Free multiplayer horror experience
PROJECT: PLAYTIME is a free-to-play action experience that combines horror, survival, and puzzle-solving elements. In this multiplayer game from MOB Games, six players—known as survivors—work together to build a mysterious toy. They are tasked with collecting parts and building the toy while trying to survive a terrifying monster that goes 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 a fun, chaotic crossover between 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, which the same development studio also made. 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.
The six player protagonists wield a powerful tool known as the GrabPack. It’s a key survival tool, helping players outsmart the Monster and finish their objectives. The GrabPack comes with two extendable arms that let players grab objects, solve puzzles, and interact with the world around them in all sorts of ways. The game also includes Toy Tickets, an in-game currency that both Survivors and Monsters can use to purchase upgrades.
A different take on the toy factory formula
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 terrifying playground with room to grow
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.
