Five Nights at Freddy’s is one of the biggest names in horror gaming, and the series’ already-impressive popularity is poised to reach new heights thanks to the upcoming release of the long-awaited Five Nights at Freddy’s movie. Now that the stage is set for Freddy Fazbear and his friends’ epic comeback tour, there’s no better time to discuss the best order to experience the Five Nights at Freddy’s games.
There are a lot, and I mean a lot of games in the Five Nights of Freddy’s series, and the order in which they should be played is a highly-contested topic of debate amongst fans. Luckily for all aspiring Five Nights at Freddy’s fans out there, we’ve cobbled together what we feel is the optimal Five Nights at Freddy’s play order (or orders), so keep reading if you’re ready to begin your first night on the job!
Best Five Nights at Freddy’s Play Orders
The Five Nights at Freddy’s series is one of the most expansive video game franchises ever assembled, so it isn’t hard to understand why newcomers might have difficulty deciding which game to start with. The series, which can be cleanly divided into two distinct “eras’ known as the Clickteam Era and the Steel Wool Era, consists of a long line of core games and a handful of spin-offs. While fans debate whether some of the games are canon, each provides some essential details about the series lore, so you’ll need to play them all to understand the tragic tale of murder and betrayal at the series’ heart.
While you can play the Five Nights at Freddy’s game in any order, we recommend playing them in either release or chronological order. Each order has unique merits that will appeal to different players, and we’ll outline what each order brings to the table so you can decide which one you prefer.
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Five Nights at Freddy’s Release Order
The first Five Nights at Freddy’s game was released in late 2014, and it established the high-stress point-and-click gameplay formula that every game that came after it would follow. Each successive installment built on the original’s gameplay until the series ultimately transitioned to a free-roaming format in Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach.
Here are the FNAF titles arranged according to release year:
- Five Nights at Freddy’s (2014)
- Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 (2014)
- Five Nights at Freddy’s 3 (2015)
- Five Nights at Freddy’s 4 (2015)
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Sister Location (2016)
- Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria Simulator (2017)
- Ultimate Custom Night (2018)
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted (2019)
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Special Delivery (2019)
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach (2021)
Playing the Five Nights at Freddy’s games in the order they were released helps you appreciate how the series grew as its creator, Scott Cawthone, became more skilled in game design. Every Five Nights at Freddy’s game boasts better graphics than its immediate predecessor and offers some new features to the series’ gameplay formula, all while refining the heart-pounding jumpscare-focused terror that helped the series stand out from the competition.
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Five Nights at Freddy’s Release Order
The second order you can play the Five Nights in Freddy’s games is in the series’ chronological order. One of the defining elements of Five Nights of Freddy’s is its expansive lore, which tells a tragic tale of murder and betrayal that finds a way to permeate every aspect of the in-universe Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria franchise.
Here are the FNAF titles arranged according to the series’ official timeline:
- Five Nights at Freddy’s 4
- Five Nights at Freddy’s 2
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Sister Location
- Five Nights at Freddy’s
- Five Nights at Freddy’s 3
- Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria Simulator
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Special Delivery
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach
Playing the Five Nights in Freddy’s games in this order gives you a greater appreciation for the surprisingly emotional story woven across the series. With the series’ recent focus on artificial intelligence and other sci-fi elements, it’s easy to forget that Five Nights at Freddy’s is a story about children being abducted and murdered in a place where they are supposed to be safe and playing the games in chronological order gives you the chance to watch how this tragic tale unfolds.
