Fnaf, which stands for Five Nights at Freddy's, is an internationally renowned franchise comprising a series of horror video games developed by Scott Cawthon. The setting of the games is Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, a fictitious pizzeria where the player assumes the role of a night guard tasked with surviving five nights of horror at the hands of the animatronic creatures that roam the establishment. The gameplay incorporates aspects of point-and-click, survival horror, and stealth, requiring the player to utilize various instruments such as doors, cameras, and lights in order to evade the animatronics' attacks.
Five Nights at Freddy's, the inaugural installment in the series, debuted in 2014 to critical acclaim for its innovative elements, eerie ambiance, and jump scares. The game introduces the series' principal characters, including the enigmatic Golden Freddy and Bonnie, Chica, Foxy, and Freddy Fazbear. In addition, the game establishes the series' mythology by alluding to a somber past replete with murders, hauntings, and conspiracies that occurred beneath the pizzeria. There have been numerous adaptations, spin-offs, and sequels to the game, including merchandise, comic books, films, and television series.
The following titles are among the most notable in the series:
- Five Nights at Freddy's 2 (2014): A prequel to the original game in which Toy Freddy, Toy Bonnie, Toy Chica, Mangle, Balloon Boy, and The Puppet are among the new animatronics introduced. In addition, a custom night mode is included, allowing the user to modify the difficulty of every animatronic.
- Five Nights at Freddy's 3 (2015): Set thirty years later in a horror attraction inspired by the pizzeria, this installment is the sequel to the original. Springtrap, an animatronic in a state of decay, is introduced in the game. It harbors the remains of a serial murderer. Additionally, the game incorporates minigames that provide further insights into the series' backstory.
- Five Nights at Freddy's 4 (2015): The concluding chapter, set in a child's nightmare, of the original narrative. Nightmare variants of the animatronics are introduced in the game; they are more twisted and terrifying than ever before. Additionally, the identity of the Bite Victim, a child who was injured by an animatronic in 1983, is revealed in the game.
- Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location (2016): A spin-off game set at Circus Baby's Entertainment and Rental, a sister location of the pizzeria. New animatronics, including Circus Baby, Ballora, Funtime Freddy, Funtime Foxy, and Ennard, are introduced in the game. Aside from voice acting, the game also features multiple endings.
- Five Nights at Freddy's: Pizzeria Simulator (2017): A simulation game in which the player interacts with new animatronics including Lefty, Scrap Baby, Molten Freddy, and Scraptrap. In a concealed survival mode of the game, the player must complete objectives while fending off animatronics.
- In 2018, Five Nights at Freddy's debuted as Ultimate Custom Night. A fan-service game that allows the user to customize more than fifty animatronics from previous installments. Aside from voice acting, the game also includes a variety of challenges.
- Help Wanted: Five Nights at Freddy's VR (2019): A virtual reality game in which some iconic scenarios from previous games are reimagined alongside brand-new ones. Glitchtrap, a digital embodiment of the serial murderer that attempts to possess the player, is also introduced in the game.
- An augmented reality game, Five Nights at Freddy's AR: Special Delivery (2019) provides players with the opportunity to interact with animatronics in their physical surroundings. The game also includes a multiplayer mode in which players can receive or dispatch animatronics to their friends.
- Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach (2021): The forthcoming installment in the Freddy Fazbear's Mega Pizza Plex-themed futuristic megamall series. New animatronics, including Glamrock Freddy, Glamrock Chica, Montgomery Gator, Roxanne Wolf, and Vanny, will be incorporated into the game.
Millions of fans have been enthralled by the FNAF video game series due to its distinctive gameplay, immersive narrative, and memorable characters. In addition to being frightening, the games are intriguing and captivating.
