More Poppy Playtime is headed your way, though instead of another chapter in the main game, developer Mob Entertainment has instead announced a brand-new title set in the game’s universe with Escape From Playtime. This 1-4 player co-op survival horror experience is currently being developed for release in Early Access on Steam, giving players a strong core loop at launch while leaving room for the community to help shape the title’s growth.
Players explore the facility as the Smiling Critters, the dead-eyed toy line with gaping smiles introduced in Poppy Playtime: Chapter 3. From classrooms and warehouses to testing labs and the dark corridors
connecting them all, every space in the factory becomes more dangerous when seen from a Critter’s-eye view. In groups of 1-4 players, each run sends teams into a dynamically changing section of the
facility with one clear objective: search for, locate, and transport the resources and building materials demanded by a mysterious Voice. Those materials are needed to help construct A Better Place, a promised home for toys who “prove their loyalty and usefulness.”
The job is simple on paper, but there are monsters — fellow rejected Playtime Co. creations — stalking the halls, hunting for prey. Players must search efficiently, decide when to split up or stay together, and know when to push for one more item or retreat before the factory’s denizens close in.
Players can solve puzzles, uncover clues, scavenge for tools, use hiding spots and alternate routes, and turn the factory layout itself into a coordinated advantage. Proximity voice chat adds another layer of tension: communication is essential, but even a panicked whisper at the wrong time can bring the mission to a brutal end. Speak carefully, move quickly, and remember that someone, or something, is always listening.
As players complete runs, Escape From Playtime reveals a deeper connection to the larger Poppy Playtime story. The Voice promises freedom and a home, but its true motives remain unclear. Every resource gathered seems to feed a larger plan for the future of the factory. You are helping build something. But what, and why?
While no release date has been set for the Early Access release, the plan for the initial release is to include the full eight-character Smiling Critter roster, one starter zone, and a core enemy lineup. Future updates are expected to expand the game with new zones, Critters, features, and refinements informed by player feedback.
