Piglet, the tiny pink sidekick to author AA Milne’s Winnie The Pooh, is more horrific than wholesome in a 2003 game that sparked a frenzy on social media this week after being rediscovered.
Piglet’s Big Game — released as a tie-in with the Disney film Piglet’s BIG Adventure — follows the beloved character as he enters the dreams of his Winnie The Pooh friends.
In the past week, the game appears to have had a resurgence in popularity thanks to several posts which racked up millions of views on social media platform X.
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One user shared audio from the game’s soundtrack, titled Foreboding 1 in a YouTube video title.
Another person shared on X a glimpse into the game, which shows Piglet wandering through an empty mansion that seems rife for jump scares.
In the game’s narrative, Piglet observes his friends (Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, Rabbit and Roo) preoccupied by their various interests. For example, Pooh is shown attempting to get honey while the oft-depressed Eeyore mopes in his tent.
At some point in the game, Piglet realises his friends have all fallen asleep and he must then enter their dreams to complete tasks and help them wake up.
Search interest in the game has grown since it began getting posted about on X on November 7, according to Google Trends. Interest also spiked on eBay, with gamers captivated by how a cute cartoon somehow became the subject of such a creepy, horror-esque game.
About 60 copies of the game have been sold on the online resale site since posts started gaining traction. In the weeks before the newfound attention, between zero and two games were being sold per month on average.
The game’s recent popularity online is the latest example of gamer nostalgia, in which consumers seek to recreate the rush of playing their favourite older titles on early-era consoles. In recent years, video game publishers have cashed in on the growing interest among gamers to tap into the past by releasing remastered titles, including Spyro The Dragon, the Crash Bandicoot series and Tomb Raider titles.
Piglet’s Big Game was released on the GameCube, PlayStation 2, GameBoy Advanced, Mac and PC, but each iteration varies in gameplay. Before the buzz on X, copies of the game sold for about $20 to $30, with some going for as low as $6. Now, the copies are selling for $70 or more.
Many gamers who saw the viral videos drew comparisons to popular horror games they play regularly.
“As someone who’s actually played Piglet’s Big Game, the best way you can describe it is baby’s first Resident Evil and/or Silent Hill and no, I am not exaggerating,” one person wrote on X, referencing two of the largest mature-rated horror games franchises.
Some shared clips from the game that underscore why they think it belongs in the horror genre. One X user posted a video in which the often-timid Piglet is seen quivering with fear as he runs through what appears to be an abandoned child’s room.
Another person referenced “sound designed to inject horror” such as hearing heffalumps — elephant-like creatures which feature in Pooh’s nightmares — before gamers actually see them.
Another X user pointed out the game’s eerie soundtrack, asking the creative lead of the remastered horror title Silent Hill 2, Mateusz Lenart, if he was inspired by Piglet’s Big Game when composing Chthonic Symphony.
Lenart did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Disney Games also did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the recent interest in Piglet’s Big Game.
Developer Doki Denki Studio and publisher Gotham Games both appear to be defunct.