Five Nights At Freddy’s has had its animatronic strength grip on the world of Indie horror games for over 7 years now. From its humble origins of a developer about to give up to 8 games and an upcoming AAA game release. With FNAF: Security Breach on the horizon now’s the perfect time to rank the previous 8 main games.
Let’s dive right into the ranking from worst to best.
FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S 3
FNAF 3 is the margarita pizza of the series. It’s a bit plain but it does the job. I’m almost willing to forgive the mediocrity due to the inclusion of Springtrap. An amazingly designed character with good, intriguing lore. Unfortunately, he’s stuck in what feels like a fan version of an FNAF game.
The scares aren’t up to par with the previous 2 games. His jump scares don’t pack any punch. There are other enemies but instead of death, they mess with your controls. This turns what should be fun and challenging into an annoyance. I think the vent mechanics work in other games but here it’s not
It’s a genuine shame that the hype was simply not met.
FREDDY FAZBEAR’S PIZZERIA SIMULATOR
This is a strange instalment in the series. Tonally it was an odd mix. It had cutesy fun cartoon characters while also mixing it with tension filled horror sections.
I personally like the humorous simulation part of the game but the fans did not. The concepts it created were interesting, but the execution was messy. I admit that it does feel like several small games glued together.
ULTIMATE CUSTOM NIGHT
It’s fitting that it’s called Ultimate custom night as this is the Ultimate FNAF game. Every single animatronic from the series is there. It’s a love letter to the fans of the game. It’s the biggest game in terms of enemies. The fun comes from customizing your own personal FNAF level. With over 50 characters and different difficulty settings, it’s a fun little pick and mix horror game.
However, if you like completing games you’re not going to like this one. To get the real ending you have to complete 50/20 mode. A notoriously impossible mode. The bragging rights for completing this mode are simply not worth it. With more mysterious backstory clues and injokes that only fans would get it ends up being a game for the most diehard of fans. It’s a game for the fans and the fans alone.
FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S 4
This is by far the scariest game in the franchise. As a horror nerd, I both hate and adore this game. The designs are gorgeous. They’re exactly what you expect when you hear the words ‘nightmare animatronics’. This game probably has the worst jump scares, in part to their design and in part to the way the game makes you helpless. You play as a child, listening against a door for any sounds to indicate their presence. With only a flashlight to defend yourself. It’s simple, effortless horror.
One downside is that the gameplay is a little tricky to manage, especially when the difficulty increases. By the time it’s night five you feel like you’re running about the room like a headless chicken. It can be a little tiring but all in all it’s a strong FNAF game.
FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S
There’s a reason this is the game that kickstarted a new generation of indie horror games. It’s beautifully simplistic with enough of a mystery to hook fans.
The game is dripping with an uncanny valley child-friendly atmosphere. No game had exploited this before and Scott made it work. The game is known for its jump scares, but it does build tension with the help of the security cameras and the creepy buzzing of an office soundscape. This game took a simple concept and went running with it. It’s easy to look back fondly on the game that started it all.
FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S 2
FNAF 2 came out only four months after the release of the first game. The momentum from the first game was still steamrolling, so this game had everyone’s excitement to the maximum. FNAF 2 went bigger and harder than the first game in so many ways. Suddenly it went from 4 enemies to 11, the protective doors had been ripped away and it threw people into a totally new location. It made the familiar feel so different in the best way.
The animatronics had a fun mix of designs, ranging between creepy and creepily child friendly. The gameplay was challenging but not impossible. It was a perfect game sequel that answered a few questions from the first game but asked many more.
SISTER LOCATION
I believe Sister Location is the best FNAF game. Scott Cawthon had a budget for this game, and he used it. He brought everything to the table with this game. The atmosphere is the sharpest it’s ever been. There’s a perfect balance of humour and genuinely skin-crawling moments. And to top it all off the well-designed animatronics have perfectly cast voice actors. They up the creepiness, they up the character designs and they up the lore.
The game puts you in the shoes of the main character as you’re allowed to walk around the building and interact with the different sections of the ‘Fun time Auditorium’. You have to work harder to avoid getting spotted by these enemies. It deviates a lot from the original games and it takes a lot of risks by doing things differently but it absolutely works in its favour.
This has been my ranking of the FNAF games. Do you agree? Drop a comment below and tell us if you agree.
