Is this survival game suitable for kids?
The latest survival game, Poppy Playtime, is causing a real stir at the moment. Police and teachers across the country are warning parents to be mindful of scary viral videos on YouTube depicting Huggy Wuggy, a blue bear-like character with razor-sharp teeth. TikTok is also awash with jump-scare style videos and animations, and Roblox is filled with Poppy Playtime-themed games. Some younger children are stumbling across these videos and games because they’re slipping through the nets of parental controls. There have been widespread reports of upset and frightened children, as well as sinister Huggy Wuggy games being played in the playground.
What Is Poppy Playtime?
Poppy Playtime is a horror/puzzle/survival game set in an abandoned toy factory. The goal is to explore the building without being caught by Huggy Wuggy, a sinister long-armed bear with sharp teeth. It’s very similar to Five Nights At Freddy’s – another survival game which features spooky discarded animatronics. Like Five Nights At Freddy’s, Poppy Playtime is a paid-for game and can be downloaded on iOS and Android.
The game is clearly rated 12+ on iOS and marked as ‘Teen’ on Android, meaning it’s definitely not suitable for young children. If jump scares and spooky games make you feel anxious and frightened, then this game is not for you.
Poppy Playtime On YouTube
Parents and schools are particularly worried about the viral YouTube videos featuring Huggy Wuggy and the eerie characters from Poppy Playtime. Many of these videos appear to be quite innocent at first glance, but they contain scary visuals and threatening lyrics. In the most popular video, Huggy Wuggy Song “Free Hugs”, the lyrics mention hugging “’til you breathe your last breath” and “sink my teeth in and you’re consumed”. That video alone has more than 4.5 million views. While some kids won’t be frightened by this, it’s easy to see why younger children or those with anxiety will. There’s even Huggy Wuggy related content on YouTube Kids which is making it past parental controls.
Pic credit: YouTube
Poppy Playtime On Roblox
The game and its creepy characters have made it to Roblox in a similar way that Squid Game did. This means young children are likely to stumble into a scary game without even realising it. There were multiple Huggy Wuggy and Poppy Playtime games on Roblox at the time of writing this, with more than 2.4k people playing just one of these. Given that Roblox is a platform most used by younger children, that’s a LOT of young kids being exposed to scary content.
Poppy Playtime On TikTok
Police have also issued a warning to parents and schools about the Huggy Wuggy content on TikTok. There are lots of scary #HuggyWuggy and #PoppyPlaytime videos trending on TikTok, many of which are dark and set to sinister music. #MommyLongLegs is also a trending video – she is the latest creepy character teased in the game’s sneak peek at Chapter 2, the second game in the Poppy Playtime franchise. #KissyMissy is another trend to be aware of – she is a pink female version of Huggy Wuggy.
Seeing Something Distressing Online
If you’ve seen disturbing Huggy Wuggy content online, or played the game and feel frightened, it’s important to talk to an adult you trust to get support. You can reach out to a parent or family member or talk to a teacher at school if you’d rather speak to someone outside of your family. You might feel worried that you’ve done something wrong – you may have been on a website that’s for over 18s, for example. Please don’t worry about getting into trouble – the most important thing is your safety and getting the right support to help you deal with what you’ve seen. We’re here to help. Click here to get advice on what to do if you see something scary or upsetting online.
