(Image via disneyfandon.fancom.com)

Staff Writer: Brian Galindo

Email: bgalindo@umassd.edu 

What’s your favorite horror game? Resident Evil? Dead Space? One of the Slender games? Well, the internet’s current favorite horror game is a little one called Piglet’s Big Game.

No, that’s not a joke.

Released for the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo GameCube systems in 2003, Piglet’s Big Game is loosely based on the movie Piglet’s Big Movie, which came out in the same year.

It follows the titular Piglet, a mainstay staple from the Winnie the Pooh series, as he travels through his friend’s dreams and helps them with their issues and nightmares, all while being followed by a creepy creature known as the Granosorus.

Sounds pretty tame, right? But after a sudden spike in interest on Twitter, people realize that this seemingly innocuous title has visuals and noises that are far creepier than normal for children’s games.

But is it really so bad that it warrants comparisons to the likes of Silent Hill?

The first thing that jumps out to someone playing the game for the first time is the lighting design. It is intentionally dim and has poor visibility. This creates an ominous aura and makes it so unexpected creatures and traps can spook the player, akin to a jumpscare from something like Five Nights at Freddy’s.

Another element that’s been riling the internet up is the game’s music. It all has this sort of sinister feel, and it feels horror game-esque. The most notable is “Foreboding 1”, which has amassed over 100k views on YouTube, but other songs like “Enemy Around” and “Foreboding 2” are also rather creepy.

Finally, the gameplay is geared as though to be played like a horror game. There is a fixed camera, which forces the player to tread into the dark landscape without even getting to look around or prepare.

Discussion of Piglet’s Big Game online has been quite popular. A simple search on YouTube will net you several playthroughs, as well as video essays, all amassing tens to even hundreds of thousands of views.

There’s one major problem with all the talk surrounding this game.

They’re all missing the point.

The central theme of Piglet’s Big Game is that Piglet is timid and weak, and throughout the plot, he becomes tough and self-assured.

This all culminates in the final bit of the game, where Piglet overcomes his fear of the Granosorus. After he does so, his friends celebrate him for his bravery and heroism.

It’s a kids game. It’s a message to kids. Even though you may be small and feel weak, you can still be brave and heroic. That’s all there is to it.

Having watched gameplay of the game myself, it’s not that creepy either.

Is it creepy for kids? For sure. But sometimes, kids need creepy games to emulate their real fears and show they can overcome them (like a video game).

With all that said, the game is pretty fun and definitely worth playing. Ideally, you should only play it if you already own it, as it is selling for several hundred dollars on just about any website right now.

Also, watching the videos I talked about earlier is worth the trouble since it is fun watching them extrapolate at the grander meanings and treat the game so seriously. I would especially recommend this video from Who Needs Normal? as it came out years ago before the game got big online and clearly comes from a place of passion rather than following a trend. 

Let’s hope the next big horror game isn’t based on the Pajanimals…