Smiling Critters: The Symbols and Meaning Part 1

Hello, fellow readers, this is Aspen-Arts again with another blog post featuring characters that may be familiar to some of you. On October 12, 2021, the survival-horror game “Poppy Playtime” was released, garnering a positive reception for its atmospheric elements, narrative, and character designs. As of right now, it has released four chapters with a fifth one currently in development. The franchise introduced several memorable characters such as the titular Poppy, Huggy-Wuggy, Mommy Longlegs, or Kissy Missy. While these monsters have their fans, the most popular characters hadn’t been introduced until Chapter 3’s release, titled “A Deep Sleep”. These characters were called “The Smiling Critters.”

In the game, the infamous toy company Playtime Co. created a group of animal plush toys known as The Smiling Critters. The critters had large, gaping smiles and black eyes. When you pull on their tails, they emit a scent from an herb, fruit, or flower. The plush toys had their own unique pendants around their necks, representing their personalities. There are eight Smiling Critters in the group. The critters are Bobby Bearhug, Craftycorn, Bubba Bubbaphant, Hoppy Hopscotch, Kickin Chicken, Picky Piggy, Dogday, and Catnap.

In this first part, we will learn about four of these eight critters and discover the symbolism behind the animals and their scents.

Bobby Bearhug

Bobby is a red and pink bear with a heart-shaped pendant. She is known to be the heart of the group. A compassionate and caring individual, she loves everyone and everything and is always willing to share her love with everyone, especially her friends.

Her scent is listed as a rose scent, an appropriate theme for someone as loving like her. Roses have been used for various symbols throughout history. Some of the symbolism includes power, royalty, and secrecy. However, the rose has mainly been used as a symbol for love. In fact, the word “rose” could be an anagram for Eros, the Greek God of love. It was also said that the rose became red when Aphrodite cut her foot on thorns when rushing to her dying lover, Adonis. The blood stained the white petals of the rose, and from then on, remained red as a symbol of love and passion.

Bears have been used as a symbol in many different cultures and societies. Because of their hibernation instincts and with baby bears emerging from hibernation dens with their mothers, the bear was said to be a symbol of rebirth and renewal. In Indigenous culture, the bear represents wisdom and healing, with shamans donning bear skins to channel their power and wisdom. The ancient Norse Vikings also donned bear skins, but not to channel wisdom, but to channel the bear’s raw strength and ferocity to unleash onto the battlefield. This ferocity is not just a myth, though. When a bear cub is in danger, a mother bear will tear straight into the danger to protect her cub, which is why a bear could also be seen as a symbol for love.

CraftyCorn

Craftycorn is the only mythical creature among the group. She is a white and aqua unicorn with a pendant of a color wheel. Timid and shy, she is a creative individual who has a passion for art. In most images, she is shown to have paper and drawing materials such as crayons, paints, and pencils. Her scent is jasmine.

The scent of jasmine has been traditionally used to soothe anxiety, while its flower was used as a symbol of purity, grace, and elegance. In Buddhism, the jasmine flower petals were said to represent the shedding of attachment and a pursuit of spiritual enlightenment, making the flower a symbol of purity of the mind and the attainment to nirvana. It also makes a very popular tea.

Like the jasmine flower, unicorns were also a symbol of purity. It was said that those who were pure of heart could see unicorns. Their horns were said to be able to transform poisonous waters into pure, clean water that was safe to drink.

Bubba Bubbaphant

Bubba Bubbaphant is a blue elephant with a lightbulb as a pendant. He is the smart kid in the group, always thinking of bright ideas and sharing knowledge with his friends. His scent is lemongrass.

Unlike the rose and jasmine, lemongrass is not a flower, but a herb used for cooking, aromatherapy oils, and perfumes. It was also used for medicinal purposes throughout many cultures, with it being known as fever grass in the Caribbean. Lemongrass was known to thrive in diverse environments, symbolizing resilience and endurance. It can also be used in rituals to promote mental clarity.

Like the bear, elephants were considered symbols of strength and protection. They are also considered a symbol of wisdom, and there is an old saying, “An elephant never forgets.” This saying might have originated due to an elephant’s large brain and excellent memory. They are able to recognize members of their herd that could range up to 30 members. Elephant matriarchs will remember the location of a water source and will lead their herd to it during the dry season. An elephant’s excellent memory could be the reason why Bubba is the smartest out of the group.

Hoppy Hopscotch

Hoppy Hopscotch is a green rabbit who is very energetic and cannot stay still. Because of her boundless energy, her pendant is the shape of a lightning bolt, possibly symbolizing how fast she can be. She can also be loud, impatient, and bossy, but like a true friend, she is willing to slow down to help others. Her scent is peppermint.

According to ancient texts, peppermint can be traced back to Ancient Egypt, where the herb was used to aid in digestion. Nowadays, it can still be used as a herbal remedy and for cooking as well. It could be used as a way to relax and conserve energy for life goals. Studies have also shown that peppermint oil can improve your performance and boost your focus, which is a fitting connection to Hoppy’s energetic personality.

Rabbits were symbols of fertility, luck, and vulnerability. They have been used as characters for many different stories and legends. The quick thinking and adaptability of rabbits fit with Hoppy’s personality, but there is also another symbol of the rabbit that shows up in the game. That is the symbol of the moon.

Instead of a man on the moon, most Asian cultures see a rabbit on the moon, with the dark shade of the moon resembling a rabbit holding a stone. Some say the stone is used to grind up an elixir for the moon goddess, Chang’e, while others say the rabbit is making mochi rice cakes.

In Poppy’s Playtime, players encounter a cardboard cutout of Hoppy Hopscotch and pressing a button lets the cutout speak in the character’s voice. Hoppy desires to jump to the moon and encourages the listener to jump with her. The player can continue to push the button to help her jump to the moon, but it soon takes a rather dark turn for Hoppy.

End of Part 1

These are the first four of the Smiling Critters. In the next blog post, we will be looking at the last four and learn more about the symbolism behind their scents and animal counterparts.

Until then, we will see you in the next blog!