Poppy Playtime – Game Review

Poppy Playtime is a horror/puzzle adventure where you have to explore a toy factory while staying away from animatronics that have gone on a frenzy.

Storyline

You play as an ex-employee of a toy factory who has to return to save his former co-workers after receiving a message that they might be still alive and trapped somewhere in the factory. However, said factory is full of animatronics who all want to hug you until you pop. Yay! The game will likely take you less than an hour to beat as only one chapter has been released so far.

Gameplay

Right off the bat, the game presents some interesting and original mechanics – you get to use your GrabPack (which looks like two huge hands that you can shoot anywhere) to grab objects, flip them, open doors, and even soften your fall. It plays an important role in solving puzzles and you can assume it will have a lot of creative uses in future installments.

Pros

1. The game is very polished and the sound design is top-notch – even the sound of footsteps can be quite satisfying. It’s clear what the game wants you to do and yet it doesn’t hold your hand, so you feel smart figuring a puzzle out. The storytelling through environment is impressive and the visuals are great.
   
2. It’s scary! The first actual monster encounter is terrifying and even though we’ve seen tons of animatronic games already, this one is differentiated by the animations, which are amazing with the monster ducking to go through doorways and gets in the vents. The monster’s behavior seems very promising for the upcoming chapters.
   
3. An interesting mechanic (the grabby hands). It has a LOT of potential and I can’t wait to see what the developers will come up with to surprise us. With the multiple ways you can use them, it’s safe to assume that things might become even more interesting and involved.
   
4. Reasonably priced. You get what you paid for and then some.

Cons

1. Bugs. Not a lot and nothing game-breaking, but if you like exploring (like me), you’ll encounter them. You can see a couple in my video if you want to check them out.
   
2. Only one chapter, so far. Very intriguing but not enough to tell whether the game is going to be good throughout or not. That said, what is available seems incredible!

Rating

Definitely recommend buying the game now even if it has only one chapter. I’d guess that Poppy Playtime will get more expensive as more chapters come out, so best buy it ASAP. It’s a well-done game with an impressive, if a little short first chapter, and a cool concept, plus it’s relatively cheap. Just do it; you won’t regret it.

For now, as it is, I’d rate it as an 8.5 hugs-till-you-pop / 10.

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