Summary
One of the most recognizable parts of thePoppy Playtimefranchise is the comedically cartoonish hands that bob around at the bottom of the screen. It is an important part of creating the unique presence of the unnamed protagonist, as it is all players have to identify them by. It is a neat solution to maintain the mysterious anonymity of the playercharacterwhile allowing the player to complete puzzles from a first-person perspective.
But what are these hands? TheGrabPack, developed by Elliot Ludwig, is a somewhat whimsical piece of employee equipment at the Playtime Co. factory. The hands are a variety of attachments that can be used in conjunction with the GrabPack to manipulate items, activate switches, etc. There are six core hands in total that are discovered at different times during the Chapters ofPoppy Playtime. They also have varying degrees of usefulness, depending on the situation.
6The Blue Hand
Baby’s First GrabPack Hand
TheBlue Handis the first hand the player encounters, and it is introduced in tandem with the GrabPack 1.0. The player is informed of its functions in one of the many VHS tapes hidden around the factory in thePoppy Playtimeseries. It is the player’s first taste ofPoppy Playtime’spuzzle-solving mechanics and takes a bit of getting used to.
It was introduced at a time in which all the unexplored areas of the factory were only accessible by activating one or more scanners. The Blue Hand is the only left-hand attachment thus far, and it is with the player throughout their journey through the factory.
5The Red Hand
Two Hands Are Better Than One
The player finds theRed GrabPack Handfor the first time on aconveyor belt in the warehousein Chapter 1, and later in theprison on the body of a dead guardin Chapter 4. The Red Hand is an absolute game changer in Chapter 1, alleviating the player’s frustration at only being able to use one hand.
The Red Hand has an integrated torch, but the game notoriously takes control of the torch away from the player periodically. The torch can still be used when the Red Hand is not equipped. Without the Red Hand, the player cannot open certain doors that require using both the Red and Blue Hands. The addition of the Red Rand also allows players to complete electricity puzzles. The Red and Blue Hands have conductive properties, and making connections between points becomes a key mechanic of the series.
4The Green Hand
Swapping Functions
The player finds theGreen Handin the Molding Room in Chapter 2, and it is the first alternate attachment to be unlocked inPoppy Playtime. Like all special attachments, it is equipped on the right hand. Very few doors can be opened with the Green Hand, and it is mostly used for solving electricity puzzles.
The Green Hand allows players to transfer electricity between two points that can’t be connected with the original Red and Blue Hands. Electricity can only be stored for a short period, adding a time pressure dimension to the original electricity puzzles.
3The Purple Hand
Reaching New Heights
The player finds thePurple Hand, also known as the Jump Hand, in the Gas Production Zone in Chapter 3. In conjunction with the purple jump pads, the Purple Hand can propel the player high into the air. This limitation is obviously essential, otherwise the Purple Hand would be completely game-breaking.
The Purple Hand adds another dimension to the puzzle platforming and level navigation inPoppy Playtime. During an obstacle course section in Chapter 4, Doctor Sawyer short circuits the Purple Hand, which breaks all right-hand attachments, leaving the player severely… short-handed.
2The Orange Flare Hand
Keep Away From Flammable Materials
TheOrange Flare Handcan be found in the School Playcare in Chapter 3. The Flare Hand has a single function: it shoots flares. However, the flares can be used for a variety of purposes. Some items are flammable or explosive and can be shot with flares to ignite them. Other items can be burnt away to gain access to new areas.
During Chapter 4, the flares are essential in dealing withYarnabyand the Critters. Mini-critters and other mini-carnivorous toys can be scared off with flares, and Yarnaby can be distracted by setting objects on fire. In a game in which the player has no real form of defense, it’s quite comforting to have something vaguely resembling a classic video game gun.
1The Omni-Hand
The Key To High-Security Areas
Only fourOmni-Handsare known to have been officially created by Playtime Co., and acquiring one of them is a key goal inPoppy PlaytimeChapter 4.Controlling the Omni-Hand means controlling access to certain parts of the factory. This is established in aVHS tapefound inChapter 4in which Doctor Harley Sawyer, in his disembodied brain form, convinces the Warden to give him an Omni-Hand. This is a pivotal moment during the Hour of Joy in which power shifts from company control to the control of the Prototype.
Unfortunately, it seems to have been a MacGuffin to some extent. The Omni-Hand is touted as some sort of master key for the facility, but it only appears to provide limited additional access inChapter 4. It only has four uses which will no doubt prove to be a point of tension or limitation inChapter 5. The Omni-Hand can be found after defeating The Doctor in Chapter 4.
