Starting Critters and Progression Unlocks
Escape from Playtime starts you with CatNap, Hoppy Hopscotch, Bobby BearHug, and DogDay. CraftyCorn unlocks through the Limón TV cart interaction, KickinChicken through cumulative team quota, Bubba Bubbaphant by completing Shift 5 within a session, and PickyPiggy through a Doohickey Den purchase.
The full eight-character roster is playable in the released Early Access game. DogDay joined the starting lineup for the Early Access launch, while the earlier beta did not include every Smiling Critter. Choose an available character now and work toward whichever locked Critter you want to play next.
Every Playable Critter and How to Get Them
| Critter | Starting Status | How to Get Them |
|---|---|---|
| CatNap | Available at the start | Choose CatNap in character selection. |
| Hoppy Hopscotch | Available at the start | Choose Hoppy Hopscotch in character selection. |
| Bobby BearHug | Available at the start | Choose Bobby BearHug in character selection. |
| DogDay | Available at the start | Choose DogDay in character selection. |
| CraftyCorn | Locked until earned | Find Limón and play it in the TV cart. The unlock applies to everyone in the lobby. |
| KickinChicken | Locked until earned | Reach 20,000 cumulative team quota. Check the displayed objective when tracking progress within your session. |
| Bubba Bubbaphant | Locked until earned | Complete Shift 5 within a session. |
| PickyPiggy | Locked until earned | Purchase PickyPiggy from the Doohickey Den. The unlock applies to everyone in the lobby. |
Unlock CraftyCorn With Limón
- Search the facility for Limón while progressing through shifts. Limón appears more often during Shift 7, with spawn rates increasing during each later shift.
- Keep Limón for the TV cart interaction instead of depositing it with Barry for quota. Delivering it as ordinary tribute is a different action from the character objective.
- Bring Limón to the TV cart and use the interaction that plays it. Meeting this unlock condition grants CraftyCorn to everyone in the lobby.
The factory layout changes between runs, so adapt your search to the rooms you encounter. Keep your route back in mind while exploring for Limón. Treat the increased availability during later shifts as a reason to keep searching, rather than following a fixed room-by-room route.
Unlock KickinChicken Through Team Quota
- Check KickinChicken's displayed objective in character selection before tracking your progress. Use that wording when deciding which quota deposits belong to the qualifying session.
- Collect tribute during shifts and deliver it to Barry. Coordinate deliveries with your teammates as you work toward the cumulative team quota target.
- Reach 20,000 cumulative team quota, then check KickinChicken in character selection. Aim to meet the target within the same session when planning your unlock attempt.
Unlock Bubba Bubbaphant by Completing His Shift
- Progress through the shifts in the same session until you reach Shift 5. Plan your attempt around completing that shift.
- Complete Shift 5, then check Bubba Bubbaphant in character selection. Finishing the shift within the session is the unlock objective.
Unlock PickyPiggy at the Doohickey Den
- Visit the Doohickey Den and purchase PickyPiggy. Her character unlock comes from this purchase.
- Check PickyPiggy in character selection after the purchase. Everyone in the lobby receives the unlock once the purchase condition is met.
Choose Your Critter and Use Cosmetic Variants
Choose an available Critter through the character-selection interface. The Critters share the same basic movement abilities, so your starting choice does not change how you explore the factory. Pick the character you like and focus on learning the movement and your surroundings.
The Founders Pack includes the Shining Critters cosmetic set, with alternate appearances for all eight Smiling Critters. Its CraftyCorn, KickinChicken, Bubba Bubbaphant, and PickyPiggy variants become available after their default characters are unlocked. Owning the cosmetic set therefore leaves those character progression objectives in place.
The Project: Playtime Hoodie is automatically awarded through the Steam Inventory System to Project: Playtime players who own that game and have played it at least once. It can be equipped on all eight Smiling Critters. The Midnight CatNap plush also comes with a code to claim the Midnight CatNap cosmetic.
- Open character selection and choose an available Critter. For a locked character, read and complete its displayed progression objective.
- For a locked Shining Critters variant, unlock the default Critter first. Then select the cosmetic variant when it becomes available through your Founders Pack entitlement.
KickinChicken Still Locked?
- Why is KickinChicken still locked after depositing 20,000 in total?
- Check the quota credited during your current session against the objective shown in character selection. The requirement is 20,000 cumulative quota, reduced from the older 25,000 target. Avoid treating a total added up across separate sessions as proof that you completed the displayed objective; aim to reach the target within the same session, then check the character again.