Escape From Playtime is now accepting playtest signups, giving groups of up to four players a chance to enter a haunted toy factory as tiny Smiling Critters. Mob Entertainment’s co-op survival horror will launch on Steam in Early Access on October 21, 2026.
Set in the Poppy Playtime universe, each run sends players into Playtime Co. areas such as classrooms and testing labs at the direction of an ominous Voice. Its promise is a home for loyal toys, but getting there requires gathering items and building materials, solving puzzles, and avoiding the enemies inside the facility.
October 21 gives Escape From Playtime a firmer timetable than its earlier announcement, which placed its Steam Early Access launch in a “coming soon” window. The game was previously described as a 1-4-player experience with procedurally changing environments, proximity voice chat, puzzles, and alternate routes in an earlier announcement.
Procedurally generated areas mean routes will not remain identical from one run to the next. Proximity chat can also complicate reunions when teammates separate, while the Critters’ small size lets them climb and hide in spots larger toys cannot reach. Direct confrontation may not be practical when danger closes in.
Small size is both the game’s central hook and its main problem. Smiling Critters move through spaces built for much larger beings, but their scale also leaves them exposed when hostile creatures enter the same area. Players will need to decide when to stay together, when to split up, and whether a missed resource is worth returning for.
Early Access starts with one zone
Mob plans to begin Early Access with one zone, core enemies from Poppy Playtime, and eight Smiling Critter options. Four will be available in the initial roster, while four more can be unlocked. Miss Delight has also appeared in the game’s trailers.
More zones, characters, and enemies are planned for future updates. Player feedback will help shape development toward the final version, making the October build a starting point rather than the finished game.
Escape From Playtime’s Steam listing carries the October 21 release date and is already open for wishlists. Players interested in seeing how the tiny Critters handle the factory can sign up for the playtest now.
Would you trust a full group of friends to stay together in a factory built for much larger creatures, or would splitting up be worth the risk? Share your thoughts in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.
Escape from Playtime
Developed by Mob Entertainment
