PROJECT: PLAYTIME

Free multiplayer horror experience

PROJECT: PLAYTIME is a free-to-play action experience that combines horror, survival, and puzzle-solving elements. In this multiplayer experience from MOB Games, six players work together to build a mysterious toy. They are tasked with collecting parts and building the toy while trying to survive a terrifying monster going around the abandoned factory. This monster is controlled by a seventh player who must stop the rest at all costs.

In terms of concept and gameplay, PROJECT: PLAYTIME is the fun, chaotic crossover from titles such as Poppy Playtime, and Choo-Choo Charles, with Dead by Daylight thrown in.

To build or not to build the toy

Visually speaking, PROJECT: PLAYTIME can be considered as building on the cult success of Poppy Playtime, also made by the same development studio. Fans of the earlier game will immediately find connections and references. Aside from the set design, the seventh player can choose from Huggy Wuggy and Mommy Long Legs, antagonists from the two chapters of Poppy Playtime. Also, there’s a newcomer named Boxy Boo.

Also, while it uses the familiar abandoned toy factory trope, the nature of the very game is different. Instead of solo-player puzzle-solving, it focuses on a multiplayer cooperative experience. The six players, who are known as Resource Extraction Specialists, must collect seven toy parts. However, some of them are locked behind puzzles, which must be solved before the monster gets you.

Unfortunately, the game has balancing issues that prevent it from being fair and challenging. Although it is an asymmetrical PvP game, the odds are just stacked against the seventh player. Even with special skills, keeping six other players in check is still tricky. Additionally, its servers are not yet reliable. Players regularly report encountering difficulties in trying to connect to a game.

A promising game, still in development

In paper, PROJECT: PLAYTIME is an excellent asymmetric horror game for up to seven players. It builds upon the established brand of fright that was made popular by the Poppy Playtime franchise, using the same monsters and set design to create a new multiplayer experience. Unfortunately, it still lacks a lot in terms of execution, especially in terms of creating and joining games.