Five Nights At Freddy’s is an American horror series that has captivated a massive audience since it’s original release in 2014. Starting out as a simple video game series with only a few basic controls, FNAF has since become a massive franchise spanning multiple games in different genres, books, spin-offs, and even a film in the works. Tackling this huge series without a guide can be tough, so we at THG are here to help you get started.
All FNAF Games Release Order
Five Nights At Freddy’s video game series spans over a whopping nine mainline titles, each one continuing the story of the game and in some way expanding on the gameplay mechanics of the previous. These games have been released over a period of 8 years, giving us a brand new Freddy title almost once year, and the franchise isn’t really showing any signs of slowing down.
In order of release, the FNAF games are as follows:
- 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)
- FNAF: Special Delivery (2019)
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach (2021)
Playing the games in this order would certainly be a great way to experience them, and it’s the way many fans of the franchise have. However, the story of the games doesn’t match up to their release order, with some games adding new information as the story evolved over time. To experience the story in the most direct way, you’ll have to play these games in chronological order.
FNAF Games in Chronological Order
Scott Cawthon’s Five Nights At Freddy’s story is pretty complicated and not the easiest thing to take in. Each new game released included new details of the story, sometimes including retcons or additions to past information that completely changed the narrative. For story enthusiasts, experiencing the games in chronological order would be your best bet of taking the game’s lore in.
The FNAF games in chronological order are as follows:
- Five Nights at Freddy’s 4 – Originally meant to be the ending to the franchise, FNAF 4 takes place in 1983, and serves as a sort of disjointed prequel to the franchise. Without spoiling the story for you, this one is best experienced first if you want to experience FNAF’s story in order.
- FNAF 2 – Putting the player in the shoes of Jeremy Fitzgerald, this game takes place in 1987, years before the first game. This game sets up the core of the story, and is arguably the most important part of the series story wise.
- Five Nights at Freddy’s Sister Location – Sister Location sets up more of the history of the animatronics. It also expands on the story of a few important characters, and much of what is set up here you need to know to understand later games.
- FNAF – The original FNAF is short on lore, but chronologically fits best between Sister Location and FNAF 3.
- FNAF 3 – FNAF 3 takes place long after the closing of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria. This game finally reveals the name of the antagonist of the series, and delves into their story.
- Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria Simulator – It’s hard to talk about Pizzeria Simulator without spoiling the story of the entire franchise. This game serves as a solid ending point for the ‘first chapter’ of the story, and sets up for the next few games.
- Five Nights at Freddy’s Help Wanted
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Special Delivery – Help Wanted and Special Delivery function as the setup to Security Breach, setting up the foundations of the game’s plot and marking the return of the series’ antagonist.
- FNAF: Security Breach – Both the newest game and the latest part of the story, Security Breach serves as a great bookend to the series with it’s hidden True Ending. While this game could easily mark the end of the franchise, a few other games did the same thing, so it can be assumed that more FNAF games are a possibility.
- Ultimate Custom Night
That’s everything you need to know to experience FNAF in order! If you found this guide helpful or are looking for more video game news and walkthroughs, check out our other Game Guides and leave us a comment below!
At the end of sister location, After Michael Afton follows Circus’ Baby’s instructions, he is then disemboweled by The Scooper. Didn’t Ennard uses his body as a disguise to escape Circus Baby’s Entertainment? If so, doesn’t that imply that Michael dies at the end of the game? According to the FNAF Wiki, he dies after vomiting Ennard out of his body. If he dies in Fnaf SL, then how come he’s the nightguard in Fnaf 1 which according to this post/website happens after fnaf SL?
He doesnt die, baby’s voice clearly says that she will not let him die, even if he wants. he dies with everyone else in pizzeria simulator
I completely agree with the order based on the timeline. And the way the games in order based off of release date is another neat touch. The only problem I have with this is that none of the spin-off games were included. I feel like even if they were in their own section, it would still be a nice touch. Another thing I feel that would make the list of them in order based on lore and when they were released is putting their ‘Nick Name’ next to it. For example, Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted, this could maybe have a side text in parenthesis stating: (FNaF VR). The same goes for Five Nights at Freddy’s Special delievery, but its tag being: (FNaF AR). Another smaller thing kinda like the tags is the use of stating which game it is. Some people may not know that FNaF FFPS is FNaF six. That’s all I have to say, not trying to critisise the way this was made, just trying to give some more ideas out there. – love HammyHam
I believe Security Breach happens after Ultimate Custom Night. In the cannon ending to Pizzeria Simulator, William Afton is supposed to be killed in the fire and have his soul layed to rest like the rest of the animatronics with him, but Cassidy doesn’t let him leave as he believes William should pay for the crimes he commited. As we know, Fnaf Pizzeria Simulator takes place in the Freddy Fazbears Pizzeria building, and “scraptrap” is left outside of it as William faces tourture in Ultimate Custom Night. That is when the game developers for FNAF VR find his suit and end up reading through Scraptrap’s internal chips, which attaches him to the game as a virus. He then uses the Tape Woman (who is speculated to be Vanessa) to set him free and switch consciousness with him to bring him back into the real world. He then brainwashes Vanny to reassemble him, turning him into what we know as Burntrap. When Glamrock Freddy and Gregory uncover Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria under the Mega Pizzaplex, Burntrap is down there and has the ability to hack into the animatronics by messing with the TV he has down there (proof he was indeed in the VR game before). Then he gets snatched up by “The Blob” and no one knows what’s happened to him yet. I believe the correct order towards the end should have UCN at #7, and Security Breach last.
Exactly my thoughts, I’m just not very good at explaining things.
I love how you made it but wouldn’t Elizabeth have to die first because of circus baby
What about ucn?
We added it now.
How come ultimate custom nights not on here?
As far as we know, it’s not really a story based game so it doesn’t fit within the timeline/lore.
if you play all level 20, i think you get a secret ending
I believe it was sister location and then fnaf 3 considering the phone guy mentions a change in the suit in 3 because of springlock failure at the sister location
That makes alot of sense4