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5 Best Five Nights at Freddy’s Games, Ranked

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It only feels like yesterday since Freddy's adorable yet unmistakably sinister band of stuffed friends entered our nightmares. And yet, even after six years of injecting terror into our homes — we're still not quite ready to overcome the evil that shrouded our screens. That said, we are able to talk about our time with the wandering demons and their wild antics. Several journeys we've shared with them, and to say a serious level of trauma wasn't induced with each chapter would only be a lie.

The concept was simple: watch over a pizza restaurant for a few nights as a rookie security guard. What could possibly go wrong, right? Well, a lot, as it happened. With sadistic animatronics roaming the halls through twilight and only a limited amount of power to keep the ensemble at bay, those mere six hours spiralled into some of the longest shifts of our lives. However, out of the many chapters with Freddy and friends, we definitely think that some of them conjured more fear than others. With that said — here are the best Five Nights at Freddy's games, ranked.

 

5. Five Nights at Freddy's 3

Five Nights at Freddy's 3 Teaser Trailer

After celebrating a major success over the previous two instalments to the Five Nights at Freddy's series, it only made sense for developer Scott Cawthon to follow up with the hat-trick. Unfortunately, as nail-biting as it is — the third chapter just doesn't live up to the same reputation as the sibling entries. Of course, the roster of fractured friends are still alive and kicking, but the gameplay just doesn't quite knock as much of a dent into its forerunners.

Once again taking the role of the night security guard, you must hunch over the doors that bind to your quarters and the CCTV that flows through the veins of the complex. However, with time being a crucial factor in the shift, you must syphon out your strategies if you plan on surviving until dawn. So, basically the same deal as before? Well, kind of. The only problem is, as fun as the game can be — it's just not as emotionally riveting as the other published chapters.

 

4. Five Nights at Freddy's 4

Five Nights at Freddy's 4 Trailer

Forget what you know about mopping the pizzeria and watching over a camera feed for six hours straight. Those titanium doors? Non-existent. The safety of a warm security hub? Gone. The restaurant business is out — the nightmares from the comfort of your own home are most definitely in. At least, that's what Five Nights at Freddy's 4 aims to induce. Whether it succeeds is sort of another question.

While the fourth chapter is just as suspenseful as the earlier episodes, there are a few things that effectively bog down the original charm that made the franchise celebrated. Of course, the concept is still as simple as it was before — only with less strategy and far more button-mashing involved. And while the home setting, as the grounds for a new stage, is most definitely a worthy scenario for Freddy and friends — it's doesn't quite build the same level of terror as earlier entries.

 

3. Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location

Sister Location Trailer 1

After several years of establishing Fazbear and accomplices in the horror domain, Cawthon swiftly moved on to creating one of the most ambitious chapters in the timeline to date. As the fifth segment to the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise, Sister Location harnesses all of the top-shelf qualities from the earlier games and packs them all into one experience. As well as boasting the usual best-selling elements that escalated Freddy to the apex of indie horror, Sister Location also branches out with a bigger and bolder story arc with twice the drama to boot.

Without losing sight of what made the series loved by millions, the fifth chapter positively maintains face with all the ingredients you'd expect from Freddy's. The scares are plentiful, and the gameplay is most definitely a leap in the right direction compared to previous entries. All in all, Sister Location is a true credit to Cawthon's cherished franchise. But is it the best of the best? Well, that's debatable.

 

2. Five Nights at Freddy's

Five Nights at Freddy's - Trailer

Cawthon had one thing in mind when building the roots for Five Nights at Freddy's: make something utterly bone-shattering without shovelling in mind-boggling plotlines and unnecessary filler content. And, you know, that's exactly what he did. Five Nights at Freddy's is a perfect example of how simplicity can often course towards an award-winning recipe. All that's needed is an original ensemble of characters, a concrete setting, and a slew of easy-to-navigate gameplay. Simple.

While the structure of the first game wasn't exactly the most complex thing in the world, it was incredibly effective, and essentially what paved the way to later sequels. With just a couple of doors and light switches to maintain during each night — there really wasn't a great deal to take onboard when setting up shop in Freddy's pizzeria. That said, while the controls, in a nutshell, aren't overly difficult to master — it is somewhat challenging when trying to survive the unpredictability of each looming shift. We can thank Freddy for that, of course.

 

1. Five Nights at Freddy's 2

Five Nights at Freddy's 2 Trailer

After establishing a terrifying base for the game to build from, Cawthon only looked to escalate the horror that cloaked the up and coming franchise to even greater heights. Of course, while the first game was, and still very much is an absolute gem in the horror scene, something about the second instalment definitely seemed to surpass the original.

Removing the doors that played a major role in the first game, Five Nights at Freddy's 2 introduced a lot more to the fold that dared to go one step higher. With even more terrifyingly grotesque animatronics roaming the halls and a whole lot more to keep an eye on — assuming the position of the night guard evolved into an even more spine-tingling experience. However, even with the enhanced gameplay and overall rise in terror — Five Nights at Freddy's 2 still pays homage to the eldest in the family tree without losing face. And now, several years down the line with multiple sequels to boot — the second chapter continues to hold the podium for best entry in the timeline to date.

 

Still looking? You could always take a look at these lists:

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Jord is acting Team Leader at gaming.net. If he isn't blabbering on in his daily listicles, then he's probably out writing fantasy novels or scraping Game Pass of all its slept on indies.