Child-friendly horror has been springing up in the last few decades, with titles like Five Nights at Freddy’s cementing the cute-creepy game genre. This usually involves a concept that many kids of the 1980s and 1990s grew up with, like animatronic pizzerias or a Sesame Street-esque show, and takes it off the rails in a completely horrific way.
My Friendly Neighborhood attempts to breathe new life into the increasingly stale concept of mixing cuteness with horror. While it feels like there should be countless themes available to explore in these titles, being a game does not necessarily make it interesting. In addition to the unique characters, a title should be interesting to play or introduce something that hasn’t been done in similar games.
Like many fans interested in this genre, I had high hopes of going into My Friendly Neighborhood thanks to its promise of a Sesame Street-like experience reminiscent of my childhood. That part definitely pays off in a big way, but the lack of interesting puzzles and repetitive gameplay in each area largely left me bored once the magic of the puppets and sets wore off.
Welcome to the Neighborhood!
The game starts like another well-known series in this genre, with the player hired as someone to go take care of some maintenance after some weird occurrences begin happening at MFN Studios. The kids’ puppet TV show My Friendly Neighborhood has been streaming from the complex on its own, causing it to overtake every other show on the airwaves.
It’s a decent enough premise that gets the player into the gameplay, but it lacks any real creativity in that it’s a very singular objective that the main character is trying to do. The good thing is that the story and beats seem to be better thought out than other titles, with developers John and Evan Szymanski making sure the players know why the main character doesn’t just leave when things go off the wall.
Some areas are more visually appealing than others, with the sets and in-between areas helping the buildings to really feel like the set of a kids’ show. Those who’ve ever worked backstage on TV or Film will feel right at home scrambling across sets as you try to solve puzzles while dealing with the performers trying to grab your attention.
The premise of Sesame Street puppets coming to life is a really fun idea that could open itself to a lot of scares in the same vein as other popular titles in this genre. However, it seems that My Friendly Neighborhood is looking to go for more child-friendly scares, which means a lack of blood or any major effects from the characters. While there were still a handful of jumpscares when the very strong audio cues get the better of you, it was like watching someone you love fail to reach their potential.
This game is practically begging for Sesame Street-like theme songs, but most of the music is just building the atmosphere if it’s there at all.
That’s not to say it’s a bad time, as the characters and stories are enough to keep most people engaged as they unravel the mystery, but I don’t think it’s going to be winning any major awards for it. The beats are so repetitive, only to be intercut by short animations that seem to ignore the rest of the world around you. If you’re really interested in the premise, it could be fun as you get further if you can stick it out.
Redundant puzzles with no autosave
From a mechanical and technical standpoint, My Friendly Neighborhood largely feels like it’s using a lot of very simple puzzles that can, to its credit, be solved by middle-school-aged kids. There are some interesting features integrated within like time cards and important letters, but the puzzles just didn’t impress me. Most of the time, I was running around the same areas for hours.
The clearest example of this is the first major area with a puzzle, which seems to function as the wider neighborhood with various apartments, one for each of the characters. This was also when I started to notice how few puppet models there were, as the same four or five are repeated throughout much of the game in different areas, even if you tie one version up for good.
This is unfortunate, because the first time I walked onto that set, I was surprised by the complexity of the objectives and the multiple-step process required to complete them. However, it was mostly confusing and the lack of clear lighting or direction behind the scenes of the set left me confused as I searched for a door that I had no idea was there without a map.
The lack of autosave in the game means that you will often get stuck repeating the same steps multiple times, which led to hours of repetition in the open neighborhood area. Since the game doesn’t track your progress, you may be like me and spend multiple hours in one area because you keep dying before you find the currency you need to save. It’s redundant and extends the gameplay by hours.
The enemy AI is just plain dumb, with the large bird on that level just aimlessly wandering the neighborhood set. I typically avoided this large Big Bird rip-off, but even standing directly in front of it did little to make it aware of my presence. In addition, until I shot them and broke their animation loop, three of the four puppets would spawn in the direct middle of the level. It also doesn’t help that any of the actually cool moments involving puppets are clearly scripted and noticeable ahead of time.
As if that wasn’t enough, most of the puppets all repeat the same lines, taking any real sense of unique personality away from each character. Their attacks are also just a grab, which is kid-friendly, but doesn’t explain how they are hurting you by just getting into your face and yelling some lines.
The Final Word
My Friendly Neighborhood likely started with a brilliant idea of creating a Sesame Street-like horror game, but it feels as if that vision has been muddied. Through redundant puzzles, an overzealous attempt to be kid-friendly, and characters that are more annoying than frightening, this title is likely to be one of my bigger disappointments of the year. The idea is still worth checking out if you really like the concept or get the title on sale, but full price is a hard ask.
6.5
Try Hard Guides was provided with a PC review copy of My Friendly Neighborhood. Find more detailed looks at popular and upcoming titles in the Game Reviews section of our website!