, they watch a VHS tape that introduces them to the GrabPack. After unlocking the door to the lobby with it, they are introduced to Huggy Wuggy, who is on display in the center of the room. While trying to unlock one door in the lobby, the power suddenly cuts, forcing them to restore power in the power room. After heading back to the lobby, they discover that Huggy has disappeared from his display. The protagonist then restores power to a control panel in order to control an overhead crane and retrieve the right hand of the GrabPack. They then unlock and enter the "Make-a-Friend" section of the factory, where they restore power to the machinery and manufacture a toy. They then place the toy in a scanner and open a door to a hallway. After entering the hallway, Huggy suddenly appears and chases the protagonist through the vents. After reaching a dead-end, the protagonist pulls down a box and breaks part of the conveyor belt, causing Huggy to fall to the bottom of the factory. They then head to the aforementioned poppy graffiti and enter a room, where they find Poppy in a case. The protagonist then opens the case, freeing Poppy.

Development and release

A trailer for Poppy Playtime's first chapter was uploaded in September 2021.[7] The chapter was then released on Steam for Microsoft Windows on October 12, 2021, and was later released for Android and iOS on March 11, 2022.[8]

On March 18, 2022, official merchandise of the game was released, with a plush toy of Huggy Wuggy being made available.[9]

The second chapter is planned to be released in early 2022;[10][11] future chapters, along with the second chapter, are planned to be released as downloadable content.[3] A trailer for Chapter 2 was released on February 22, 2022.[12]

Reception

Poppy Playtime was well-received upon its initial release, with it receiving praise for its atmosphere and story.[13][14] However, the first chapter has been criticised for its short length, claimed to being roughly 30 minutes long.[15] The game also quickly gained exposure on platforms such as YouTube and Twitch,[11][16] with videos on the former reaching millions of views.[17]

Controversy

On Twitter, the developers announced non-fungible tokens of the in-game posters, which was quickly met with backlash and negative reviews from the community, as well as some users issuing refunds, arguing that the developers put lore of the game behind a paywall. In response, the developers deleted the announcement, but were unable to remove the NFTs as well due to a contract they signed, stating that they have to wait for it to expire.[18][19][20]

Dorset Police released a statement to parents about the character Huggy Wuggy, stating that due to the character's name, various videos were not being filtered by parental filters on various platforms. They also claimed that various schools around the United Kingdom reported about children recreating a game where one child hugs another and then whispers sinister things into the recipient's ear.[21]

References

  1. ^ Freidly, Damien (February 27, 2022). "More Poppy Playtime Chapters Could Take Players Outdoors". Screen Rant. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
  2. ^ Barmeier, Elizabeth (October 30, 2021). "St. Louis animation company debuts horror video game". FOX2now. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  3. ^ a b Wilson, Mike (October 19, 2021). "Escape an Abandoned Toy Factory While Avoiding Killer Toys in 'Poppy Playtime'". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  4. ^ Livingston, Christopher (October 19, 2021). "This horror game set in an abandoned toy factory isn't playing around". PC Gamer. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  5. ^ Freidly, Damien (October 26, 2021). "Poppy Playtime: How To Solve The Security Door Code". Screen Rant. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  6. ^ Freidly, Damien (November 2, 2021). "Poppy Playtime: How To Find Every VHS Tape". Screen Rant. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  7. ^ Hoekstra, Kenn (September 25, 2021). "Horror Puzzle Game 'Poppy Playtime' Releasing First Chapter Soon". PopHorror. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  8. ^ Wilcox, Matthew (March 11, 2022). "Poppy Playtime Mobile Is Now Available On iOS and Android". Screen Rant. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  9. ^ Jackson, Lara (March 18, 2022). "Poppy Playtime's Official Huggy Wuggy Plush Toy Is Now Available". Screen Rant.
  10. ^ Nelson, Savannah (January 3, 2022). "Is Poppy Playtime The New Five Nights At Freddy's?". Screen Rant. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  11. ^ a b Pérez, Cristina (November 1, 2021). "Poppy Playtime muestra el primer tráiler de su segundo capítulo" [Poppy Playtime shows the first trailer of its second chapter]. Vandal (in Spanish). Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  12. ^ McNulty, Thomas (February 23, 2022). "Poppy Playtime: Chapter 2 Game Trailer Promises Even More Scares". Screen Rant. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  13. ^ Sant, Sam (October 14, 2021). "Is there a Poppy Playtime PS5, PS4, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch release date?". GameRevolution. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  14. ^ Fresle, Harry (November 10, 2021). "Poppy Playtime: 7 Best Hidden Details". TheGamer. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
  15. ^ Newell, Suki (March 15, 2022). "Poppy Playtime: Everything To Know About Mommy Long Legs". Screen Rant. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  16. ^ Fillari, Alessandro (October 27, 2021). "The 13 best horror games to play during Halloween". CNET. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  17. ^ Feliciani, John (March 20, 2022). "Is Poppy Playtime Free To Play". Screen Rant. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  18. ^ "Poppy Playtime Faces Review Backlash Over the Addition of NFTs". TechRaptor. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  19. ^ Link, Daniel (December 6, 2021). "Poppy Playtime besitzt nun NFTs im Wert von 90 US-Dollar, erntet negative Bewertungen" [Poppy Playtime now owns $90 worth of NFTs, reaping negative reviews]. PC Games (in German). Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  20. ^ Moorcroft-Sharp, Jamie (February 24, 2022). "Poppy Playtime's developer is selling NFTs linked to the franchise's lore, but not for long". Gamepur. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  21. ^ Greenwood, Maria (February 14, 2022). "Dorset Police issue warning to parents about 'Huggy Wuggy' video game". Wave 105. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
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