"You don't have to tell me Pyramid Head's backstory" – Poppy Playtime's George Krstic on why less is more in horror
"You don't have to tell me Pyramid Head's backstory" – Poppy Playtime's George Krstic on why less is more in horror
The former head of creative for Dungeons & Dragons discusses fuzzy logic, keeping the creature hidden, and a new golden age for video-game film adaptations
Poppy Playtime was released on Steam in 2021, tasking players with exploring an abandoned factory stuffed with terrifying toy-like creatures, including the iconic, blue-haired Huggy Wuggy. It quickly became a phenomenon: according to Video Game Insights, the game has sold around 3.2 million units on Steam alone, with millions more players on console and mobile. The story of the game has been continued over DLC, with Chapter 5 set to be released on February 18. It's such a load off when you sit down and you're like, "Oh, we speak the same language." And they understand that we know our audience, we know our player base, and they trust us when we say, "Hey guys, I think this is going to be expected." They're like, "Okay, cool."
There's that trust, there's that common lexicon, instead of, "Hey, I've been making movies for 50 years, I know what I'm doing." And the other side is like, "Hey, I've been making games for 50 years, I know what I'm doing." And then there's no conversation.
GamesIndustry.biz02.02.2026release