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Play Things

Play Things Game Cover
98%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplay
Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding
98% User Score Based on 65 reviews

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PCWindows
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Play Things Game Cover

About Play Things

Play Things is a single player survival action adventure game with a horror theme. It was developed by Burning Eye and was released on May 8, 2026. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Play Things v1.2.7.1 In this game, you'll be investigating a collection of dolls. Some ordinary, others hiding a dark curse. Through a series of tests, you must determine which dolls are merely toys and which conceal something sinister. However, not everything is as it seems... WARNING: This game includes slight jumpscares, dark themes, murder, domestic abuse blood and flashing lights. AD…

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Play Things screenshot
Play Things screenshot
Play Things screenshot
Play Things screenshot
Play Things screenshot
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Reviews

98%Audience ScoreBased on 65 reviews
story8 positive mentions
grinding2 negative mentions
  • The game has a compelling and unsettling psychological horror story with multiple endings that encourage replayability.
  • Atmosphere and audio design create strong tension and dread without relying solely on jump scares.
  • Gameplay offers unique investigative mechanics involving examining dolls, combined with well-crafted lore and meaningful choices.
  • Some gameplay elements can feel underused or awkward, such as difficulty locating certain dolls by sound and inconsistent mechanics during specific tests.
  • The last doll encounter and ending received mixed reactions, with some finding it jarring or out of place compared to the rest of the game.
  • Technical issues and interface limitations include occasional bugs, lack of windowed mode, and the potential to soft lock the game in rare cases.

  • story

    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    40% positive mentions, 45% neutral mentions, 15% negative mentions

    The game's story is praised for its intriguing, gradual unfolding through investigative gameplay and strong environmental storytelling, offering multiple endings that add depth and replayability. While some found certain plot elements or endings underwhelming or predictable, the overall dark, unsettling narrative and unique character stories create a memorable and well-crafted horror experience.

    • “The combination of investigative gameplay, unsettling atmosphere, strong environmental storytelling, and intriguing lore creates an experience that remains memorable long after it ends.”
    • “Hidden lore and subtle storytelling techniques reward players who take the time to investigate beyond the immediate objectives.”
    • “The game is really fun and the story is really good and well-crafted. Investigating the story and lore of each doll and what happened to them is really good; each of their stories is unique and checking the dolls with things to identify if they are normal or other types is interesting too.”
    • “But really wasn't a big fan of the endings/story with Arnold overall. He wasn't interesting and the explanation didn't interest me. To the devs, I am sorry, but it wasn't anything special and felt more like an afterthought. I'd like to see it further expanded upon in a future update if it is a big focus.”
    • “Furthermore, the number the story mode ends on at the time of reviewing is such an odd number to leave on.”
    • “The tension and atmosphere are completely obliterated by the last doll and the ending as a whole, which after a few dolls that tell a story in a more subtle way, turns everything up to an 11.”

  • gameplay

    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    38% positive mentions, 43% neutral mentions, 19% negative mentions

    The gameplay offers a unique blend of puzzle-solving, investigation, and psychological horror with a slower, atmospheric pace that enhances suspense and storytelling. Mechanics are accessible and low-frustration, though some features feel underutilized, appealing primarily to players who enjoy narrative-driven, immersive horror rather than action-heavy experiences. Overall, it provides memorable, engaging gameplay with effective scares and intriguing lore.

    • “The central gameplay loop revolves around inspecting dolls that arrive for evaluation.”
    • “This mechanic creates a unique blend of puzzle-solving and psychological horror.”
    • “The combination of investigative gameplay, unsettling atmosphere, strong environmental storytelling, and intriguing lore creates an experience that remains memorable long after it ends.”
    • “Some mechanics feel a bit underused.”
    • “The room with the corner where you can hide felt like it would be a more relevant mechanic, but it only ever comes into play one single time against Lily.”
    • “I suspect it has to do with your actual gameplay; however, I didn't see a difference in the endings regardless of whether or not I intentionally screwed up or spared/killed any specific dolls.”

  • atmosphere

    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    50% positive mentions, 17% neutral mentions, 33% negative mentions

    The game's atmosphere is a standout feature, characterized by eerie, creepy elements like unsettling dolls, jump scares, and skin-crawling sounds that effectively create tension. While the slower investigative gameplay may not suit everyone, fans of atmospheric horror and narrative-driven experiences will appreciate the strong environmental storytelling and memorable mood. However, some players feel the intense finale disrupts the previously subtle and immersive atmosphere.

    • “One of the game's greatest strengths is its atmosphere.”
    • “The graphics may not aim for photorealism, but they successfully establish a memorable atmosphere.”
    • “The combination of investigative gameplay, unsettling atmosphere, strong environmental storytelling, and intriguing lore creates an experience that remains memorable long after it ends.”
    • “Eerie atmosphere, creepy dolls, spooky jump scares, and skin-crawling sounds.”
    • “The tension and atmosphere are completely obliterated by the last doll and the ending as a whole which, after a few dolls that tell a story in a more subtle way, turns everything up to an 11.”

  • graphics

    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    60% positive mentions, 40% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game's graphics, while not photorealistic, effectively create a memorable and unsettling atmosphere that enhances the horror experience. The distinctive style and detailed doll designs contribute significantly to the game's scare factor and story immersion. Overall, the visuals successfully support the game's eerie tone and narrative depth.

    • “The graphics may not aim for photorealism, but they successfully establish a memorable atmosphere.”
    • “Got me good a few times with the jump scares, and the graphic quality absolutely adds to the scare element.”
    • “This is a genuinely scary game despite the purposeful graphics and doll subject matter.”

  • grinding

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    Grinding in the game is often seen as excessively tedious and somewhat arbitrary, making progression feel off. Additionally, the current lack of achievements contributes to a less satisfying completionist experience.

    • “Feels like a lot more of it than it should is arbitrarily tedious or off.”
    • “The lack of achievements is also understandable right now but does make completionism feel rather tedious.”

  • humor

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The humor in the game includes some genuinely funny and memorable moments, with occasional surprising and effective jump scares that add to the comedic experience. Overall, it delivers occasional laughs through clever and unexpected interactions.

    • “There are some genuinely funny or memorable moments here and there.”
    • “Still, she's the only doll to actually make me jump. My clever idea to hide directly behind her on the chair made her pause and stop singing as if insulted, then she jumpscared me, lol.”

  • emotional

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    Users found the game's emotional impact intense and unsettling, with some describing it as physically distressing.

  • music

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The music features ambient noises and distant sounds combined with well-timed cues, effectively maintaining a tense and immersive atmosphere throughout the game.

    • “Ambient noises, distant sounds, and carefully placed musical cues keep players on edge throughout the game.”
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Play Times

2h Median play time
2h Average play time
2-2h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Play Things is a survival action adventure game with horror theme. Common tags for Play Things include first-person, indie, psychological, exploration, emotional and others.

Play Things is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 2 hours playing Play Things.

Play Things was released on May 8, 2026.

Play Things was developed by Burning Eye.

Play Things has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked Play Things for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Play Things is a single player game.

Similar games include The Inn-Sanity, The Exit 8, The Cabin Factory, Project Kat: Paper Lily Prologue, Welcome to Kowloon and others.