#exhausting fandom

Okay....

I’m about to say something that might be considered controversial. At least judging by the reactions I’ve seen. Still, I’ll say it openly and accept whatever comes with it...

I haven’t been part of the Poppy Playtime fandom for very long, but I’m already confused and honestly a bit baffled by how people behave. Maybe it’s because a large portion of the fan base is quite young. The game itself is targeted at audiences around 14–16, meaning many fans have only recently reached the age where they can/should engage with it. That might explain the tone of discussions and the intensity of certain reactions.

Regardless, the level of hostility is exhausting. Fandom is supposed to be fun, yet many people act like “fun police”, aggressively shutting down interpretations they disagree with. Instead of open discussion, there’s often immediate judgment. Figuratively speaking, everyone could benefit from stepping back a bit.

Let's look at the Core Issue: Character Age

I know, this topic is explosive. But it keeps coming up and people seem particularly aggressive about it. The main conflict is how to interpret the age of the characters in Poppy Playtime.

Many people in the fandom often insists that the toy characters are “just children” and should be treated strictly as such. There are many clues within the game itself that support this. But there are just as many clues that suggest the opposite. In my opinion, the “just children” interpretation oversimplifies the situation and ignores key elements of the game’s lore. Especially for Poppy and the Prototype.

From what we know, the children in Poppy Playtime were not possessed by supernatural forces. Instead, they were subjected to scientific experimentation: their bodies were altered, infused with substances like Poppy Gel, and transformed into something entirely new. This is science fiction and body horror—not a ghost story.

These beings are alive. They breathe, they feel hunger, and they exist physically within the world. And they do develop to a certain level as we see with Huggy and his teeth growth. This clearly is a sign that they are not entirely frozen in time.

Important in that regard is, there is a clear timeline. Some characters have existed in this state for decades. Time matters in this universe, otherwise, there would be no need to establish it so clearly through tapes and notes and dates. And time means change.

Even if their bodies don't develop in a human way, they DO change. Most importantly their minds change. Because minds are shaped by experience. By learning, adapting, surviving. These processes inevitably affect cognition and behavior. A mind does not remain static for 30 years.

We even see evidence of social development: the toys have built structures, formed a society, and created systems like “Safe Haven” and the "Better Place" and even a newspaper. Anyone familiar with child development knows that young children alone could not sustain something like this. A purely childlike society would be chaotic, driven by immediate needs and egocentrism.

This doesn’t mean they are fully mature adults!! I want to emphasize this! They lack proper socialization and guidance. We see this clearly during the visit at Safe Haven. Some of them play games but others have sad and meaningful conversations. This proves they are vulnerable and deeply shaped by trauma. But they are also not simply “children” anymore. Their situation is far more complex.

A useful comparison is Claudia from Interview with the Vampire: a character trapped in a child’s body whose mind continues to develop. While the genre is different, the principle still applies—physical form and mental growth are not always aligned. Especially in fiction.

Anyway, there are two special cases which are different from the others. Poppy and the Prototype.

They are not merely “bigger body” experiments. They are unique creations tied directly to Elliot Ludwig and occupy leadership roles within the toy society. Others look up to them, others fear them. If any toy could be considered 'grown up', it would be these two. In fact, it’s mainly these two, as they stand out completely from the others in terms of their design, their role, their behaviour and their origins.

Poppy, despite her childlike form, displays strategic thinking and awareness. She struggles under pressure and sometimes reacts fearfully, but that does not negate her experience. By the timeline, she has existed for decades. Calling her simply a “child” ignores that history. The way the Prototype mocks her for her behavior also can be interpreted as him saying ‘you act like a child after all those years…’ It can be understood as him saying she should know better and could surpass herself. However, it is her physical form that limits her and makes her dependent on others. That is why she seems more like a ‘child’... which makes Elliot’s experiments all the more cruel. She is forever dependent on the help of others. (To jump straight into an analysis... The drastic change in her design at the end of Chapter 5 may symbolise that she is set to change even more, since she now looks less like a child-like doll.)

Back to the main topic.

The Prototype is an even clearer case.

He does not behave like a child in any meaningful sense. His actions are calculated, deliberate, and often cruel. He plans, manipulates, and executes complex strategies. He organizes others, leads uprisings, and enforces authority.

His behavior includes psychological tactics, such as deliberately tormenting survivors over extended periods and his language reflects a level of articulation no child possesses. From professional experience working with elementary school children, I can say that his speech patterns and reasoning do not align with child development at all. This goes for a lot of conversations we can hear during the game that are supposed to occur between 'kids'.

The starving toys in Safe Haven f.e.

Or the tape from chapter 5. Giblet, another toy and the Prototype argue about whether to kill innocent survivors or let them go.

Or the interrogation tape about the escape of Gentle John.

Then there are the tapes with the Prototype and the Doctor.

Or the conversations the Prototype has with Chum and later with Poppy.

Or the way he talked to Dr. Newman and Preston.

The way they all talk is not typically 'kids speech'. At all. And a lot of this happens shortly after the Hour of Joy... So already ten years ago.

Of course, one could argue that the Prototype is capable of imitating speech and voices and simply mimics the way adults speak. But even to do that, it needs a certain level of knowledge to understand words, including technical terms. Knowledge that goes beyond a child’s level of understanding. However, his behaviour and manner of speaking over the last 20–30 years suggest the following interpretation:

He WAS a child when turned

He has now existed for approximately 30 years

BUT he doesn't have a social education like normal adults would have

He planned and executed a riot

He mobilized all toys to join

He brought scientists to his cause

He is cruel

He is calculating

He kills

He tortures

He turns traitors inside out

He does experiments on others

He spreads propaganda during newspapers

His vocabulary isn't that of a child

But he provides for his allies

He takes care of his minions and friends

He runs a whole freaking city

He is an engineer most likely

He has built a society

He is the judge

He is seen as a God

(He is the Lord of the flies)

So, yes, he was a child once. But that is not the same as being a child now. He has spent decades existing, learning, and adapting under extreme conditions. He has effectively “grown up” within that environment, without guidance, without morality as we understand it, but still through experience. Does that make him a mature adult as we categorize it? No. But is he a little child either? No. But he has traits that reveal a traumatized child underneath. He is very emotional and throws tantrums.

Of course, one have to look at the individual characters and their stories.

Yarneby, for example, is neither human nor child nor anything else... The poor thing has completely degenerated into an animal.

Or Lilly. As a human, as Miss Gracie, she was an adult, but behaved very childishly, albeit being cruel and manipulative. As Lilly, she subdued to madness but has developed rather childlike character traits due to her isolation.

Doey has the traits of a teenager, but behaves very contradicting because of his entire background... But he also seems to be among the ‘older’ ones. Especially as Matthew was already 15 during the HOJ.

All the Bigger Bodies must be looked at separately... And that is where their full potential becomes apparent. The conflicts, everything that makes it interesting to engage with the characters, is negated if the fandom restricts itself to the view that they are merely simple children. That also robs them of their complexity. On the other hand, the interpretation that these beings might still be children is just as interesting and opens up entirely different ways of interacting with the lore. It’s a completely different, yet equally appealing approach!

To conclude my thoughts, I would like to say something important: This isn’t about justifying ships, the sexualization of characters or even pushing one specific interpretation. This is not about being wrong or right. It’s about acknowledging complexity within the lore and the possibilities that could come up with each interpretation, mainly interesting conversations, analyzing different approaches and theorizing about all kinds of topics. Reducing these characters to “they are children, end of discussion, everyone who thinks differently is a p*do” shuts down meaningful analysis (like WTF but I have seen this just because people entertained the idea that these characters might have aged. P*dophilia doesn't work that way btw but that's another topic). It ignores the psychological narrative, and thematic depth that makes the story interesting in the first place.

At the same time, interpretation is subjective. If someone prefers to see these characters as mere children, that’s their choice and absolutely okay. And if they don't want to engage with different takes, that's also fine. And the same goes for the opposite direction. As for myself, I think both interpretations are valid and both have a lot of potential that can be explored in interesting ways. (And no, I don't mean through shipping or explicit stuff in general. Not everything revolves around that topic ffs.)

Fandom is meant to be a space for creativity and exploration. The problem arises when people try to enforce their interpretation onto others.

These characters are fictional. They do not exist in reality. People should be allowed to create, interpret, and engage with the material in ways that are meaningful to them, whether that’s through analysis, art, humor, or storytelling.

Fandom should not be about policing others. It should not be about pointing fingers at each other and pillorying each other like tattletales, just because their interpretation is different. It should be about sharing ideas and enjoying a shared interest. So, interpret things how you like. Let others do the same.

Just don’t be an asshole.

… Or the Prototype will crawl out of your walls at night and turn you wrong side out!! 😤