With parents being warned about the dangers of police began warning parents about Poppy Playtime and the contents of the horror title, in order to protect unsuspecting children. However, despite it being scary, the general themes depicted in the game itself aren’t nearly as bad as these warnings portray them.
Poppy Playtime is an indie horror game that has players explore an abandoned toy factory, solve puzzles, and evade the dangers within its colorful halls. It has an incredibly unique level design, creating tension even in the brightest environments, and its main antagonists are inspired by popular toys, creating a dichotomy between appearing friendly and being truly nightmarish. Unfortunately, this has also managed to influence how Poppy Playtime is perceived by software programs, with it frequently able to by security standards due to its seemingly innocent appearance.
Although Poppy Playtime isn't safe for certain children, it isn’t nearly as inappropriate or scary as the warnings issued by schools and police make it out to be. According to the CEO of MOB Games in an interview with FOX2now, it’s appropriate for children over eight years old, which is a justifiable rating, given that most of the gameplay isn’t dedicated to the wild scenes depicted in these viral videos. Not only do the chase sequences and jump scares occur in very brief segments of each chapter, but the scary imagery itself manages to only imply the occurrence of violence, without showing it in an explicit or gruesome way.
Poppy Playtime Itself Isn’t Actually That Scary
Most of the viral videos about Poppy Playtime usually depict references or even outright footage of the chase sequences that made the game so popular, especially the one featuring Huggy Wuggy, a character kids seem to love. However, only a small portion of each chapter is dedicated to this type of scenario. During the greater part of the game, the players explore the scenery of the factory and solve puzzles, building a sense of intrigue and comfort that can be suddenly and brilliantly broken with these unexpected, highly tense moments. So, even though the warnings are accurate when referencing very young or easily scared children, depicting Poppy Playtime as an intense experience full of jump scares and constant terror is misleading.
Not only that, but the game has a distinct lack of disturbing, inappropriate, gruesome or explicit violent content. Although there are certain Poppy Playtime scenes that leave players "traumatized," especially younger audiences, most of the scary imagery consists of jump scare screens and bloodstains scattered through the factory. Poppy Playtime is rarely inappropriately violent, frequently resorting to leaving mere implications of what terrors might have occurred before the arrival of the protagonist. This situation is very similar to what occurred in the first Five Nights At Freddy’s game, which took a friendly appearance and children’s content to tell a brutal story revealed through bits of text rather than explicit imagery.
The warnings issued by police and school about the game are certainly valid, especially when considering the health and safety of very young children. Following the steps of Five Nights At Freddy’s, Poppy Playtime depicts subjects that are part of infancy while telling a horrific tale to its audience, capturing children’s attention with its bright and colorful design. The exposure to the consistent horror that is depicted in the viral videos that caused these warnings to be issued can be extremely unhealthy and negatively impact the child, but the game itself isn’t egregiously terrifying or violent.
Source: FOX2now
