What Is Five Nights at Freddy’s?
FNAF or Five Nights at Freddy is a mythical indie horror game designed by Scott Cawthon. The game was released in 2014 and puts you in a small dimly-lit security office in the Pizza owned by Freddy Fazbear where surviving five nights becomes an anxiety-inducing nightmare in terms of alertness, timing and resource use.
FNAF focuses on suspense and not action. You are Mike Schmidt, a security guard who works from 12:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. The animatronic mascots wander throughout the building every night and in case they appear in your office, then it is game over. It is very easy, you see, you have five nights to survive. That is where the fear comes in on how you do it.
How to Play FNAF
FNAF takes place entirely inside your security office. You can’t walk around instead, you rely on security cameras, door lights, and steel doors to protect yourself.
The catch? Everything drains power. Cameras use power. Lights use power. Doors use a lot of power. Run out of electricity, and Freddy takes over.
Every decision matters. Check cameras too often, and you waste energy. Don’t check them enough, and an animatronic might already be at your door.
Game Controls
FNAF keeps controls extremely simple, which makes the fear feel even more intense.
- Mouse - Look around the office
- Left Click - Check security cameras, toggle lights, open or close doors, interact with office controls
The Iconic Animatronics
The horrors of FNAF are mostly based on its memorable characters:
- Freddy Fazbear - The owner of the whole franchise - a brown bear. Silent, patient, and fatal in disregard.
- Bonnie - A purple bunny and one of the most aggressive animatronics, that tends to move at the beginning of the night.
- Chica - A chicken animatronic, who constantly attacks and haunts.
- Foxy - A pirate fox which lives in Pirate Cove, quick and unpredictable unless closely monitored.
Every animatronic acts in a different manner meaning that you need to change your strategy on a night-to-night basis.
History and Reception
Five Nights at Freddy was released in 2014 and it was praised due to its originality and atmosphere. Although it had few visuals, the critics have applauded its effect of generating fear. The game received a positive rating in such sites as Metacritic and was covered by the media such as PC Gamer.
The game soon had an enormous following on YouTube, with personalities such as Markiplier and PewDiePie contributing to the game found on millions of computers all over the world. FNAF became more than a game, and FNAF fan theories, lore deconstructs, and discussions became a cultural moment.