Poppy Playtime studio reveals co-op horror spin-off Escape from Playtime

August 28, 2026·3 min read

Mob Entertainment has revealed Escape from Playtime, a new co-op survival horror game set inside the Poppy Playtime universe. Announced during the Future Games Show at Gamescom on August 26, the spin-off supports solo play and online teams of up to four players.

Instead of playing another human character, players control the Smiling Critters introduced in Poppy Playtime: Chapter 3. The game is heading to Steam Early Access, although Mob Entertainment has not announced a release date.

Smiling Critters are escaping Playtime Co.

DogDay and CatNap stand together inside a dark Playtime Co. environment — Mob Entertainment

Each run takes place inside a changing section of the abandoned Playtime Co. factory. Players can move through classrooms, warehouses, testing laboratories, and connecting corridors while rejected Playtime Co. creations hunt them.

The objective centers on a mysterious Voice promising the Critters sanctuary. Players must collect building materials and other resources, then return them safely while using tools, hiding places, distractions, and alternate routes to avoid enemies.

Playing as the smaller Smiling Critters also changes how the factory can be explored. Characters can crawl, jump, and climb through spaces that offer a different perspective from the main Poppy Playtime games.

Co-op changes the usual Poppy Playtime formula

While Poppy Playtime has mainly been a single-player horror series, Escape from Playtime is designed for groups of one to four players. Proximity voice chat makes teammates harder to hear when they move farther apart, although a microphone will not be required.

The factory will also include procedurally generated elements rather than using exactly the same layout every run. Mob Entertainment says the mysterious Voice is responsible for changing the environment, creating different routes and encounters across repeated sessions.

Game director Brandon James said the team wanted to explore more of Playtime Co. while building a multiplayer game in the same universe. He described the factory as a much larger setting with areas players have not yet seen.

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Early Access starts with eight Critters

Several colorful Smiling Critters characters appear together against a dark background — Mob Entertainment

Mob Entertainment plans to launch Escape from Playtime in Early Access with all eight Smiling Critters playable. The first version will include one starter zone and a selection of enemies, with more areas, threats, and features planned during development.

The studio says player feedback will help shape the eventual 1.0 release. A separate development team is working on Escape from Playtime, meaning production of the main Poppy Playtime chapter series will continue independently.

The spin-off takes place sometime after the Hour of Joy, when Playtime Co.'s experiments turned against the company's employees. That keeps the game connected to the existing timeline while exploring the factory from a different perspective.

Steam is the only confirmed platform

Escape from Playtime is currently confirmed only for Windows PCs through Steam. Mob Entertainment may consider other platforms later, but console and mobile versions have not been announced.

Pricing and a public release date also remain unknown. Players can already wishlist the game on Steam and register for future playtests ahead of its Early Access launch.

Escape from Playtime

An online 1-4 player co-op horror experience where you and your friends are trapped in an abandoned toy factory. A mysterious voice commands you for an unknown purpose as you explore shifting halls, scavenge for tools, and fight for survival against creatures that lurk in the dar

Developer

Mob Entertainment

Publisher

Mob Entertainment

Systems