Emily Wants to Play

Lore & Background

The game begins with a pizza delivery man entering a house on his last delivery. The front door closes and locks behind him, presumably by Emily, who appears briefly. The player must survive from 11 pm until 6 am, with each hour introducing a new antagonist: at 11 pm no dolls attack; at 12 am the porcelain doll Kiki becomes hostile and must be looked at until she vanishes; at 1 am the clown doll Mr. Tatters requires the player to remain still; at 2 am the ventriloquist dummy Chester forces the player to flee the room; at 3 am all three dolls are hostile simultaneously; at 4 am Emily becomes hostile and the player must find and touch her to reset a timer; at 5 am Emily and all dolls are hostile; at 6 am the player can leave. Clues are found on notes and a whiteboard in the kitchen, though the whiteboard often contains lies.

Reader's Guide

Emily Wants to Play is a survival horror game that relies on pattern recognition and trial-and-error gameplay. Each hour introduces a new doll or Emily with a specific mechanic that builds upon previous ones, requiring the player to memorize and execute correct responses to avoid jump-scare attacks. The game's setting—a house where a couple was found dead a month prior—is revealed through notes and a news audio on a static television, indicating that Emily, a girl who suffered depression and found comfort in the dolls, died in the basement under unknown circumstances. The dolls are implied to be possessed by an evil entity, with phrases like 'Join Us' and 'We Are One' appearing on notes. The game ends with the pizza man escaping, but he is placed under psychiatric evaluation, and the dolls matching his description are recovered by police.

Did You Know?

• The player must survive from 11 pm to 6 am, with each hour represented by a different level.
• The whiteboard in the kitchen often contains lies meant to trick the player.
• A sequel titled Emily Wants to Play Too was released on December 13, 2017.