Poppy Playtime has risen rather quickly in popularity for a relatively new horror-themed game since its release in October 2021. Poppy Playtime video game is a creation of MOB Games, an American game developer, set in a creepy old Playtime Co. toy factory. The player roams the abandoned factory from the first-person viewpoint of a former company employee who receives a mysterious letter from the factory employees who everyone thought had disappeared 10 years ago.
The letter then spurs him to investigate around the factory, and he is met with many adorable toys which come alive. The goal of the player is to free the Poppy playtime doll but to do that, he has to solve many puzzles and tackle the game's villain – Huggy Wuggy
You would think that this indie horror game would be too scary for kids even to consider players, but surprisingly, it is a big hit with a lot of them (even though some have complained of nightmares and chills). Maybe it's not so shocking that kids would be into it, though; it is 2022; plus, is there a kid without even the slightest kick for the thrill of a little horror?
But really, what makes Poppy Playtime stand out from the other horror games we've seen so far this year?
Why Gamers are so hooked with the Poppy Playtime Horror Game
We have Resident Evil and even Dead space video games, but what makes Poppy Playtime uniquely horrifying? What makes it such a thrilling video game that gets its players hooked? Let's find out!
Scary Characters You Don't See Coming
For starters, Poppy Playtime gives a different type of chill, the type that comes from something as cute and cuddly as toys! If you think zombies are scary, try cute murderous toys with razor-sharp teeth running around an abandoned toy factory and see if you don't get instant chills.
The villain in the first chapter is Huggy Wuggy. Yes, imagine a fuzzy blue toy with dramatically wide red lips named Huggy Wuggy trying to eat you with its wide row of monstrous teeth, and you get the picture. The player first sees the Huggy Wuggy toy on display in one of the rooms at the factory, seemingly harmless as expected from a toy, until it shows up, very much alive and far from being harmless, and chases the player through the factory vents. It is not until Huggy Wuggy has been defeated that the player can save Poppy and end the game.
In the second chapter, the game introduces a new villain, Mummy Long Legs. She also appears as an innocent pink toy with extremely stretchy limbs and wide green eyes, but she is far from innocent. Mummy Long Legs captures Poppy and holds her hostage until the player completes three games from the game station. At the cause of the game, Mummy Long Legs accuses the player and chases the player through the tunnels underneath the factory. Apart from being creepily flexible, Mummy Long Legs' monologue about how the kids that came to play with her never came back to her, and her vengefulness towards the former factory worker adds to the game's horror.
Engaging Storyline and Creepy Setting
Another merit to the horror-themed game is its storyline, and also its setting. The story is set at an abandoned toy factory, which makes it even scarier. A toy factory is typically not where you'd expect something horrifying to occur; this is why it is the ideal location for a horror story to play out. Even when the player is aware that Poppy Playtime is a horror game, the tension is not as intense initially because the setting seems safe and adorable until the terrors come alive and the story fully plays out.
Poppy playtime's storyline is not as basic as a zombie apocalypse or an alien revolution, but it tells a deeper story with each character having their unique origin story. The game tells an engaging story that keeps players longing to know more as the storyline intricately flows into each chapter of the game. The several VHS tapes found within the factory shed more light on the story; players should pay attention to them to understand the game.
A downside, though, is how short the first chapter seems; the first chapter can be completed in an average of 45 minutes, but the second is about double the time of the first, probably even longer.
Tasking Puzzles
Not only is Poppy Playtime scary and entertaining, but it also allows players to put their brains to work to solve the various puzzles found in the game. Solving a puzzle enables the player to move on to the next stage in the story, and sometimes to solve some puzzles, the player needs the Grabpack- a backpack with two extending hands in front of the player that is used to collect items, open some doors, conduct electricity e.t.c. The challenging puzzles add to the general appeal of the game
High-quality Graphics
As with many top-rated horror games, Poppy Playtime features amazing graphics with sharp picture quality, which allows the player fully enjoy the gaming experience. However, the quality differs based on the device the game is played on. As one would expect, the graphics of the game's mobile version are not as sharp as that of the PC version. Whether played on PC or mobile, the game has really impressive graphics.
Conclusion
Poppy playtime is well on the way to becoming one of the best horror-themed puzzle video games of the year. Fortunately, we've not even experienced all that the developers of this game have for us, as Chapter 3 is yet to be released, and we know it will be bigger and scarier than ever!
