Poppy Playtime goes multiplayer in Escape From Playtime, a new game that gives you a fresh perspective of Playtime Co. through the eyes of a toy. I had the chance to play the game early with employees of Mob Entertainment, which is an experience that was both informative and fun.
Escape From Playtime is canon with the story of Poppy Playtime, which is perfect for lore theorists like myself because it means there’s going to be some content to dig into and try to piece together to see how it fits the overall narrative. At the same time, you can jump into Escape From Playtime without having played Poppy Playtime. You won’t know the history of the location or creatures, but you can still have a good time with other players. If you’re not sure about the game yet, the open beta is now available to try through FirstLook.gg.
What is Escape From Playtime?
Since I have access to an overview and only had about an hour of gameplay time during the preview, I don’t have all the answers about Escape From Playtime. However, I have enough information to give you a pretty decent rundown of the game setting, objectives, and the general feel of the game in its early build.
You can jump into Escape From Playtime without having played Poppy Playtime.
Escape From Playtime has you play as Smiling Critters who have been promised sanctuary by a mysterious voice as long as you’re loyal and do your part to scavenge for items and present them as tribute. You don’t know who the voice is or what their goal is, but you have no choice but to trust them if you want any chance of finding a better place.
This isn’t an asymmetrical horror game like Dead by Daylight, so all human players are working together as a team. You can have four players in a single game, and you have a combined tribute quota to reach rather than individual quotas. To meet it, you’ll need to gather items lying around the factory and put them in Barry, our beloved cart, but that’s easier said than done with the enemies lingering around the factory and your inability to meaningfully fight.
No Two Runs Will be the Same
The factory changes with each run, meaning that your experience is going to be continually changing as well. It’s also incredibly easy to get lost in the factory and separated from your team, especially if you’re relying on proximity chat as the game intends. I had to focus on staying near my team during my time playing because the proximity chat doesn’t have a lot of distance, and there are a ton of small areas with multiple paths that can separate you.
As a Smiling Critter, you can squish into small places, which allows you to hide from enemies and find items for Barry in locations like vents. You’re also able to climb anything that isn’t a ceiling, and that helps compensate for the lack of fighting ability. To deal with enemies, you need to evade them or knock them out through methods like throwing an item at them. However, you want to make sure you pick the item back up to help you meet the tribute quota.
Finding tribute isn’t the only form the game takes either. There are rounds in Escape From Playtime that you can get where you need to complete puzzles to move forward and get the tribute you need for Barry. These puzzle levels aren’t free from enemies, and that adds extra stress, which my preview group felt as we worked on a puzzle sequence as one member held off Miss Delight with a flashlight and its quickly draining battery. While tense, it feels more rewarding to complete a puzzle under duress.
Escape From Playtime Open Beta, Early Access, and Overall Thoughts
The open beta is now available for Escape From Playtime, but the release date for early access isn’t until October 21. Early access will be shaped by community feedback, so the direction the game takes isn’t set yet and can be adjusted as needed. The team at Mob sounds quite excited about what they have planned already for the game, so it sounds like it’ll have longevity in the form of updates and continued developer support, which isn’t always the case for similar games or multiplayer games as a whole.
For an early build, I felt that Escape From Playtime offered a decent gameplay experience.
For an early build, I felt that Escape From Playtime offered a decent gameplay experience. We ran into some bugs, but I mean that’s expected when a game hasn’t been finished yet. I can say that it’s more polished than other games I’ve played in early access, and the controls feel smooth. My biggest issue was accidentally pulling items out of Barry when trying to place them in Barry, which could be an issue if someone on my team pulled the lever without asking if everybody had their tribute placed. I’m not trying to steal tribute, I’m just hitting the interaction key too quickly.
Should you play Escape From Playtime? Well, like any game, it depends. I think that fans of Poppy Playtime will enjoy it, as well as fans of games such as Outlast and Lethal Company. The real joy comes from the people you play with, but multiplayer games aren’t a genre that every player enjoys. I know that I’ll be playing Escape From Playtime, having had a chance to play it already and enjoying Poppy Playtime and horror, but if you’re feeling uncertain about the game, the open beta is the perfect chance to give it a try and see what you think. From my short time playing, I already know that Escape From Playtime is a game that will get a lot of hours from my friends and me.
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