I made this toy because I met my best friend through a TRPG game, and this Wendigo was our favorite NPC. Over time we kept joking about it and building stories around it. After the game ended, I wanted to keep something to remember it.
The toy is fully poseable, with movable ears, spine, legs, tail, and neck. Since both of us love collecting accessories, I specifically designed it so it could wear different outfits like earrings and styles. It’s more like a character you can take care of and let live on in your daily life. Or even bringing it along on trips like a little mascot.
I used to think toys were just for kids, but after watching Cas Holman’s documentary and reading the articles from class, I started to understand what play actually means. Cas Holman once said, “Design isn’t about giving kids the right way to play—it’s about giving them space to invent their own play.” I think the way I designed this toy fits into that idea. There’s no fixed way to play with the Wendigo—it can be a plush, a display piece, a creepy character in pretend play, or a companion—it depends entirely on how we imagine it.
I designed lies in its openness and sense of participation. It’s not a toy with strict rules or functions but more like an invitation—to keep interacting with the character and telling its story. That’s something I learned from TRPGs too. In a tabletop roleplaying game, characters and stories are shaped by the players. I think toys can work the same way. I didn’t add sound chips or gimmicks but instead focused on structure and materials that invite storytelling.
What I’m most proud of is that it really looks like the NPC we imagined—not perfect or traditionally “pretty,” but very real. It’s a part of our shared story. To others, it might just be a weird little thing, but to the two of us, it’s like a secret language only we understand.