TheFive Nights at Freddy’sfranchise has been around for a decade (at the time of this writing), with its first title launching on August 13, 2025. There isn’t a doubt that the indie horror genre in the video game industry changed in a scary good way. With multiplespin-off games, countless novels, twoHollywoodfilms, and even a cookbook (yes, you’re reading that correctly), the franchise has cemented its place within the entertainment industry.
Five Nights at Freddy’s Series Teases Newest Installment with Fan-Favorite Character
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Secret of the Mimic will travel back to 1979 to explore the origins of the Mimic.
With ten mainline titles in the Five Nights at Freddy’sfranchise, the latest installment being Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach in 2021, its impact has shaped a generation of horror games in a way that is commendable, regardless of how you feel about the franchise itself.
The games below qualify as a mainline title because of their stories and numerical placement from Scott Cawthon. Spin-offs and DLC weren’t considered or had any influence in the listing.
10Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria Simulator
Lore Yourself into this Simulation
Platform(s)
Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Developer(s)
Scott Cawthon
When it comes to misleading audiences, Scott Cawthon delivered his seemingly disguised sixth installment underneath a simple 8-bit restaurant tycoon title. The game starts off with the player tasked with running the pizzeria and increasing the revenue in the effort of not being sued or going bankrupt. Once finished at the pizzeria, however, the player is forced to fend for themselves against animatronics while completing tasks on the computer. There is an unsettling feeling surrounding the pizzeria simulator that translates relatively well into the traditional office setting at night.
Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria Simulator proves itself to be a hidden gem among fans, given its horror aspect and creepy ambiance built around the two different gameplay styles. In terms of lore, this title has a lot of substance, especially with the multiple endings. However, several story and gameplay elements, especially in the office, felt less developed, leaving much to be desired.
9Ultimate Custom Night
Customize Your Nightmare to Your Liking (or Unliking)
2025-07-03
Being that this title was the last installment published by ScottGames, it’s no surprise that players got the biggest customizable experience with Ultimate Custom Night.The game brings all the animatronics from the previous Five Nights at Freddy’s titles (1-6), as well as a few other characters like Dee Dee and Old Man Consequences from FNAF World. In total, there are over 50 animatronics, with a majority of them being customizable based on difficulty.
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted Now Terrorizing Switch
The game is basically an amalgamation of the previous series entries rolled into one customized nightmare (in a good way). The title pushes the limits of its engine, but in terms of gameplay, it can be overwhelming to deal with so many characters and repeat the night over and over again. However, the nostalgic aspect of seeing the characters all in one game is something that can be a seller for those who love the franchise and the lore of it all.
8Five Nights At Freddy’s: Help Wanted 2
More Minigames Equals More Fun
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted 2
This entry is the latest installment in the Five Nights at Freddy’sseries, having come out in December 2023 for VR and in June 2024 for non-VR players. Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted 2is the predecessor to the first VR entry in the FNAF series, Help Wanted, but the story itself takes place between Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breachand its DLC, RUIN. The game has a total of 40 playable levels, with the difficulty ranking up as you progress further on.
The reason this title is in the place that it is, despite its positive reception, is that it lacks the horror aspects that the previous games had. While the argument about VR is a valid one, being that it’s not as accessible or appealing to some, the game has made its launch onto PlayStation 5 and PC, which gives those who don’t have access to VR headsets a chance to play the game for themselves.
7Five Nights At Freddy’s 2
Double Trouble
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2follows the new night guard, Jeremy, as he monitors the newly updated Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. Nothing out of the ordinary at all…except the new and old animatronics roaming around the building. The game brings players a new experience with the ability to use an empty Freddy Fazbear head to fool animatronic characters that make their way into the office.
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach Special Edition Up for Pre-Order
The sequel is easier than the others, but that doesn’t mean that it won’t keep you busy as you work your midnight shift. The game brings a fresh look and a new set of characters for fans to meet face-to-face (quite literally). In terms of horror, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 delves into deception, which was something that players enjoyed as they faced the five nights. Don’t be discouraged based on its placement within this list, it packs a punch with its jumpscares and a kick of adrenaline.
6Five Nights At Freddy’s: Security Breach
Right Place at the Wrong Time
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach breaks the traditional setting by having a free-to-roam experience within a new environment. In this title, you play a young boy named Gregory, who has gotten trapped overnight at Freddy Fazbear’s Mega Pizzaplex. While the new location is huge and has a ton of attractions to visit, this overnight stay isn’t a walk in the park. As opposed to Freddy Fazbear, the rest of the animatronics aren’t as friendly to Gregory, so be on the lookout for those who wish you harm during your time there.
There’s no doubt that the title was a feat, given that it took the series into a new environment and provided players with an experience that doesn’t strive too far away from its traditional concept. The new characters and cutscenes are refreshing and exciting to watch. Seeing how the franchise brought itself into the open world is commendable, and it gave players a new way to experience the series.
5Five Nights At Freddy’s 3
You Definitely Aren’t Seeing Things…
Five Nights at Freddy’s 3
When it comes to the series’ most eerie titles, Five Nights at Freddy’s 3 earns the top spot. Set thirty years after Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza closed, which has now become Fazbear’s Fright: The Horror Attraction, you find yourself working the night shift by yourself…well, except for one animatronic named Springtrap. The previous titles had you dealing with multiple animatronics at once, but even though it’s just one, you’ll have to endure Phantoms, which will cause more harm than good.
While it’s hard not to have the usual suspects around to haunt you, the title delivers on the lore aspect of the franchise. I won’t go into detail on that considering the spoilers surrounding it, but for fans of the series, it is bittersweet in some ways. The game did have some criticism about the bare bones of the title, given that the charm was lacking, but in contrast, the title brought an eerie experience that was dark and creepy.
4Five Nights At Freddy’s: Help Wanted
Any Applicants?
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted
With the intention of bringing the Five Nights at Freddy’sfranchise to virtual reality, Scott Cawthon entrusted Steel Wool Studios for the task. As a result, the game proved to be a hit amongst VR players. In Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted, there are 26 playable minigames, which gives players a solid number of nights to survive. The title features old and new minigames in the universe that are sure to give goosebumps.
As mentioned before, the reviews from fans and critics were positive, given its authenticity and solid integration from PC to VR. For anyone who has played VR, the experience is visceral and atmospheric, which when it comes to FNAF, is something that is valuable within the series. Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted is a great addition to the series and is a must for those who love the franchise and admire the advancements in the VR world.
3Five Nights At Freddy’s 4
A Real Nightmare
Five Nights at Freddy’s 4
Talk about a change of scenery, Five Nights at Freddy’s 4 hits home (literally). Players take on the role of a young boy who is safeguarding his room from the nightmare animatronics that lurk around the house. This game taps into audio design and slight movements to get from place to place inside the room. When it comes to bringing the nightmarish experience home and having the protagonist be a child, I think it brings the stakes higher than the previous titles.
This placement for Five Nights at Freddy’s 4is a bit divisive, being that the game received mixed reviews from critics. The game was given negative comments towards its reliance on audio cues, which is understandable when it comes to accessibility. With this being said, the title was praised for its storytelling, darker environment and terrifying jumpscares. Something that I found to be worth the rank is the color designs throughout the game. Those elements can immerse players into a game a lot more than you expected.
2Five Nights At Freddy’s: Sister Location
Time to Meet Your Long-Lost Relative
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Sister Location
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Sister Location is the first in the series, prior to Security Breach, that allows the player to go from one room to another. It’s fascinating to notice the signs of this factor being integrated with Five Nights at Freddy’s 4being the first to feature slight movements around the room. By the looks of what fans and critics have said, this installment is praised for its gameplay and atmosphere.
Players find themselves in the shoes of a late night technician named Mike, who works at an underground facility that stores animatronics from the sister location of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria called Circus Baby’s Pizza World. The game features new characters as well as voice actors for them, which adds a real sense of identity to the animatronics. The voice acting also lends itself to the scare factor, given that these animatronics are more lively than the previous ones.Five Nights at Freddy’s: Sister Locationtook everything that people loved from the series and put it into something that delivers an experience that is nostalgic yet new.
1Five Nights At Freddy’s
A Classic Never Goes Out of Style
Five Nights at Freddy’s
If there is any game that makes the top of the list, it’s the one that started it all a decade ago. According toNBC, Five Nights at Freddy’swas conceived based on his first video game, which was a kid-friendly game called Chipper & Sons Lumber Co., being criticized for having animal characters that looked like creepy animatronics. Scott took the advice and developed a game that dealt with killer animatronics in a kid-friendly atmosphere.
The game follows Mike Schmit, a night security guard at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria, who is tasked with monitoring the animatronics and trying to stay alive until 6 am. At the time, a game like this was distinct given its atmosphere and gameplay. In terms of how the game fared with critics and fans, praise was given to its frightening design and characters, which can still be seen in the latest installments in the franchise. There’s no doubt that Five Nights at Freddy’shas and is still making its relevance known within the entertainment industry.
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Five Nights at Freddy’s returns yet again this year with a new game, Into the Pit. This time, though, it looks like things will be a bit more retro…
