Project: Playtime is taking the Poppy Playtime series in a new direction that may make one aspect of the game more challenging to pull off effectively. As per most survival horror games, it’s up to the developer to introduce new scenarios and scares to keep players on their toes. Now with Project: Playtime’s introduction of co-op, this could become more difficult.
With friends, gaming experiences are almost always better, but this tends to fluctuate with horror titles. Poppy Playtime’s first two chapters were so successful because of how it made the player feel. Players are alone in a factory that’s been abandoned for a decade with toys that are alive. Inherently this is quite a frightening predicament, but with a friend to confide in any feelings of being watched or trapped will more than likely fade away.
Project: Playtime Needs Creativity To Remain Scary
![Project: Playtime Already Has A Harder Job Than Poppy Playtime Ch. 2](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Project-Playtime-Trailer-Toys.jpg)
This new Poppy Playtime game still has hidden secrets to be revealed. Monster encounters have normally been the most terrifying part of any Poppy Playtime chapter, but this might not be the case for the spinoff. Project: Playtime‘s most horrifying sections could take place when players are isolated from one another. This would remove the one comforting factor the title would have over the first two Poppy Playtime chapters. Another way to ensure players get a good scare would be to keep them close together. If one player decides to always take charge they’ll most likely be the one that sees all the jump scares. A good mix of collaboration and separation will allow the game to remain tense even if players have a companion.
Although some question the warnings of Poppy Playtime really being that scary, puzzles play a big part in the titles as well. They will have to be crafted differently in Project: Playtime due to co-op. In trailers, players are shown to possess grab packs that allow them to use colored extendable hands. In Chapters 1 and 2 of Poppy Playtime they were used to pull switches, swing across large gaps, and conduct electricity. The puzzles in the chapters were relatively simple, but with the inclusion of multiple players in Project: Playtime the game will need unique challenges that test players.
Even though Project: Playtime will definitely be more fun with a friend, elements that made the first two chapters of Poppy Playtime scary will be sacrificed for co-op. It’ll be interesting to see how developer MOB Games compensates to keep the series’ themes intact. Fans eager to subject their friends to the co-op sequel of Poppy Playtime, Project: Playtime, can do so for free when the game launches in December.