Chapter One: Welcome Back

Twenty years ago your best friend Toby never came home from Family Fun Day.
Tonight, he left you a voicemail.

Download FREE Windows · Chapter 1 Meet the Gang ↓
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  • 🎮 First-person mascot horror
  • ⏱ 20–30 min
  • 🗣 Fully voiced
  • 🕹 Gamepad ready
scroll... if you dare

You've got mail

Playtime never ended.

Danny is an engineer now, all grown up, with a stainless-steel electric pickup. But twenty years ago he was a Gigglegear kid, and his best friend Toby vanished from Gigglegear Kindergarten on Family Fun Day.

Tonight a small package arrives with no return address. Inside is Toby's old name badge and a note in crayon: "You never finished playtime."

Then his phone buzzes. One new voicemail.

1 New Voicemail
From: UNKNOWN · 11:47 PM

Press play to listen.

So Danny gets in his truck and drives through the rain to a kindergarten that has been closed for twenty years. The sign is still lit.

A child's crayon drawing: Toby and Mr. Grinsley by a staircase, captioned 'ME AND MR GRINSLEY DOWNSTAIRS. FOREVER.'
found in Toby's cubby
A crayon drawing from Family Fun Day: two kids holding hands next to Mr. Grinsley and balloons, captioned 'ME + DANNY BEST FRENDS'
Family Fun Day

Say hello to your old friends

The Gigglegear Gang

They've been waiting twenty years for someone to play with. They are so happy you're back.

Mr. Grinsley, a powder-blue clockwork teddy bear with a top hat, one button eye and a zipper grin

Your Host

Mr. Grinsley

A three-metre clockwork teddy bear in a battered top hat and bowtie. One eye is an X-stitched button; the other is not a button at all. His zipper grin is pulled ear to ear and has come undone in the middle, and his belly seam has split open over brass gears. He's the kindergarten's host. All you'll see of him is his statue in the lobby... until the very end.

Likes
Promises. Punctuality. Pick-up time.
Dislikes
Running in the halls. Leaving early.
"A promise is a promise. Now then... let's finish playtime."
Revvy Roadster, a living red toy car with headlight eyes, white gloves and a grille full of teeth

The Racer

Revvy Roadster

A living red toy car, chipped and rusting, with something looking out from behind the headlight glass and a grille full of fangs. He's a joker, he's fast, and he has been saving one joke for twenty whole years.

Likes
Racing. Honking. Puns.
Dislikes
Losing. (He never loses.)
"Beep beep, slowpoke!"
Nanny Noodles, a lavender octopus in a frilly mob-cap and ruff collar, with button eyes and a stitched smile

The Nap-Time Nanny

Nanny Noodles

A lavender octopus with button eyes and a stitched smile. One button hangs by its threads now, and the stitches at the corner of her smile have torn. She sings lullabies to children who aren't there anymore. When the song stops, her head turns all the way around.

Likes
Lullabies. Tucking in. Eight-armed hugs.
Dislikes
Wigglers. Noisemakers.
"Hush-a-bye, little ones, close your eyes tight..."
Big Gobbo, a giant green frog with yellow eyes and a propeller beanie

The Hungry One

Big Gobbo

A giant frog in a propeller beanie who lives at the bottom of the ball pit. He grew so fast his belly had to be sewn shut, and his mouth is lined with row after row of teeth. He sleeps a lot. He dreams about snacks. He is always hungry.

Likes
Snack time. Little fingers.
Dislikes
Stomping in his pit.
"Who's playing... in... MY PIT?! I SMELL A SNACK!"

You are Danny

A friendly engineer and a former Gigglegear kid. No weapons, just a flashlight and his wits. And some old friends who remember him very well.

Your trusty Zoomer

A drivable RC truck with a chase cam and a headlight. It squeezes through tiny tunnels, presses buttons, races Revvy and honks to distract the monsters. (Click it. Honk honk.)

Revvy Roadster

Revvy Roadster

"HONK HONK! Hey, you! I've been saving a joke for twenty years. Wanna hear it?"

Security footage · recovered

Class Photos

Real in-game screenshots from Chapter One. Click any photo to check the cameras.

Today's Schedule

SEPT 25
  1. 11:47 PMArrival. The parking lot, in the rain. Don't forget your badge!
  2. Circle TimeThe Lobby. Say hi to Mr. Grinsley's statue. Remember where it was standing.
  3. Screen TimeSecurity Office. The cameras still work. Something just moved.
  4. RecessRoadway Playroom. Three laps against Revvy. Winner gets the blue keycard.
  5. LessonsSunflower Classroom. Star students only. Check the Star Chart.
  6. Nap TimeNap Room. Only move while Nanny sings.
  7. Snack TimeGobbo's Gulp Pit. Today's snack is you.
  8. Pick-upGo home. nobody leaves before pick-up time
Mr. Grinsley's Rainbow Song poster: Red is for an apple, Yellow is for the sun, Blue is for the big sky, Green is where we run

Try it here

Nap Time Challenge

In the game, Nanny Noodles plays red-light, green-light. Try it here: hold the button (or the Space bar) to sneak to the door, but only while she sings. When the song stops, let go.

Nanny Noodles with her back turned, singing Nanny Noodles turned around, watching
Press START
Caught: 0

What's inside Chapter One

Report Card

  • 20–30minutes to play
  • 130voiced lines
  • 10areas to explore
  • 12original music cues
  • 121sound effects
  • 0exits

Gigglegear Kindergarten

Progress Report

Student: Danny
Class: Sunflower
SubjectGradeTeacher's comments
🚙 Zoomer DrivingA+Drives the RC truck through the Tot Tunnel, presses buttons, races, and honks to lure monsters away. Switch between Danny and the Zoomer any time.
🤫 Quiet TimeANanny's red-light, green-light: her head spins 180°, she checks her line of sight (toy chests hide you), notices sprinting and investigates noises.
🏃 Running in the Halls!!Big Gobbo sleeps, stirs at noise, bursts out of the ball pit and hops after you along your own trail. The chase is tough but fair.
🧩 PuzzlesABreaker switches in Rainbow Song order, a race for a keycard, a combination lock, three switches around Tube Town, and a Golden Gear.
📖 ReadingA130 voiced lines with subtitles. Notes, crayon drawings and chalkboards tell the story of Project Playmate and the Joy Juice.
🎵 MusicA+An original soundtrack. The Gigglegear jingle comes back as a music box, a calliope, a lullaby, chase brass, elevator muzak and the credits theme.
🎬 Show & TellAAn opening cutscene of a night drive in the rain, with windshield wipers and a voicemail, plus jumpscares, scrolling credits and a post-credits scene.
⚙️ BehaviourAAutomatic checkpoints, Scene Select after you finish, full gamepad support, and options for display, volume, sensitivity, FOV, brightness, quality and subtitles.

Comments: Danny is a delight. We have missed him so very much. Please remind him that nobody leaves before pick-up time. — Mr. G

How to play

Alphabet Blocks

Keyboard and mouse or gamepad. Controls are the same in every chapter.

  • WASDMove
  • MouseLook
  • ShiftSprint
  • CtrlCrouch
  • SpaceJump · Honk
  • EUse · Pick up
  • FFlashlight
  • QDrive the Zoomer
  • RRecall Zoomer
  • TabObjective
  • EscPause
  • 🎮Gamepad ready

One chapter at a time

Cubbies

Chapter One is free. If enough of you want to go deeper, the next chapters will follow, sold one at a time.

Chapter 1

The Gigglegear Kindergarten entrance at night

Welcome Back

The lobby, the Roadway Playroom, the Nap Room, Gobbo's Gulp Pit, and a staff elevator going down.

FREE

Download

Chapter 2

Going Down...

Toby never left. He's been waiting downstairs. Just like you promised.

If you want it

Chapter 3

PLAYTIME

Nobody knows what's below the basement. Mr. Grinsley knows.

???

Want Chapter 2?

Bang on the staff elevator. Somebody downstairs might hear you.

Questions from parents

Parent–Teacher Night

Is Chapter One really free?

Yes. Chapter One: Welcome Back is completely free. Download it, play it, share it. If people want more, later chapters will be sold one at a time.

How scary is it?

It's mascot horror: creepy toys, dark hallways, chases and a few jumpscares. There's no gore. It's spooky-fun more than grim.

How long is Chapter One?

About 20–30 minutes on a first play, depending on how much you explore and how often the mascots catch you.

Does it save my progress?

Yes. Checkpoints save automatically, and Continue picks up where you left off. After you finish, Scene Select lets you replay any section.

Can I use a controller?

Yes. Every action works on a gamepad. You can also change sensitivity, FOV, brightness, quality, render scale and subtitles.

Can I play it on my phone?

Yes! Chapter One is coming to Android on Google Play and to iPhone and iPad on the App Store. It has touch controls with an on-screen joystick and buttons, big phone-friendly menus, and textures sized for phones. A controller works on phones too.

What phone do I need?

A recent mid-range or better phone. It's tested on a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. The Android download is about 200 MB.

Mac or Linux?

Windows, Android and iOS come first. Mac and Linux may come later if people ask for them.

Where do I download it?

The Windows version will be free on itch.io, and the phone versions will be on Google Play and the App Store. The doors aren't quite open yet. Check back soon!

Are the voices real actors?

The character voices are AI-generated with Google Gemini TTS, then shaped with custom effects for each mascot. Everything else, from the models to the music, was made for this game.

Nobody leaves before
pick-up time.

Chapter One: Welcome Back. Free, for Windows, Android and iPhone.

Download FREE Coming soon on itch.io
GET IT ONGoogle Play Download on theApp Store