Mob Entertainment, the studio behind Poppy Playtime, announced Escape from Playtime, a co-op survival horror game that will send 1-4 players into Playtime Co.’s haunted toy factory. The game will arrive in Steam Early Access, but it does not have a release date beyond a “coming soon” window.
Rather than entering the factory alone, players will take on the perspective of the disturbing but deceptively cute Smiling Critters. Their goal is to collect materials for a mysterious construction project called A Better Place, which promises a new home for loyal toys and possibly a way out. An ominous voice will direct the group as it searches for answers, while the wider Poppy Playtime story unfolds through clues found across multiple runs.
Teamwork can make Escape from Playtime even riskier
Survival will depend on more than simply finding a path through the factory. Groups can solve puzzles, search for clues, gather tools, hide from threats, and use alternate routes to stay alive. The proximity voice chat system adds another problem: talking too loudly or at the wrong moment could alert something nearby and bring the run to a sudden end.
Playing as a Smiling Critter comes with a useful tradeoff. Their smaller bodies can slip into spaces that larger toys cannot reach, which should make hiding and sneaking easier. Covering long distances may be more difficult, though, giving the group another reason to stick together and plan its movements.
Each attempt will also offer a different version of the factory. Mob Entertainment says the mysterious Voice is changing the building’s layout, with procedurally generated environments that can alter the surroundings from one run to the next. Familiar locations from Poppy Playtime will return, but the changing layout means previous knowledge may only take a group so far. Clues gathered over separate runs will help players uncover what the Voice wants and how the collected materials will be used.
Escape from Playtime still has no early access date
The initial Early Access version will include all 8 Smiling Critters, 1 starter zone, and a group of core enemies. Players will be able to provide feedback during development, with later updates planned to add more zones, Critters, features, and changes based on that feedback.
The reveal trailer also features Miss Delight, connecting the Critters’ search for A Better Place to familiar parts of Playtime Co.’s story. The game’s Early Access launch still has no announced date, with the Steam store page serving as its current home.
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