This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission for purchases made through links. I will only recommend products that I have personally used or thoroughly reviewed! Learn more on my Privacy Policy page.

No haven is safe in Poppy Playtime Chapter 4

Key Takeaways:

Good Aspects:

• Engaging Storyline: “Poppy Playtime Chapter 4” continues to build on the series’ lore with new characters and deeper factory exploration.
• Improved Graphics: Unreal Engine 5 enhances the creepy atmosphere with stunning visuals.
• Puzzle Integration: Clever use of environment and mechanics keeps gameplay challenging and interactive.
• Audio Design: Excellent sound quality heightens the immersive horror experience.

Bad Aspects:

• Technical Issues: “Poppy Playtime Chapter 4” has occasional texture pop-ins and framerate drops disrupt gameplay.
• Enemy Glitches: Inconsistent appearances and movements of enemies like Yarnaby or Doey can frustrate players.
• Short Duration: At only about three hours, the gameplay might feel too brief for some.
• Underused Characters: Some characters like Pianosaurus or the Doctor lack meaningful screentime and interaction, which could’ve enhanced the story.

Introduction

Hey fellow horror enthusiasts! It’s time to dive deep into Mob Entertainment’s latest release, “Poppy Playtime Chapter 4: Safe Haven”.

A hair-raising installment, released on January 30, 2025, “Poppy Playtime Chapter 4” continues to terrify and intrigue with its dark secrets and creepy lore. So, grab your GrabPack because we’re going into the hellish depths of Playtime Co.!

If you want more indie horror, check out my Mascot Horror Games Sinister Smile.

Now lets descend into the depths of the factor it my Poppy Playtime Chapter 4″ review!

Overview

“Poppy Playtime Chapter 4” plunges you into the dark depths of the Playtime Co. factory, way much deeper than we’ve seen in chapter 3. Titled “Safe Haven,” this fourth entry mixes isolation with the eerie quiet of a not-so-safe sub-basement and prison.

With Unreal Engine 5 powering its visuals, “Poppy Playtime Chapter 4” delivers stunningly creepy visuals and elaborate puzzles that challenge your bravery, prowess, and brainpower.

The Story

We pick up, “Poppy Playtime Chapter 4,” with our protagonist and Poppy descending further into the factory’s hellish sub-basements after hearing the unsettling cries of Kissy Missy, who stayed behind to operate the machine. Throughout the game we encounter more or Poppy’s allies and new enemies.

The plot becomes more horrific and deeper as we get introduced to Doey the Doughman, a malleable, dough-like monster whose role becomes crucial in the unfolding drama.

We also learn of Harley Sawyer or the Doctor, the one responsible for initially carrying out the “Bigger Bodies” initiative. Other characters return in Poppy Playtime Chapter 4″ as well, such as Ollie and some non-hostile smiling critters.

Spoilers

At the start of Poppy Playtime Chapter 4″ We, as our character, alight from the lift while Poppy tells us to find their allies down in the sub-basements. After navigating through the control room area, we stumbled into a massive room of discarded toys, piled upon each other in large hills.

We are immediately stalked by the toys and get our in-game first sighting of the nightmare critters, accompanied by min Huggy Wuggies. After being onslaught by toys, we get the sense of how hellish this chapter will be. We then need to find a way, amongst the toy piles, into the Prison.

After finding an alternate route, we wind up in the transport room, where some of the experiments are sent. We get contacted by Ollie that states everything we saw on the outside of the prison came from inside.

We eventually learn through video tapes and notes how horrible this prison is, from kids becoming hopeless and turned into toys to the contracted builders being threatened to finish the project.

Once we power up the transport, we get an eerie greeting from the Doctor, who seems strongly connected to this place (more on that later). He warns us “there are no places you hide,” as our transport derails. Later, we woke up, and seemingly arrived at the prison, where we must now escape.

Navigating the cell blocks, the Doctor starts his game with us as we must survive against the nightmare critters until the Doctor is satisfied with our result. After traversing more of the prison, we are then forced to escape as the doctor floods the cell blocks with the Red Smoke.

Soon, we’re introduced to Yarnaby, who the Doctor unleashes upon us. Yarnaby stalks us periodically throughout the prison. Our character sneaks by Yarnaby several times before a chase ensues. It’s here we get aid from Doey, who we find has his own misgivings.

However, it is through Doey at later Poppy and Kissy that we reach Safe Haven but not before getting a glimpse of the Prototype.

Finally, at Safe Haven, we see Kissy is alive but hurt. Doey then talks to us in private where we learn of the Omni-Hand, which could control many things in the factory, but we need to confront the Doctor to get it.

After some more trials and tribulations, we learn that Poppy wants to erase everything in the factory to end it all while Doey doesn’t want to do a full-on scorched earth, losing his friends in the process.

We get hints of Doey’s backstory, presenting him as a conflicted ally. Our character later dispatches Yarnaby and ultimately the Doctor along the way and gets the Omni-Hand. Back at Safe Haven, we get an alert about the prototype nearby, so while Doey goes out to scout, Poppy gathers the survivors, Ollie and our character hijack the generator with the Omni-Hand.

With the generator up again, we find Doey, yet Doey is concerned since he lost the prototype in the tunnels. Upon returning to Safe Haven, our character and Doey see that it has been devastated by the Prototype – seeing Doey’s fallen friends in the destruction.

Doey has a meltdown, blaming our character and Poppy, though he seems conflicted. He takes on a more horrific form and pursues us. We must freeze Doey near saws before using a machine to end our troubled ally, who apologizes for his actions.

 We then meet up with Poppy and Kissy in the vents to regroup. Eventually, we speak to Ollie, who turns out to be the Prototype all along (not that surprising but decent plot point nonetheless).

After Poppy abandons our character and Kissy for fear of being put in a more secure case, the Prototype sets off explosives in the Foundation. Kissy tries to keep us up so we do not fall further into the depths but due to her injured arm, we fall.

Our player explored a bit and found a tape in the Lab of Playtime Co. Once played, we hear Leith Pierre. This tape, however, triggered an alarm sending Huggy Wuggy to our location.

After a series of bangs on the door, we get engulfed by the Red Smoke with Huggy screeching at us beyond the window.

Spoilers End

Gameplay

Mob Entertainment stays true to its formula of intense scares and brain teasers in “Poppy Playtime Chapter 4” . Gameplay retains its core mechanics where our character navigates grim settings, solving puzzles, and surviving encounters with monstrous toys.

The puzzles in Chapter 4, while not as difficult as previous ones, still offer plenty of engagement through their clever use of the environment and the GrabPack.

For instance, we can drag and pull boxes more often to reach higher levels and each mechanic (even crouching is utilized in puzzle solving, such as during the Baba Chops encounter).

Ducking, dodging, and out running is at an all-time high with this chapter, with each encounter designed to test your nerves, (pockettactics.com).

However, as with all things there are some bits of feedback. The flare gun hand has more extended uses but not in all aspects you think. Only certain things burn, and not all enemies are affected by it.

So, read the notes but take some parts with a grain of salt when it comes to implication. For example, Yarnaby detects you by sound, but the flare gun hand shots cannot redirect him as a diversion.

Graphics and Audio

With “Safe Haven,” much like “Deep Sleep,” atmosphere is where this game shines. The Unreal Engine 5 brings out the stark, haunting beauty of the factory’s underbelly, with visuals that are crisp and terrifying.

The audio design complements this well, with every creak and whisper amplifying the suspense, making your heart pound as you inch through the game’s dimly lit corridors.

Headphones really deliver immersion, where you detect talker enemies via the left or right ear, depending on where they’re at.

To maximize on this immersion, I suggest you check out the headphones I used while playing this game here, or click the button below for your chance to grab the NUBWO G06 Dual Wireless Gaming Headset.

Performance and Technical Aspects

While the game mostly runs smoothly, there are reports of minor glitches like texture pop-ins and framerate fluctuations. I had a terrible lag facing off with Doey during the chase and fixed it by dropping my graphics to low.

Though this fixes the lag issue, it momentarily pulls you out of the experience. Another issue was enemy behavior and appearance. In the final face-off with Yarnaby, he may go in and out of side entryways but stop appearing sometimes.

Also, fighting Doey, you may get inexplicably flung across the area or Doey might get stuck and not move. However, these issues don’t significantly detract from the overall terrifying fun.

Length and Replayability

Clocking in at around three hours, the gameplay might seem short, but “Safe Haven” packs enough secrets and lore to warrant multiple playthroughs.

Discovering all the notes and tapes will fill in gaps from the main game story – if you find gaps in the store. This helps keep the game fresh and moderately replayable.

Closing Thoughts

“Poppy Playtime Chapter 4” is a blend of horror, puzzle-solving, and story that builds upon chapter 3. It’s a thrilling addition that promises to keep us on the edge of their seats, eagerly anticipating what horrors the next chapter will unveil.

Though I personally see chapter 4’s horror as less unsettling that chapter 3, mainly due to my preference for strong atmospheric and psychological horror, I did enjoy it overall. The game does well at immersing you in the deeply disturbing sub-basement and Prison, encouraging you to explore.

My only disappointment is the “hi-bye” of Pianosaurus and no real physical confrontation with the Doctor.

So, if you’re a fan of getting the creeps and testing your puzzle-solving prowess, or just a fan of the franchise, “Poppy Playtime Chapter 4: Safe Haven” is waiting to make your acquaintance. Just remember, at Playtime Co., no haven is truly safe.

How’d you do with “Poppy Playtime Chapter 4” ? Did you think the game alright, or should they have delayed the release a bit to polish some things and add more meaningful screen time to characters? Share your thoughts below.