A Lincoln village school has issued a warning to parents after a young child spoke about playing a game called Huggy Wuggy, which has “quite worrying” features.
Huggy Wuggy is a charter in the computer game Poppy Playtime, created by MOB Games, and has since been starring in popular fan videos shared across TikTok and YouTube. The character is one of the main villains and appears as a furry blue monster with razor sharp teeth, and reportedly sings about ‘hugging and killing’ in videos seen by young children.
One popular YouTube edit even reportedly features the character in a scene from Peppa Pig and Dorset Police were among the forces to issue a warning to parents earlier this month.
Nettleham Infant and Nursery School said it had a child in nursery on April 26 talking about playing the game, which prompted headteacher Catherine Jollands to send a message to parents later the same day.
The message, seen by The Lincolnite, said: “Some of the features of this game sound quite worrying and definitely not appropriate for children under seven.
“We want to warn parents to be extra vigilant over the seemingly fun videos that actually feature a menacing character with razor-sharp teeth.
“The animated character goes by the friendly name of Huggy Wuggy, leading parents and children to believe the videos are aimed at youngsters and contain no inappropriate material.
“This is also slipping through parent filters. The blue bear-like creature chases and threatens other characters in nightmarish scenarios, leaving many children upset and frightened.
“The character is from a survival horror game called Poppy Playtime, but has been made into popular videos which appear on YouTube and have seemingly slipped through parental controls.
“The Huggy Wuggy character has also been recreated on Roblox, a virtually community where users can create their own 3D worlds with their own game players.
“If you are worried about your child watching these videos please speak to your child’s class teacher.”
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
While incidents in local games may be rare, the voices of three referees in Lincolnshire underline a stark reality — the need for more action and enhanced education.
The issue is very topical this week after Tom Foley’s decision to step away from international match officiating for the foreseeable future after a “torrent of criticism and abuse,” but will continue to officiate in the Premiership.
Lincolnshire’s healthcare is preparing for winter with projects like acute respiratory hubs to address the expected surge in demand at this time of the year.
Rebecca Neno, Winter Director for the Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board, stressed the significance of these hubs for local respiratory care, addressing the NHS’s recurrent winter challenges. The Clinical Assessment Service, via the 111 helpline, swiftly connects Lincolnshire callers to local clinicians for home assessments.