Poppy Playtime’s Smiling Critters debuted in Deep Sleep, and they’re certainly among the more interesting toys to show up in the factory. Actually, CatNap himself is a Smiling Critter, though he’s the only Bigger Buddies member who deserves the title of ‘evil.’ Right, let’s dive in and learn about each member. Prepare yourself. One meets a truly horrifying end. Well, that you actually get to see, but the others most certainly met an awful end, too.
We can go into great detail about one member of the group, Poppy Playtime’s CatNap, though we can also let you in on some things about Poppy Playtime’s DogDay, the leader of the Smiling Critters. You may also want to know more about other characters that appear in Poppy Playtime Chapter 3, so make sure you check out our Poppy Playtime Kissy Missy, Poppy Playtime Poppy, Poppy Playtime Ollie, and Poppy Playtime Prototype articles for more information.
Here’s everything we know about the Poppy Playtime Smiling Critters.
Who are the Poppy Playtime Smiling Critters?
There are eight different toys that form the Smiling Critters, the leader of which is the ever-so-happy DogDay because what pup isn’t a ray of sunshine? In contrast, CatNap is the most notorious, causing all sorts of problems for Playtime Co., eventually leading to a recall. Wanting the toy line to be as successful as possible, the company created a Smiling Critters cartoon show, which, while it should have been a hit, creeped out children and parents alike. CatNap was a huge cause for concern, leading to many complaints.
Much to Playtime Co.’s chagrin, there was good reason for the concerns, especially as the complaints went beyond his spooky appearance in the show. The gas this toy was emitting was inducing nightmares in children, which you get to see in action at the start of the chapter as you watch the ill-fated Smiling Critters cartoon.
Even though the reception of the Smiling Critters was questionable at best, they did become the main mascots for Playtime Co., which, unsurprisingly, led to them becoming part of the Bigger Buddies initiative. The bad news doesn’t stop there, as the staff couldn’t have chosen a worse candidate to become CatNap, opting to use an orphan who already had a strong bond with the Prototype.
Each Smiling Critter has a unique scent associated with them and a pendent that represents a core aspect of their personality. Playtime Co. designed the toys to emit their scents through their mouths and tails, helping the children relax or sleep.
As for the individual Smiling Critters, they are:
- CatNap
- DogDay
- Bobby BearHug
- Bubba Bubbaphant
- CraftyCorn
- PickyPiggy
- KickinChickin
- Hoppy Hopscotch
What’s the Poppy Playtime Smiling Critters’ role in the story?
Beyond CatNap being the big bad of Chapter 3 and DogDay offering us some crucial information before chasing us in the Playhouse, the mini Smiling Critters are an enemy you must face as you search for DogDay. It’s also them that ultimately kill the poor pooch.
What happened to the Smiling Critters?
As the only Bigger Buddies Smiling Critters you encounter are CatNap and DogDay, it’s evident that the other six members met their demise before you arrive in the factory. If you interact with their cardboard cutouts throughout Chapter 3, you can even hear some of them scream – it’s harrowing to listen to and gives a good indicator of what happened to them.
The chances are they had the same morals as their leader, thinking the actions of CatNap and the Prototype went way too far, leading to them being labeled heretics. As such, CatNap killed them. While we can’t say this with complete certainty because we do not see this actually happen, it’s the only logical explanation. Had Bobbi, Hoppy, Bubba, or the others agreed with them, CatNap would have no reason to deal with them.
likelihood is that CatNap deemed them all to be heretics, much like he did with DogDay, killing them in the name of the Prototype. It’s the only logical explanation, given they’d still be around if they agreed with the recalled member of the group.
While you can’t see them in The Hour of Joy tape, it’s highly likely that the Poppy Playtime Cmiling Critters also fought back against the staff that harmed them. However, while CatNap is a malicious being, we suspect the others may have been like Kissy Missy, attacking those who deserved it while leaving the innocent alone. There’s no proof of this, of course. It just seems that not all the toys in this factory wanted harm to befall everybody. It could also be that Bobby BearHug and co didn’t partake in the massacre at all.
Poppy Playtime Smiling Critters’ personality
Each Smiling Critter has a different personality, though all are caring in their own way. Some want you to be healthy, others care about your creative flair, and a few just want to see you smile (hence the name). It’s only right to take a look at them as individuals, so we’ll go into what they’re like, what scent they have, and what symbol. This guide doesn’t go into how callous CatNap is; he has his own guide for that grisly tale.
CatNap
You all likely know just how evil CatNap is by now, but before those horrific events, CatNap is said to have a calming presence for critters, ensuring that both he and his friends get the right amount of sleep each night – makes sense, given his role as helping to put the children to sleep in Playcare. His scent is lavender, which is also heavily associated with sleeping, while his pendent is a crescent moon.
CatNap recall
Of all the Smiling Critters, it’s only CatNap that underwent a recall, the reason being that instead of emitting the peaceful lavender gas to put the kids to sleep in Home Sweet Home, he began emitting red gas, a substance that caused the children to have nightmares.
DogDay
What happens to the Bigger Buddy DogDay is nothing short of cruel, and we’ll never forgive CatNap for it. However, looking at who DogDay was, he’s the leader of the Smiling Critters, with a sunny, determined, and strong disposition that leads his friends to turn to him when they need help looking at the bright side of things. This pooch is there for his friends no matter what, with his sunny pendent and vanilla scent at the ready.
Bobby BearHug
Look at her. Bobby BearHug is adorable, and she’s one of the kindest toys out there, with a caring heart and a soul full of compassion. Bobby BearHug loves everybody, and the fact that we never get to meet her Bigger Buddy variant (likely due to her death before we arrive) is nothing short of heartbreaking, especially as it’s due to her death before we even arrive. It’s hard to say how long she’s gone by the time you arrive. If you want to know how caring this toy is, her pendant is a heart, and her scent is rose.
Bubba Bubbaphant
Bubba is an elephant, and a very intelligent one at that. The old adage is that an elephant never forgets, and perhaps that’s what makes Bubba the “brains of the critters.” He’s an attentive toy that’s always by his friends’ sides to help them make smart choices, which explains why his pendent is a lightbulb while his scent is lemongrass. Much like the majority of the Smiling Critters, he’s killed before we arrive at the factory, though it’s hard to say how long for
CraftyCorn
CraftyCorn is the most creative of the Smiling Critters, no doubt being a perfect friend to those who are more artistic. She sees the beauty in life and loves to share that with people through pencils, crayons, paint, and even writing. It’s a crying shame we never get to meet her Bigger Buddy variant, and we hate to think about what may have happened to such a visionary soul. Her pendant is a rainbow-colored daisy, while her scent is jasmine.
Hoppy Hopscotch
Unsurprisingly, the rabbit of the group, Hoppy Hopscotch, is the most energetic of the Smiling Critters, doing what she can to keep up her friends’ energy levels, giving them a pep talk when their enthusiasm is running low. Though she lives life in the fast lane, she can slow down to keep pace with her pals when they need her. It’s a shame that she wasn’t able to outrun her fate at the hands of CatNap and the Prototype. Her pendant is a lightning bolt, and her scent is peppermint.
KickinChicken
KickinChicken is the cool kid on the block (just look at that hairstyle). Nothing phases him; you can knock this toy over, and he’ll bounce back like nothing happened. This is the toy you want if you need to stay calm in stressful situations. He can even help you to calm down with his ylang-ylang scent and star pendant. Whatever happened to you KickinChicken, we’re sorry, we know you didn’t deserve it.
PickyPiggy
Though peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are her favorite food, PickyPiggy loves to make sure that her pals are following a healthy diet. Not sure I could be friends with her, no matter how good her intentions are; I love junk food too much. However, I have to admit that her apple pendant and citrus smell would have made us feel right at home – as we stuffed our faces with sweets.
Poppy Playtime Simling Critters’ appearances
Despite what happens to the Poppy Playtime Smiling Critters in Deep Sleep, it appears as though Mob Entertainment isn’t done with them yet. The first Poppy Playtime Chapter 4 trailer features a mini DogDay encountering piles of dead toys before being attacked by Baba Chops, one of the Poppy Playtime Nightmare Critters. While it’s hard to say how present they are, the Smiling Critters are still around.
With that, you know everything about the Poppy Playtime Smiling Critters. If you want to know more about the previous chapters, check out our Poppy Playtime Chapter 1, Poppy Playtime Chapter 2, Poppy Playtime Huggy Wuggy, and Poppy Playtime Mommy Long Legs guides.
