After receiving a major update, Poppy Playtime. Poppy's creepy monster designs, unsettling atmosphere, and horrifying chase sequences have terrified many, and the game has enjoyed massive success. However, up-and-coming horror title the Baby in Yellow could be coming for Poppy Playtime's crown.
The Baby in Yellow was made for a Gamejam event in 2020, but the developer, Team Terrible, has continued to improve the game. Its most recent update has elevated the experience to new heights, allowing it to compete with titles like Poppy Playtime, in which players explore an abandoned toy factory and are soon terrorized by creatures that appear to be living toys. Reminiscent of titles like Bendy and the Ink Machine and Five Nights at Freddy's, Poppy Playtime is a frightening game that successfully creates a creepy environment and includes several truly terrifying moments. Although The Baby in Yellow is still a developing game, its unsettling premise and eerie imagery manage to create a comparably scary experience. Players are tasked with the care of a baby (wearing a yellow onesie, of course), who will soon discover that the infant is far from normal. As players carry out their babysitting duties, strange things begin to occur, and it quickly becomes apparent that the baby's well-being is the least of the player's concerns.
Despite its best efforts, The Baby in Yellow doesn't manage to dethrone the cast of terrifying toys that make Poppy Playtime scarier than other horror games. The Baby in Yellow does many things right. It subverts expectations, makes good use of the mechanics at its disposal, and contains some impressively frightening visuals. The game's titular character is well designed, with titular baby's large, haunting eyes immediately unsettling players. Additionally, the game often alters its map to surprise and confuse players who've familiarized themselves with its overall layout. But all that said, The Baby in Yellow's chase sequences and scares just don't live up to Poppy Playtime's.
Poppy Playtime's Atmosphere Is Better Than The Baby In Yellow's
Many of the player's confrontations with The Baby in Yellow's boss (a monstrous version of the baby) are short, and take place in well-light, fairly average hallways. These sequences pale in comparison to the desperate chases through a dim, decaying factory offered by Poppy Playtime. Given that Chapter 2 of Poppy Playtime expanded Chapter 1's premise, design, and story, players hope Chapter 3 of the game will be the scariest yet. Unfortunately for The Baby in Yellow, this means that even with more updates, it is unlikely to sur Poppy Playtime's popularity anytime soon.
Toys and infants, although usually powerless, can terrify players by subverting expectations and taking control. Poppy Playtime and The Baby in Yellow both turn the tables on their players, and both contain frightening images, impactful jump scares, and mysterious lore. Fans of Poppy Playtime will likely enjoy The Baby in Yellow, even if it isn't an equally frightening game. Given that both games are incomplete, no one knows where the chips may fall. But for now, at least, Poppy Playtime reigns supreme.