Due to its toy factory setting and classic children's toy-inspired characters, some parents or guardians may be wondering whether Poppy Playtime is safe for kids. While the game doesn’t currently have an official ESRB or age rating, and there is disagreement over what its rating should be, there is general consensus that the game is not suitable for younger children. Players must evade capture by the game's antagonist, Huggy Wuggy, or he will eat them. Poppy Playtime has often been compared to Five Nights At Freddy’s, a survival-horror game whose antagonists are horrifying Chuck E. Cheese-style animatronics.
Indie developer MOB Games released Poppy Playtime in October 2021 on PC. A mobile version of the game, for iOS and Android, was released in March 2022. The sequel to Chapter 1, Poppy Playtime: Chapter 2, is expected to release later this month. The indie horror game went viral upon launch, quickly becoming popular with creators and audiences on YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok. While the game features children’s toys and is set in an abandoned toy factory, it was not intended for children. As Poppy Playtime does not have an ESRB rating, many have taken to the internet to find out whether Poppy Playtime is safe for kids.
Zach Belanger, CEO of MOB Games, was quoted in an interview with FOX2now saying that Poppy Playtime is suitable for players aged eight and up. However, third parties have refuted this. On the App Store, the iOS version of Poppy Playtime is listed as 12+. On the Google Play Store, Poppy Playtime Chapter 1 is rated Teen. Although the PC version of Poppy Playtime does not have an ESRB rating or age restriction, similar games in the survival-horror genre are rated Teen. Common Sense Media, an organization that independently provides age-based ratings for media to advise on its suitability for children, gave Poppy Playtime a suggested age rating of 12+.
Poppy Playtime Is A Horror Game Unsuitable For Younger Children
As the PC version of Poppy Playtime doesn't have an official rating, some have taken to the internet to query whether the game is suitable for children. Despite children's toy characters and its Playtime Co. toy factory setting, Poppy Playtime is a horror game that is not suitable for younger audiences. When Poppy Playtime went viral, its content quickly spread to platforms made for children, like YouTube Kids. Many channels on YouTube, including 'Made for Kids' channels, created Poppy Playtime reaction and gameplay videos, or videos featuring Poppy Playtime Chapter 1’s antagonist, Huggy Wuggy.
ESRB and other age-based ratings aim to provide information about video games and their suitability for children, serving as an indicator to audiences about whether the content is age-appropriate. Although MOB Games’ CEO was quoted saying that the game is suitable for ages eight and up, several third parties have stated the game is better suited to a Teen or 12+ age rating, like Poppy Playtime's counterpart, Five Nights At Freddy's. Every child is unique, but these age-based ratings and content indicators aim to help parents and guardians determine whether Poppy Playtime is suitable for their child or children.
Source: FOX2now, Common Sense Media