Five Nights at Freddy's started life as a terrifying indie game made by a one-man development team and exploded in popularity when its jumpscares and creepy animatronics became perfect YouTube let's play fodder. Over time, FNaF has become a colossal franchise, with multiple sequels, spin-offs, books, and even a movie.
In the above video, we chronicle the history of the mainline FNaF games, starting with Chipper & Sons Lumber Co, an indie game that got ripped apart by critics but eventually led to creator Scott Cawthon making something even scarier. Cawthon's new project was Five Nights at Freddy's, a relatively straightforward horror game where you play as a nighttime security guard at a Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria, a family-friendly pizza spot haunted by broken and dangerous animatronics. Thanks to its cheap price point, dark lore, and scares, it skyrocketed in popularity, and Cawthon released many sequels in quick succession. This is the story of the entire franchise, from inception to what it is today.
The latest entry, Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach launched for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC. For more, be sure to subscribe at youtube.com/gamespot.