Poppy Playtime has a community dedicated to analyzing even the smallest of details to put together theories that answer the many lingering questions about Playtime Co. Since we're in the fourth chapter, a fair number of early theories that were created in the beginning chapters have been disproven, or enough new information has been revealed that makes them highly unlikely, even if they haven't been directly disproven. However, it's worth taking a look back at theories that could be true or have been proven false since they showcase the observational skills of the community.

The design of Poppy Playtime makes it perfect for speculation. Most of the important events that shaped the factory you explore happened in the past, so you need to piece together information to learn about it along the way. Possible or disproven, many theories for Poppy Playtime are tough to forget once you learn about them.

10 Stella Is Poppy

A Disproven Theory That Made A Lot Of Sense

This theory has been disproven, but it seemed like a strong possibility in the first chapters. When you're learning about Stella, you get to hear her talk about why she wants to work in a toy factory. She talks about spreading happiness to children through toys and how nobody really feels like an adult, mentioning that childhood feels permanent, and she wishes she could have that innocence back. She comes off as enthusiastic about the industry.

This theory ends up being disproven later, when Poppy reveals her identity on a VHS tape.

Once you start learning about the experiments, Stella's ion and desire to be a child forever makes her seem like the perfect subject to become Poppy. Of course, this ends up being disproven later, when Poppy reveals her identity on a VHS tape. However, it could've been an interesting plotline if that theory turned out to be true, but Stella had other roles to play for the company.

9 Huggy Wuggy Is Experiment 1006

Disproven, But Still An Interesting Theory

Another theory that was proven false, the idea of Huggy Wuggy being Experiment 1006—the Prototype— was interesting in the first chapter. It felt like it could be possible, because you start learning about the Prototype as this villainous character. You don't know much at this point aside from him having the awareness and intelligence to trick and kill researchers, but with the first chapter's focus on Huggy, it seemed plausible enough.

Of course, you later learn that Huggy Wuggy is actually Experiment 1170, so he was created quite a while after the Prototype. Additionally, Huggy Wuggy was picked with the intention of him following orders without questioning, meaning he needs to be much more obedient than the Prototype seems to be in notes and tapes. It would've been terrifying to have a toy that can be as cute as Huggy turn out to be the Prototype, so this theory being wrong is for the best.

8 Leith Pierre Is The Prototype

It's Not Possible Given What Happens In The Lab

This theory fell apart rather quickly, like many early theories, but it would've been chilling to have Leith Pierre, a man with little regard for human life, end up being the Prototype. His lack of ethics and morals as a human would explain the Prototype's apparent bloodthirst and hate for the researchers, especially if he was an unwilling experiment. However, the timeline simply doesn't fit to allow for Leith to be the Prototype, and it looks like he might've been able to escape the Hour of Joy as a high-ranking employee.

The Prototype is one of the earlier experiments, and we know that Leith was still human even when Harley Sawyer was wired into the technology in the labs and operating rooms. He gave the order for that operation, and he revealed himself to Sawyer when it was done as the man behind that betrayal. So, it's not possible for Leith to be the Prototype with the established timeline.

7 The Player Is Rich Lovitz

This Poppy Playtime Theory Still Seems Possible

Since you don't know much about the player aside from them being a former employee at the start, it's tough to figure out how much they might've known about the experiments at Playtime Co. Rich is an employee you learn about through VHS tapes, and at times, he seems like a strong candidate for the player's identity. A tape in Chapter 4 reveals that Rich was able to climb fairly high in the company, and he tried to do what he could to help the kids, knowing what happened in secret at the factory.

However, there are some indications that work against this theory. If the player was as high ranking as Rich, then it's strange that the Doctor was unable to recognize him, even mentioning that Playtime Co. didn't realize the talent they had. Since Rich knew about the experiments and would've had an office in the Playcare, then he would certainly cross paths with the Doctor. At this point, the theory is possible, but unlikely.

6 Poppy Is The Real Villain

Unlikely, But Stranger Things Have Happened Before

It's tough to judge this theory and how likely it is to be true, because most characters don't land firmly in the category of hero or villain. There's a lot of moral ambiguity and unclear motives that characters have, and the only exception might be Kissy Missy's enduring kindness. Of course, this doesn't include toys that have become rabid, or the majority of toys in Safe Haven who simply wanted to keep surviving.

The problem with calling any one character the true villain of Poppy Playtime is that multiple characters take actions that appear villainous, even if that isn't their intention. At this point, it seems unlikely that Poppy is the real villain, and it would take a twist to swap that title from the Prototype to her. Instead, Poppy has done what she thought would save the orphans that the Prototype is holding and free the toys from the past by burning it down.

5 Poppy Is Turning Rabid

A New Motive For The Protoype Thanks To This Theory

This theory gives the Prototype a new motive, and it seems rather likely to be true. Despite being one of the earliest successful experiments, Poppy hasn't lost her mind, which can't be said for many toys that came after her. There's a plausible reason for this, and that's the function of the case you find her in being used to essentially lock her in stasis to keep her stable. It looks like the Prototype might be working on a way to find a way to prevent that descent into being rabid, and he wants Poppy in stasis until he does.

However, if you pay attention, Poppy's condition isn't as miraculous as it might seem at a glance. You can see the color in her eyes getting darker, and her eyes are growing more bloodshot in each chapter. Additionally, she seems to have more emotional outbursts, so it all comes together to look like she's on her way to losing her mind, too.

4 The Player Isn't Human

Probably Not True, After Poppy Playtime Ch. 4

Another of many theories about the player's identity, this one suggests that you aren't playing as a human who returned to the factory. This would be an interesting theory, and it would raise a lot of questions about how you would've escaped the factory, then continued to find a way to live in the normal world until returning. Unfortunately, this theory is probably not true, especially after Chapter 4.

First, the Doctor doesn't recognize you. This is the biggest piece of evidence that goes against the theory, since the Doctor oversaw the procedures, even after his own procedure. If you were playing as one of the experiments, then he should you. Instead, the theory relies on game mechanics, such as the death screen messages seeming like reboot screens, or how you can survive the situations you go through while exploring the factory.

3 The Prototype Is Ollie

A Popular Theory That Turned Out To Be True

This was a popular theory following Chapter 3, and it turned out to be true. It seemed suspicious that an orphan would have survived so long as a human, and that he would still sound like a child. Any surviving orphans who stayed human would've grown up into at least their teenage years by the time the player returns to the factory. Additionally, some of the community thought that Ollie's voice had a robotic or artificial quality to it.

At the end of Chapter 4, the Prototype gives up his act and reveals himself as Ollie. Poppy is dismayed that she trusted Ollie and asks if Ollie was ever real. The Prototype confirms that Ollie did exist at one point, but the only version of Ollie that Poppy and the others interacted with was the Prototype. While a number of us suspected this would be the case, it was still a shock to have it revealed at the end of Chapter 4, which also let us hear the Prototype directly.

2 Poppy Is Elliot's Daughter

Not 100% Confirmed, But Seems Highly Likely

At this point, it's basically confirmed that Poppy is the child Elliot Ludwig adopted, then lost in an unspecified way. Poppy herself confirms that she's the daughter of somebody who used to run Playtime Co. in a VHS tape that acts like an audio diary for her. With that bit of information, Elliot is basically the only option that fits as her father, and we know her death devastated him.

This has been a popular theory since the first chapter, but it hasn't been 100% proven yet.

Poppy says that the company ran better when her dad was in charge, and she mentions that she misses her dad, wishing she could speak with him. Since Leith ran the company with Elliot, and after he left, you can assume that she wasn't speaking about him. Leith would be the person she doesn't like when it comes to running the company. As a result, you have Elliot left as her dad, and it would make sense if he was part of the effort to put her into Poppy's body, wanting her alive again.

1 Elliot Ludwig Is The Prototype

A Good Chance Of Being True After Ch. 4 Reveal

This theory has a good chance of being true, especially after Chapter 4. The Prototype reveals that he put Poppy in the glass case, and he seems to have prepared another way to trap her, much to her dismay. Since she remained unharmed for years while in the case, it seems like the Prototype wants to keep her protected for reasons that haven't been said outright. However, we can guess that the reason is that he's Poppy's dad.

Elliot as the Prototype just makes sense. He's been shown to care for children and try to stop them from being experimented on, and he gives up his freedom to save Theo's life. Additionally, he seems to have some level of care for the toys the kids become, but not to the extent he cares about Poppy. He even tells her that it's time to come home at the end of Chapter 4.

Fan theories are a fun part of games, especially when you have a game like Poppy Playtime, where you have a lot of mysteries layered into the dark past of a fictional company. It showcases the observations and creativity of the community to piece together information like a puzzle to get a glimpse of the full picture. A lot of theories for this game ended up being disproven, but many of them are still fun to consider and creepy to think about in Poppy Playtime.