The game takes players back into the abandoned Playtime Co. factory, this time from the perspective of the Smiling Critters, the unsettling toy characters first introduced in Poppy Playtime: Chapter 3. Players can head into the factory alone or team up with up to three other players as they search for resources needed for a mysterious construction project.

At the center of the operation is an ominous Voice that sends the Critters deeper into the facility to recover scattered materials. The Voice promises that gathering enough resources will help create a new home for toys willing to prove their loyalty and usefulness. However, exactly who or what is behind the Voice remains unclear.

Each run takes place in a dynamically changing section of the factory, with players exploring classrooms, warehouses, testing labs and the dark corridors connecting them. The facility is filled with rejected Playtime Co. creations, forcing players to balance scavenging with staying alive.

Players will need to search for tools, solve puzzles, uncover clues, find hiding places and make use of alternate routes to avoid the creatures roaming the factory. Teams will also need to decide when it is safer to stick together and when splitting up can help cover more ground.

Proximity voice chat adds another layer of danger. Communication can be essential when coordinating with teammates, but making too much noise could also alert something nearby.

The Smiling Critters also give players a different perspective on the familiar Playtime Co. locations through the game’s Mini Mode. Players can crawl, jump and climb through areas of the factory that take on a very different scale when explored as one of the smaller characters.

The factory itself is also subject to change. The mysterious Voice appears to be altering the facility’s layout, with procedurally generated environments designed to make each run different.

As players complete runs, they will uncover more connections to the wider Poppy Playtime story. The promise of freedom and a new home is tied to a larger mystery, with every resource collected contributing to an unknown project.

Escape From Playtime is being designed around Early Access, with the initial version planned to include four playable Smiling Critters, four additional Critters to unlock, a starter zone and a core lineup of enemies. Future updates are expected to add new zones, Critters and features while incorporating feedback from the community.

Escape From Playtime launches on Steam Early Access on October 21, 2026.