Guide and Walkthrough (PC) by Whammychip (2)

Explore the impact of Five Nights at Freddy's, a horror game that redefined the genre. This guide breaks down the AI of its antagonists for a thorough understanding and effective combat strategies.

There's no denying the impact that Five Nights at Freddy's has had on the gaming world. Since its unassuming debut way back in the humble year of 2014, FNAF has taken the gaming world by storm. Now a massive franchise with nearly a dozen games, a few novels, and even a movie allegedly in the works, it's safe to say it's become one of the true titans of the horror game genre.

It ain't for no good reason.

Five Nights at Freddy's basically redefined the genre, and it did it on a next-to-zero budget to boot. It's nothing short of incredible how a game consisting of little more than a series of still images and a few pre-rendered animations can succeed where horror juggernauts like Resident Evil and Dead Space have failed over the last decade: _it frickin' terrifies you_. Make no bones about about it; FNAF ain't for the faint of heart.

However, if you're reading this, then good news! By the time you're done, you will understand the denizens of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza so thoroughly that they'll probably never be able to scare you again. It's kinda like seeing a haunted house with all of the lights on, in a way.

I'll admit: it's impressive how a game made on such simple technology managed to have enemy AI that seems so complex and unpredictable. It's even more impressive how, once you start to peel back the layers of code behind it all, you realize it's actually much simpler than it appears. In truth, in terms of enemy AI, FNAF is basically a modern-day Pac-Man; you have four enemies that all utilize the same core logic, but put their own subtle-yet-unique twists on it that result in four completely different personalities.

The following guide is based on a thorough analysis of the game's code. It aims to break down the AI of the game's four (actually five, but the fifth is a total non-entity if you play the game right) primary antagonists down to their absolute fundamentals in order to give you a full understanding of how they work and, consequently, how best to combat each one.