The Smiling Critters are the colourful toy characters from the horror game Poppy Playtime, where their cute, plush designs contrast sharply with the game's dark setting. That contrast helped them spread widely in fan animations, short videos and horror edits, with smaller mini versions becoming a popular twist for creators who want the same characters in a cuter, more compact form. Compilations of their jumpscare screams are now reused as quick shock sounds, because the familiar faces make the sudden screams feel both funny and unsettling at the same time.