You might have noticed the increasing number of stories on Huggy Wuggy. Huggy Wuggy is a character from the horror survival game Poppy Playtime. Like the Momo Challenge stories, this usually comes with the frightening blue character sporting red lips and sharp teeth and warnings about the potentially negative impact on children.

But, no evidence is available to prove that it links back to the game. Instead, the warnings issued by police and head teachers have resulted in misinformation about the nature of the game and its potential effects on children.

Most of the chaos is related to content posted via TikTok and YouTube, which feature game characters in various disturbing situations. One of these videos included the song Free Hugs, which had the lyrics “Cause I can just hug you right here. Forever, forever. Until you take the last time.”

If you’re a parent concerned about this, you need to know the rules before removing it from your children’s devices. Instead of a reflexive reaction, this is a chance to discuss with your children what they see and make an informed choice.

Poppy Playtime Age Rating

This game is a terrifying experience that is designed to entice and shake. It is rated suitable for 13-year-olds by ESRB and 12-year-olds by PEGI. This includes descriptions of Violence, Blood from ESRB, and Moderate Violence and Horror from PEGI.

It is the VSC Rating Board extends the PEGI rating, stating, “this game is filled with a sense of dread and fear as the character of the player explores an old factory that has been abandoned. In one intense sequence, the character is pursued by a beast and through several air vents in the dark. In another scene, the box is dropped on the fantasy character, causing it to drop from an altitude. The character smacks blood on the pipes when they fall.”

This is the case for the game itself, not any fan-created content. There are also fan-made versions of Roblox available on Roblox (Poppy Playtime Morphs) that are not under the jurisdiction of ESRB or PEGI because users create them.

Being aware of the source of potentially damaging content is crucial for parents. Not just to ensure that the settings on our children’s social networks and video accounts are correctly configured and maintained but also to ensure that we don’t react too strongly to popular content.

The most significant danger is that stories of Poppy Playtime and those about the Huggy Wuggy character will spiral out of control, much like that of the Momo Challenge. Reports have been eager to link the frightening Huggy Wuggy character to children who leap out of windows or play breath-holding games on playgrounds.

This results in a confusing response to real issues children face. Eliminating a child from playing a sport because of a similar video will make it less likely that they will speak to their parents if something upsets them on the internet.

The most significant risk with this frantic response is that it can separate parents from the game world of their children. It is better to utilize rating tips and play the game yourself. Then, we can be in the gaming world for our children and provide them with a well-informed direction.

Poppy Playtime Creator

I spoke with Zach Belanger, President and CEO of Enchanted Mob, who made the Poppy Playtime game. I inquired who the game was designed for. “Poppy Playtime was not created to target an audience in particular. Keep in mind it was the very first game we ever developed by our studio, with the primary objective being to design a game we would like to play. In addition, there is a desire for all content we produce to be enjoyed by people of all ages. For us, it’s incorrect to claim that we developed Poppy Playtime to be consumed by adults or children. However, we aimed to be a source of inspiration and entertainment for anyone who chose to participate in the game.”

In this light, I wondered whether the school’s warnings were a surprise. “Most of the debates we’re witnessing regarding the school warnings about Huggy Wuggy. Huggy Wuggy’s character is completely incorrect and exaggerated. One of the stories we’ve read on the internet has been that Huggy Wuggy whispers scary things to the ear of the player while playing; however, anyone who has been playing Poppy Playtime would know that Huggy Wuggy did not have any voice in the first chapter and therefore it is impossible to believe that he said anything.”

“As far as we are aware, all of these warnings from schools are originating from fan-made content based on our game, but if you want my personal opinion, I do not think that any of these videos should be cause for concern, and we appreciate all the hard work and dedication our fans are put toward creating content inspired off of Poppy Playtime.”

Huggy Wuggy Song Creator

One of the most well-known fan-generated content is Igor Gordiyenko, TryHardNinja on YouTube. He created a popular and controversial Huggy Wuggy song with over 5 million hits.

I was curious about the song’s source and the motive behind the lyrics. “I composed the song influenced by the story and legend that is Huggy Wuggy and the popular Game Poppy Playtime. The player is tasked with investigating a toy manufacturing facility where all employees have disappeared, and several of the toys created there have turned into deadly killer monsters. Huggy Wuggy can be described as one of the antagonists that appear in the game. The song and the game’s soundtrack contain the lyrics: ‘He’ll hug you until you’re gone.’ It would be a great idea to take the song, which talks about hugging for eternity, and turn it into a more definitive sinister version that’s more authentic to his sinister new persona in the aftermath of the game.

I asked him what he thought about the song’s reaction and the warnings published in the headlines. “As a father, I know the concern. I didn’t create the song to scare youngsters. The song is based on an indie video game Poppy Playtime rated for teens and above. My video is aimed at the same group of people.”

“The themes and images of my video and song are faithful to the lore of the character’s actions and depiction within the game. I’m not trying to make an innocent character appear more terrifying than they are. Like Chucky in Child’s Play, Huggy Wuggy was and has always been the ultimate horror movie character. My song is meant for lovers of the original material unsuitable for kids.”

I asked him what he’d taken to ensure that the younger children could not access the video. “As a YouTube creator, I’ve done all I can to ensure that the video isn’t available to children younger than 13. From the time of upload, the video was labeled “Not made for kids.” Since the reports that YouTube Kids offered the video started about a month ago, I’ve conducted periodic examinations of this platform. I have yet to find the track or the video. I know that my video is recommended to children is a concern and insensitive. However, the evidence is all to earlier reports that claim that it’s being served on YouTube Kids to behave, yet to find advice he would offer for parents who are concerned that their children might stumble across the song and become angry about it. “As a parent, if even after making sure I’ve done everything I could to filter out this content, and it still gets through, I would sit with my child and talk to them about what they saw and their feelings and reassure them that Huggy Wuggy is a made up character that can’t hurt them.”

Keeping Children Safe

Instead of warning children of specific dangers, like Momo and Huggy Wuggy, Parents and professionals could better assist children by teaching them safe practices on the internet.

Instilling a culture of transparency and openness regarding online activities will ensure children can thrive. If you observe that they switch screens when you approach them or see any new email addresses or numbers on their devices, it’s worth checking with them.

You can keep YouTube and video games watching in the shared spaces of your family. When playing video games, it is possible to restrict friends from accessing content generated by users which may contain Poppy Playtime-themed add-ons. Ensure that you have Restricted mode enabled on your child’s account to ensure this content is not accessible to them.