St. Louis animation company launches horror video game

ST. LOUIS – Evil toys, an abandoned factory and puzzles, oh my god!

An animation company located in St. Louis recently released the first chapter of a new online horror game.

For six years, Enchanted crowd produced videos and content based on other video game characters on Youtube. Now the company has developed the first chapter of its new online game called “Poppy Playtime.”

The setting takes place in an abandoned toy factory called Playtime Co., where you, the player, were once an employee. You came back 10 years later and you have to go through the first chapter by solving puzzles.

“Poppy Playtime” is an introduction to horror and the game is suitable for ages 8 and up, according to Zach Belanger, CEO of Enchanted Mob.

“It’s just these big, evil, scary toys. It’s not horrible, it’s not bloody, it’s not nightmare fuel, ”he said.

The size of the toys has a lot to do with the fear factor in the game.

“If a toy is one foot and you’re five feet, you’re not going to be afraid of a tiny little toy,” Bélanger said. “What looks scarier, you measuring one foot and a toy measuring one foot, or you being the same height as you are now with a 10 foot (tall) toy walking behind you?”

At the start of the game, there is a cinematic video that looks like an advertisement for a toy that advertises a 1950s-inspired Poppy Playtime doll.

“It’s very similar to the 1950s doll advertisements that if you looked at them you’d be surprised, at least we were surprised, how really scary and unintentionally scary they were,” Belanger said.

A favorite part of the game among the developers so far is the very intense streak that takes place at the end of the first chapter.

“The whole chapter is a very slow build-up, not super scary. But at the very end, it just hits the fan, ”said game director Isaac Christopherson. “It’s a very fast paced, very, very thrilling, panicking streak.”

Bélanger added that they had received a lot of feedback from players on the ending streak, saying, “It was the scariest experience they’ve had in a game in a long, long time.”

Each chapter of the game will have a different objective for players to accomplish. The objective of the first chapter is to find a poppy flower.

While development of future chapters is underway, Bélanger said he was eager to create new characters, more challenging puzzles, and fine-tune the art style of the game.

Christopherson said he looks forward to continuing with the game’s storyline and reading players’ theories on where they think the story can lead.

“The game is doing very well on STEAM right now – it’s selling a lot of copies and reaching quite a large audience, so we’re excited to continue,” he said.

A mobile version of the game is also in the works, along with merchandise.

To play “Poppy Playtime”, visit STEAM. For more information on Enchanted Mob, visit the company website.