Five Nights at Freddy's: Secret of the Mimic June 13, 2025; 5 months ago (2025-06-13)
Five Nights at Freddy's (FNaF) is a video game series andmedia franchise created byScott Cawthon that includes video games, novels, graphic novels, and films. The story arcs typically follow a night guard or other character trying to survive from midnight to 6 a.m. for five levels, called "nights", while fending off attacks from homicidalanimatronic characters. Each game is set in a different location connected to a fictional pizza restaurant franchise called "Freddy Fazbear's Pizza". The core gameplay mechanics involve using tools effectively and managing limited resources to avoid being caught by the animatronics.
Cawthon conceived the idea forthe first video game after his family-friendly resource management game,Chipper & Sons Lumber Co., was criticized for the resemblance of its characters to frightening animatronics. Responding to this feedback, he developed a game that focused on horror. Released in August 2014, the game's success prompted the development of sequels. Cawthon created most of the games himself using game engineClickteam Fusion, but partnered withSteel Wool Studios to create various entries in the series, includingan open-world game anda virtual reality anthology. Severalspin-offs were created in collaboration with groups such as Illumix andMega Cat Studios.
The series has a mixed critical reception, with praise for its storytelling and atmosphere but criticism for its gameplay. It has achieved significant commercial success, with merchandise available internationally. The franchise has garnered acult following that produces numerous forms offan media.
Origin and development
The concept forFive Nights at Freddy's stemmed from the negative reception of Scott Cawthon's earlier game,Chipper & Sons Lumber Co.,[1] where players said that the main character resembled a "scary animatronic animal."[2] Initially discouraged by the criticism, Cawthon, who had predominantly createdChristian-oriented games, leveraged this feedback to develop something intentionally frightening.[1]Five Nights at Freddy's was released on August 8, 2014, viaDesura,[3] followed by aSteam release after gaining approval through thecrowdsourcing platform Greenlight.[4] The game rapidly gained popularity after being showcased by prominentYouTubers.[2]
Following its success, the franchise expanded rapidly, earning aGuinness World Record for "most video game sequels in a single year" for the games released between August 2014 and June 2015.[5] Cawthon usedClickteam Fusion 2.5 for game development andAutodesk 3ds Max for 3D graphics.[6] SinceHelp Wanted in 2019, Cawthon has worked with game development company Steel Wool Studios.[7][8] Ports forFive Nights at Freddy's,Five Nights at Freddy's 2,Five Nights at Freddy's 3, andFive Nights at Freddy's 4 onPlayStation 4,Xbox One, andNintendo Switch were released on November 29, 2019.[9] In 2021, following backlash regarding donations to members of theRepublican Party, Cawthon announced his retirement from the franchise, stating that someone of his choosing would be "running the show" from then on.[10]
Five Nights at Freddy's was released forMicrosoft Windows on August 8, 2014,[3] followed by ports forAndroid andiOS on August 27 and September 11, respectively.[11] The game follows the security guard Mike Schmidt, as he tries to survive his shift at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza that lasts from midnight to6:00 a.m. without being killed by the homicidal animatronic characters that wander thepizzeria at night.[12]
Five Nights at Freddy's 2 was teased shortly after the release of the first game.[13] A trailer was released on October 21, 2014,[14] and it was released for Microsoft Windows on November 11, 2014 through Steam,[15] and for Android and iOS on November 13 and 20, 2014, respectively.[16][17] The game, largely inspired by its predecessor, follows Jeremy Fitzgerald, the newplayer character, as he tries to survive his shift at the "new and improved" Freddy Fazbear's Pizza without being attacked by any of the ten animatronics that wander from room to room.[1][18]
Five Nights at Freddy's 3 was teased on Cawthon's website in January 2015,[19] and a trailer was released on January 26, 2015.[20] The game launched on March 3, 2015, on Microsoft Windows, with Android and iOS ports following on March 6 and 12, respectively.[21][22] It follows a night guard at a soon-to-openhorror attraction based on Freddy Fazbear's Pizza called "Fazbear's Fright",[23] who must survive the night against only one animatronic, called Springtrap.[24]
Five Nights at Freddy's 4 was teased in April 2015 as "The Final Chapter",[25] its release date set as that Halloween.[26] A trailer was released in July, and its release date was advanced to August 8.[27][28] However, Cawthon announced that he had finished it on July 23, on which date he released it on Steam.[29] Android and iOS ports were released on July 25 and August 4, respectively.[30][31] The game follows an unnamed child in his bedroom as "nightmare animatronics" attack the two doors on the left and right of the room, which the player must use to defend against them.[32]
Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location was teased in April 2016 with the tagline "there was never just one",[33] and a trailer was uploaded on May 21.[34] It was released on Steam on October 7, 2016, with apatch released shortly after to alleviate night four's difficulty.[35] Android and iOS ports were released on December 22, 2016, and January 3, 2017, respectively.[36][37] Unlike previous entries where players are confined to a single room, players must move between rooms and complete tasks.[38]
Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria Simulator followed an announcement by Cawthon in July 2017 that a sixth game was in development but ultimately canceled.[39] He releasedFreddy Fazbear's Pizzeria Simulator on December 4, 2017, asfreeware on Steam after teasing it several days earlier.[40] It is asimulation game in which the player manages a pizzeria during the day and fends off animatronics at night.[41]
Ultimate Custom Night was released asfreeware. The customizable night contains a total of fifty animatronics from previous games, which allows the player to determine how aggressive they are during the night.[42] The player can select the office to play in, unlockcutscenes, and choose from 16 themed game modes available.[43]
Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted was announced duringSony Interactive Entertainment'sState of Play livestream on March 25, 2019. It was released on May 28 forOculus Rift andHTC Vive on Windows and PlayStation VR headsets on the PlayStation 4. It was developed in collaboration between Cawthon and Steel Wool Studios,[44] with other studios giving further support.[45] Cawthon initially proposed recreating the originalFive Nights at Freddy's inVR, but the game turned into ananthology of minigames based on the first five games in the series.[44]
Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach was announced with a teaser trailer on September 16, 2020, slated for initial release on PC, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 in the year.[46] However, it was delayed many times,[47] until a release date of December 16, 2021 was set.[48] It is the second collaboration between Steel Wool Studios and Cawthon.[8] The game follows Gregory, a young boy trapped in a massive entertainment complex known as Freddy Fazbear's Mega Pizzaplex who must complete tasks while avoiding the free-roam animatronics that surveil the complex.[49]
Freedownloadable content forSecurity Breach, titledRuin, was announced in May 2022.[50] It was released on July 25, 2023 on PC, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5,[51] with Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S versions released on April 23, 2024.[52]
Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted 2 is a direct sequel ofHelp Wanted. Announced on May 24, 2023, where it was scheduled for release in December 2023,[53] the game was released on December 14 for theOculus Quest and PlayStation VR 2.[54] A non-VR port for PlayStation 5 was released on June 20, 2024.[55] The game features minigames based onSister Location andSecurity Breach, and was made by Steel Wool Studios.[56]
Five Nights at Freddy's: Secret of the Mimic, the eleventh main installment, was announced on August 6, 2024, with a trailer shown on theState of Play livestream in February 2025. The game was developed by Steel Wool Studios.[57] It was released on June 13, 2025 for PlayStation 5 and Windows.[58]
Spin-off games
FNaF World was announced on September 15, 2015.[59] Unlike the main series, the game is arole-playing video game using previous games' characters. Players must fight enemies and progress by unlocking perks anditems.[60] Originally planned for release on February 2, 2016, Cawthon rescheduled the release for January 22 and released it on January 21.[61]
Five Nights at Freddy's AR: Special Delivery, anaugmented reality game withlocation-based gameplay, was announced on September 13, 2019.[62] Developed by Illumix, a video game startup company,[63] the game was released for free in November 2019. Its servers were shut down on March 14, 2024.[64]
Freddy in Space 2 is aside-scrollingplatformshooter game and a sequel to a mini-game fromFNaF World. It was released for free on December 3, 2019, onGame Jolt. The game was made to promote a charity livestream hosted by the Game Theorists YouTube channel.[65]
Security Breach: Fury's Rage is a freeside-scrollingbeat 'em up game featuring the main cast ofSecurity Breach, set in city streets. The game was made to compensate for the release ofSecurity Breach being delayed for a second time and was released for free on Game Jolt on April 28, 2021.[66]
Freddy in Space 3: Chica in Space is a side-scrolling platform shooter game and a sequel toFreddy in Space 2. It was released on October 18, 2023, under the titleFNAF: The Movie: The Game, and developed by Cawthon, who claimed it aspoiler-heavytie-in to theFive Nights at Freddy's film. It was released for free on Game Jolt.[67]
Five Laps at Freddy's is akart racing game based on characters fromFive Nights at Freddy's.[71] It was announced on June 19, 2024, to coincide with the series' 10th anniversary.[72]
Five Nights at Freddy's: Survival Crew is an unreleased officialRoblox adaptation of the series, accidentally released in an unfinished state by its developers, Metaverse Team Frights, on December 20, 2023. The game was immediately taken down after major backlash and Cawthon promised the game would be released in a functional state sometime in 2024.[73][74] In the short time the game was released, players described the gameplay as similar to the cooperative horror game,Dead by Daylight.[75]
Fazbear Fanverse
On August 21, 2020, Cawthon announced his plan to help fund and publishFive Nights at Freddy's games developed by fans, bundled with previous installments in their respective series.[76][77] Games published under this initiative include theOne Night at Flumpty's series, theFive Nights at Candy's series, thePopgoes series, andThe Joy of Creation.[78][79] Cawthon stated that these games will come to other platforms, such as mobile and consoles, and may have merchandise created for them.[76][80] The first game to be released under this initiative was a port ofOne Night at Flumpty's for Android and iOS on October 31 and November 18, 2020, respectively, followed by two of its sequels in 2021 on the same platforms.[77][81][82]
Other media
Novels
Starting in 2015,Five Nights at Freddy's has been the subject of three major novels published by Scholastic, the first of which beingFive Nights at Freddy's: The Silver Eyes, which released on Amazon Kindle on December 17, 2015,[83] and on paperback on September 27, 2016. Cawthon said that the novel "expands the mythos and reveals a human element never before seen in the games".[84][85]Five Nights at Freddy's: The Twisted Ones andFive Nights at Freddy's: The Fourth Closet followed,[86] released on June 27, 2017,[87] and June 26, 2018, respectively.[86] Additionally, many book series comprising short stories inspired by the games have been released, such asFazbear Frights[70] andTales from the Pizzaplex.[88]
Afilm adaptation based on the game series was released for streaming onPeacock and theatrically in the United States on October 27, 2023, byUniversal Pictures.[89] Directed by Emma Tammi, who co-wrote the screenplay with Cawthon and Seth Cuddeback,[90] the film starsJosh Hutcherson.[91]Five Nights at Freddy's received generally negative reviews from critics,[92][93] but was a commercial success, becoming Blumhouse Productions' highest-grossing film worldwide with nearly $300 million.[94] A sequel,Five Nights at Freddy's 2, is scheduled to be released on December 5, 2025.[95][96]
Common elements
Gameplay
The games in theFive Nights at Freddy's series aresurvival horror.[97][98] Players typically assume the role of a nighttime security guard at an establishment or other location connected to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, a fictional pizzeria chain.[1] The objective is to monitor and survive the movements of homicidal animatronic characters that roam these establishments after hours. Players must survive from midnight to 6 a.m. for five shifts—referred to as "nights"—[99] while managing a limited-use resource that, if depleted, leaves them vulnerable. These resources vary by game: for example, limited power inFive Nights at Freddy's,[1] failing systems that require rebooting inFive Nights at Freddy's 3,[100] and control of a friendly animatronic called Glamrock Freddy—who requires hourly recharging—inSecurity Breach.[101] As the nights progress, the animatronics become more aggressive. If the player is unable to defend themselves from the animatronics, they arejumpscared and receive agame over.[102] If they successfully survive for five nights, they win the game.[2]
In many entries in the series, players use security cameras to track the animatronics' movements throughout the building.[a]Five Nights at Freddy's 2 introduces a music box mechanic, which must be kept wound via the camera feed to prevent the Puppet animatronic from activating.[106] InFive Nights at Freddy's 3, the cameras monitor a single animatronic, Springtrap, and include an audio system that can be used to lure him to different areas.[23]Security Breach's camera system is accessed through Gregory's watch.[49] Lights are another recurring mechanic, often used to ward off animatronics or alert players to their presence.[b] Doors also appear frequently, allowing players to block away the animatronics in games such asFive Nights at Freddy's,[111]Five Nights at Freddy's 4,[32] andHelp Wanted.[105]
TheFive Nights at Freddy's series mainly revolves around a chain of family restaurants under the ownership of Fazbear Entertainment, a company founded by Henry Emily and William Afton. The latter is a robotics engineer who creates a series ofanimatronic mascots to entertain customers. The four animatronics appearing in most restaurants consist of Freddy Fazbear, a brown bear and the namesake of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, Bonnie, an indigo rabbit,Chica, a yellow chicken, and Foxy, a red pirate fox. Other animatronics include the Puppet, the ghostlike Golden Freddy, Freddy's predecessor Fredbear, and Circus Baby,[112] the mascot of the restaurant's sister location, Circus Baby's Pizza World. William is also anegligent father andchild murderer who hides his victims' bodies inside animatronics, which their souls inhabit; he specifically designs Circus Baby to be capable of murdering children, which leads to the accidental death of his own daughter, Elizabeth.[112]
William's direct murder victims start with his co-worker Henry's daughter[c] and expand to include five children visiting the restaurants with their families.[113] Meanwhile, an incident involving William's youngest son being shoved into Fredbear's mouth by his older brother Michael results in the closure of Fredbear's Family Diner, a predecessor location.[112] After accidentally murdering his brother, Michael begins seeking redemption, starting with recovering the remains of his sister.[112] After the closure of a Freddy Fazbear's Pizza location, William dismantles the remaining animatronics in a backroom, releasing the souls that inhabit them who proceed to torment him. Seeking refuge from the ghosts, William hides inside the Spring Bonnie suit. Shortly after, the suit's mechanisms fail and snap shut, crushing William to death as his soul inhabits the animatronic, becoming abionicrevenant called Springtrap.[113] Some time after, the whole restaurant chain shuts down.[112]
Thirty years later, a horror attraction based on the restaurant chain known as Fazbear's Fright is constructed and leads to Springtrap's excavation; a fire destroys the attraction before it can open to the public. The destruction frees the souls of William's first five victims and destroys the original mascots, though Springtrap escapes. Some time after the fire, Henry lures Springtrap and all animatronics that were not destroyed in Fazbear's Fright into a single pizzeria. With help from Michael, Henry sets fire to the restaurant and destroys every animatronic inside, freeing the souls of the children that inhabited them, including Elizabeth. The fire also kills Henry, Michael, and William.[112][113][114] Afterwards, William is trapped and tormented in a personalizedhell by various animatronics.[115] Years later, Fazbear Entertainment is re-founded and releases an in-universe virtual reality experience based on the past of a new restaurant, in an effort to convince the public the company's previous controversies were merely fiction.[116]
TheFive Nights at Freddy's video game series has a mixed reception. The original game received "generally favorable" reviews, earning a score of 78 on thereview aggregator websiteMetacritic.[117] Omri Petitte ofPC Gamer described it as a “less-is-more” experience, where fear stemmed more from anticipation than direct threats. However, Petitte said the gameplay became repetitive once its mechanics were mastered.[99]GameRevolution's Ryan Bates commended the game's audio design and simple yet effective mechanics, calling it "horror done right," though he found the experience too short.[12]
Subsequent entries saw divided responses. Five Nights at Freddy's 2 received a Metacritic score of 62,[118] with reviewers fromDestructoid andTouchArcade finding its introduction of new mechanics and animatronics creatively enriching,[125][126] though Mitch Vogel ofNintendo Life found the difficulty punishing and the jumpscares excessive.[127]Five Nights at Freddy's 3, which earned a Metacritic score of 68,[119] maintained the franchise's core formula but updated its camera system; Petitte appreciated these improvements but felt the phantom animatronics fell short of their older counterparts.[128] Nic Rowen ofDestructoid found it mechanically solid yet lacking the charm of earlier entries.[129]Five Nights at Freddy's 4, earned the series's lowest Metacritic score of 51 and divided reviewers further—[120]The Escapist andGamezebo highlighted its darker tone, emotional subtext, and scare factor,[130][131] but others, like Rowen, called its gameplay confusing and encountered technical issues.[109]
Reviews forSister Location were again mixed, with Metacritic assigning a score of 62.[121] Patricia Hernandez ofKotaku called it Scott Cawthon's "most ambitious game yet," praising its production value,[132] while Rowen and William Hughes ofThe A.V. Club highlighted the improved mobility and task-based gameplay.[5][133] Other critics, such as Angelo M. D'Argenio ofGameCrate, argued the difficulty was unbalanced, likening each night to its own tutorial,[134] while Rowen criticized night four as a frustrating obstacle.[5] Additionally, outlets likeRock Paper Shotgun andGameCrate applaudedFreddy Fazbear's Pizzeria Simulator's blend of business simulation and survival horror,[135][136] whilePC Gamer describedUltimate Custom Night as an inventive twist on the franchise's standard gameplay loop.[137]
Later titles continued to have mixed feedback.Help Wanted received praise for its use of virtual reality,[138] with thePlayStation 4 version earning a Metacritic score of 80.[122] Reviewers highlighted its atmosphere and blending of old and new content.[139] However, non-VR ports were criticized—Nintendo Life rated the Switch version poorly, citing the loss of VR functionality as a major drawback.[116]Security Breach, which was assigned a score of 64 by Metacritic,[123] drew attention for its larger scope and visuals,[140] but faced criticism for technical issues and a clunky save system by critics such asBen Croshaw ofThe Escapist.[141] Meanwhile,Into the Pit, based on the franchise's extended universe, was positively received for its innovation yet adherence to the tone of the original series.[142][143] It received the series's highest Metacritic score of 87.[124]
Film adaptation
The film adaptation ofFive Nights at Freddy's received negative reviews. Metacritic assigned the film a score of 33 out of 100, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.[144] Murtada Elfadl ofVariety criticized the film as not utilizing its setting, writing that the sets lacked color and missed the potential appeal of a haunted pizzeria.[145] Benjamin Lee ofThe Guardian said that the premise called back to the horror films of the 1980s, but said that this effect was diminished by a boring protagonist. The reviewer found the setting interesting, but disliked the script and felt that the plot lacked tension.[146] Simon Abrams ofRogerEbert.com gave the film two stars out of four, saying that it was able to form an effective atmosphere, though it created an unenjoyable experience by not giving characters enough development. He cited the actors Josh Hutcherson andMatthew Lillard as demonstrating feelings that weren't adequately described through the script, finding the overall experience unmemorable.[147]
Legacy
A duet of cosplayers atWonderCon 2022 dressed as Withered Bonnie (Five Nights at Freddy's 2, left background) and Ignited Freddy (The Joy of Creation, right foreground)
Since the release of the first game, popular video creators such asPewDiePie,Markiplier, andJacksepticeye have garnered millions of views on their playthroughs of the series, which helped the games receive additional attention.[2][1] In May 2015, YouTube reported that videos of theFive Nights at Freddy's series were the platform's eighth-most-watched playthroughs.[148] The interpretive,non-linear, and cryptic narrative ofFive Nights at Freddy's is a popular topic for fans to discuss and debate;[2] this, along with YouTube channels such asThe Game Theorists, who featureFive Nights at Freddy's-related videos with the goal of decoding the lore of the franchise,[149] contribute to an immensely dedicated fandom.[150] In 2023, theFNaF series on the Game Theorists had over 60 videos and 800 million views combined.[2]
Thegame mechanics ofFive Nights at Freddy's have inspired the creation of thousands offan games.[77] Their prevalence ledGame Jolt to categorizeFNaF-inspired projects as a separate genre to better organize its content.[151] The franchise has also influenced music, with fan-made songs, such as those byThe Living Tombstone, garnering hundreds of millions of views. TheirfirstFNaF song was featured in theclosing credits of the film adaptation.[152] Additionally, a range of toys and collectibles has been released,[153] withFunko andTodd McFarlane among the major producers.[5][154] A themed attraction based on the film is set to appear atUniversal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights in 2025.[155]
Notes
^Specifically, inFive Nights at Freddy's,[12]Five Nights at Freddy's 2,[103]Five Nights at Freddy's 3,[23]Ultimate Custom Night,[104]Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted,[105] andFive Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach[49]
^Specifically, inFive Nights at Freddy's,[107]Five Nights at Freddy's 2,[108]Five Nights at Freddy's 4,[109]Help Wanted,[105] andSecurity Breach.[110]
^"Five Nights at Freddy's".Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. October 27, 2023.Archived from the original on October 26, 2023. RetrievedDecember 7, 2023.
Clarke, M.J; Wang, Cynthia; et al. (John Vanderhoef, Bonnie Ruberg, Betsy Brey, Emilie Reed, Kevin Rutherford, Cody Mejeur, Aaron Trammell, Patrick Davison) (April 16, 2020). "Five Nights at Fan Games: Feminism, Fan Labor, and Five Nights at Freddy's".Indie Games in the Digital Age. Bloomsbury USA Children's Books.ISBN9781501356445.
.jpg)
