Scott Cawthon

Last updated

Scott Cawthon
Born
Scott Braden Cawthon

Other namesAnimdude
Occupations
  • Animator
  • video game developer
  • author
  • screenwriter
  • film producer
Years active1994–present
Notable work Five Nights at Freddy's
Children6

Scott Braden Cawthon is an American video game developer, writer, and producer. He is best known for creating Five Nights at Freddy's , a series of survival horror video games which expanded into a media franchise.

Contents

Cawthon began his career developing family-friendly Christian video games to minimal success. He transitioned to horror with the first Five Nights at Freddy's game in 2014, which was a commercial success and gained a cult following. Cawthon developed seven games in the main series and four spin-offs as of 2023. Outside of the games, Cawthon wrote several stories for the franchise, including novels and the screenplay for the Five Nights at Freddy's film (2023), which he also produced.

Career

Early work

A devout Christian, Cawthon began his career in game development making self-funded Christian adventure games. Cawthon's first professional game was called Iffermoon. He attended the Art Institute of Houston in 1996, where he learned how to create computer graphics, but taught himself to develop games using the engine Clickteam Fusion. [1] [2] A member of a group of Christian artists known as Hope Animation, [3] Cawthon also made animated Christian films. [4]

Cawthon's more notable religious projects included Pilgrim's Progress (2012) and The Desolate Hope (2012). Based on the religious allegory, Pilgrim's Progress is a JRPG-like game with enemies such as Beelzebub, Apollyon, Shame, and Giant Despair. [1] The Desolate Hope is a top-down role-playing game with turn-based battles. Set in a "dark, brooding, and twisted industrial landscape", the dystopian story follows a robotic coffee pot who must rescue a fetus being used as a scientific specimen. [5] [6] Rock Paper Shotgun praised the game's art style, describing it as akin to a "glorious artifact from the nineties, hand-crafted [and] bizarre". [5] Kill Screen later wrote that the themes of adventure and the unique art style of Cawthon's early works would reappear in some of his later projects such as FNaF World (2016). [6] After the release of Five Nights at Freddy's (2014), The Desolate Hope received both attention and criticism for its plot's perceived pro-life message, [1] [4] although Cawthon later clarified that the game "was not designed with abortion specifically in mind." [6]

Cawthon's Christian games were generally well received but were not financially successful enough to support his wife and two children. [1] [2] He reluctantly stopped making religious games and instead produced cheap computer games and free-to-play mobile titles which could provide him with a steady source of income. [1] [7] Calum Marsh, in his profile of Cawthon for The New York Times , wrote that these games "might bring in $40 or $50 each month". [1] He also took on programming and retail work. [1] [8]

In 2013, Cawthon submitted the family-friendly game Chipper & Sons Lumber Co. to Steam Greenlight. It was a resource management title featuring anthropomorphic animals; the player character was a beaver. However, players and reviewers such as James Stephanie Sterling ridiculed the game because they thought the characters were unintentionally "creepy" and resembled "scary" animatronics. [7] [1] One writer later described it as an example of the uncanny valley. [9]

Cawthon's financial situation and Chipper & Sons' overwhelming criticism led to him becoming depressed. He thought that he had squandered his life by becoming a game developer and attempted to pursue other professions. Cawthon underwent a crisis of faith: "Either God didn't exist, or God hated me." When his life insurance policy got cancelled after the company found out that he had expressed suicidal ideation to his doctor, he realized that "now even my death had no value" and asked God to "use me somehow". [4] With his faith restored, Cawthon took inspiration from Chipper & Sons' reception and decided to make something intentionally scarier. This was the impetus for Five Nights at Freddy's . [1]

Five Nights at Freddy's

Video games

Cawthon submitted Five Nights at Freddy's to Steam's Greenlight system in summer 2014, releasing a trailer and later a demo. He then submitted it to IndieDB, where it gained popularity, and submitted the game a third time to Desura. The game was accepted in Steam's Greenlight in August 2014. The game was well received by critics, [10] and became the subject of numerous popular Let's Play videos on YouTube. A sequel, Five Nights at Freddy's 2 , was released later that year on Steam. Soon after the release of Five Nights at Freddy's 2, Cawthon removed all information from his personal website and replaced it with an image of the word "offline". His website later began to show teaser images promoting Five Nights at Freddy's 3 , which was released in March 2015.

Five Nights at Freddy's 4 was released in 2015, with a free Halloween update following. The development of a new game, titled FNaF World, was announced, ditching the formula of the other games and instead being a role-playing video game. It was released on January 21, 2016. [2] FNaF World received mixed reviews due to glitches and other issues, [11] and Cawthon pulled it from Steam four days later. An altered version was released on Game Jolt for free on February 8. [12]

On May 21, 2016, Cawthon released a teaser trailer for Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location , featuring two new animatronics as well as circus-themed variations of the Foxy and Freddy characters from the series. The game was released on October 7, 2016, and was generally well received. Cawthon released the update "Custom Night" on December 1, with "Golden Freddy Mode" being added to the update soon after.

On July 3, 2017, Cawthon announced the cancellation of a sixth main installment to Five Nights at Freddy's, after previously stating a month earlier that a sixth game was in development. He opined that he had been neglecting other aspects of his life but said that he was not planning to abandon the series and was considering developing a FNaF World-styled spin-off game in the future. [13] However, with the release of Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria Simulator on December 4, 2017, this was confirmed to be a joke. [14]

On June 28, 2018, the seventh main installment to the series, Ultimate Custom Night , was released on Steam for free. It features over 50 characters from the franchise. In Cawthon's Upcoming Projects post on Steam, he noted that deals for console ports have been signed, as well as announcing virtual reality and augmented reality games. [15] [ unreliable source ] On August 27, 2018, Cawthon commented on a post regarding Fredbear's true voice in Ultimate Custom Night, saying, "I have a feeling we'll be seeing more of Kellen in the FNAF universe. His work isn't done yet", hinting that he was possibly developing an eighth game. [16]

In early 2019, Cawthon announced he had joined with video game studio Steel Wool Studios, with whom he intended to develop additional Five Nights at Freddy's games, and that he would primarily be responsible for storylines, character design, and gameplay. On May 28, 2019, Cawthon released the teased virtual reality game Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted for both PC and PlayStation VR. A DLC update, Curse of Dreadbear , was released on October 23, 2019.

In September 2019, a teaser [17] and announcement [18] trailers were posted to Illumix's YouTube channel regarding the augmented reality game. The title was revealed to be Five Nights at Freddy's: Special Delivery. It was released for free on November 25, 2019, to iOS and Android.

On August 8, 2019, during the first game's fifth anniversary, Cawthon posted a new image on his website, teasing the tenth installment of the series. It shows a modernized shopping mall containing a laser tag arena, an arcade, a large cinema, and a Freddy Fazbear's Pizza restaurant; in the main square, '80s-style versions of Freddy Fazbear, Chica, and two new animatronics can be seen playing for an excited crowd. On September 29, 2019, Cawthon's website was updated with a new teaser featuring the character Glamrock Freddy and was followed by an updated teaser featuring the character Vanny from Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted as a shadow. On March 24, 2020, another teaser featuring a brand new alligator-like character was posted, later revealed to be called Montgomery Gator. On April 21, 2020, the characters' names were leaked from Funko's list of upcoming products, and the title was revealed as Five Nights at Freddy's: PizzaPlex. A few hours later, on April 22, 2020, Scott Cawthon confirmed the leaks via Reddit, and revealed that the title was not official and that the title was only for Funko. Cawthon announced that the game was scheduled to release in late 2020. [19] On June 12, 2020, another teaser was released, featuring the game's antagonist, an unnamed female security guard. On August 7, 2020, a teaser of Vanny was released. One day later, Cawthon revealed the characters Glamrock Chica and Roxanne Wolf through Reddit.

On August 21, 2020, Cawthon announced his plan to help fund and publish Five Nights at Freddy's games developed by fans, bundled with previous installments in their respective series. He would not be involved in any of the creative elements but would help with marketing and publishing support as well as appropriate licensing. The games that were announced to be included were One Night at Flumpty's series, the Five Nights at Candy's series, The Joy of Creation: Ignited Collection (consisting of the original The Joy of Creation, The Joy of Creation: Reborn, and The Joy of Creation: Story Mode), Popgoes Evergreen (including the prologue game Popgoes Arcade), and Five Nights at Freddy's Plus, a reimagining of the original game. [20] Cawthon stated that these games would likely come to mobile and consoles, and may even have merchandise created for them. The first game to be released under this initiative was a port of One Night at Flumpty's for Android and iOS on October 31 and November 18, 2020, respectively. The second game to be released was a port of its sequel One Night at Flumpty's 2 on January 20, 2021, again for Android and iOS. The next game to be released was One Night at Flumpty's 3 on October 31, 2021, for PC and mobile devices, and for consoles at a later date.

On September 16, 2020, during a PlayStation 5 Showcase, it was revealed that Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach would come to PlayStation 5 featuring real-time ray tracing and free-roam gameplay. [21] Its initial release was on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC, with other platforms coming three months later. In December 2020, Cawthon posted that Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach was delayed to 2021, stating the game's scope was too great to be finished by the end of 2020.

On June 16, 2021, following a controversy where it was revealed that Cawthon had donated money to Republican Party anti-LGBT conservative politicians, [22] [23] Cawthon posted a message on his website announcing his retirement from public game development and expressing gratitude towards his followers for their ongoing support. He stated that he wished to retire in order to spend more time with his children. [24] He intended to appoint a successor to ensure that the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise would continue, while he himself would continue to occupy a lesser role in its development.

On October 18, 2023, Cawthon released his first video game since his retirement, Freddy in Space 3: Chica in Space which was released as a supposed tie-in game for the Five Nights at Freddy's film.

Novels

In December 2015, Cawthon released teasers for his first novel, Five Nights at Freddy's: The Untold Story, later renamed Five Nights at Freddy's: The Silver Eyes . The book was released on December 17, 2015, as an ebook for Amazon; a paperback edition is available. According to Cawthon, the book was released earlier than its planned release date due to a mistake on Amazon's part. [25] On June 24, 2016, Cawthon announced that he had made a three-book deal with Scholastic Corporation and that the first book (The Silver Eyes) would be reprinted on paperback in October that year, with the second and third being released in 2017 and 2018. [26]

On June 27, 2017, Cawthon's second novel, Five Nights at Freddy's: The Twisted Ones , was released. It was the sequel to The Silver Eyes, and its story follows the main character, Charlie, who is "drawn back into the world of her father's frightening creations" when she tried to get over the events of The Silver Eyes. On August 29, 2017, Cawthon released the first official guidebook of Five Nights at Freddy's, entitled The Freddy Files. It contains character profiles, easter eggs, advice for playing the games, and theories sprouted from the franchise. [27]

On December 26, 2017, Cawthon released the second guidebook for Five Nights at Freddy's called Survival Logbook. Unlike previous book releases, Survival Logbook has no listed Amazon Kindle editions, implying that it has pages designed for physical writing as opposed to simply reading from a device. The book, disguised as a normal children's activity book, contains many things to do, including a word search, grid drawing, and fill-in-the-blank activities, however, all of these were found to hold secrets involving the lore. [28] [29]

On June 26, 2018, the third novel in the Five Nights at Freddy's book series, Five Nights at Freddy's: The Fourth Closet , was revealed on Amazon and was slated for release that same day. [30]

On December 26, 2019, the first book in the eleven-book series, Fazbear Frights #1: Into the Pit was released on Amazon in Kindle and paperback formats. [31] The next ten books also had their release dates and titles announced over time.

Film adaptation

Warner Bros. Pictures announced in April 2015 that it had acquired the rights to adapt the series to film. Roy Lee, David Katzenberg, and Seth Grahame-Smith were set to produce. Grahame-Smith stated that they would collaborate with Cawthon "to make an insane, terrifying and weirdly adorable movie". [32] In July 2015, Gil Kenan signed to direct the adaptation and co-write it with Tyler Burton Smith. [33]

In January 2017, Cawthon stated that partially due to "problems within the movie industry as a whole", the film "was met with several delays and roadblocks" and it was "back at square one", but he promised "to be involved with the movie from day one this time, and that's something extremely important to me. I want this movie to be something that I'm excited for the fanbase to see." [34] [35]

In March 2017, Cawthon posted a picture to Twitter of himself at Blumhouse Productions, suggesting the film had a new production company. [36] [37] In May 2017, producer Jason Blum confirmed the news, saying he was excited and working closely with Cawthon on the adaptation. [38] In June 2017, Gil Kenan said he was no longer directing the Five Nights at Freddy's film after Warner Bros. Pictures' turnaround. [39] [ non-primary source needed ] On February 13, 2018, Blumhouse Productions revealed on Twitter that Chris Columbus would be working on the film as a director, alongside producing it with Blum and Cawthon. [40]

In August 2018, Cawthon posted a Steam forum, in which he states that the film will be based on the first game and that if second and third movies are made, they will be based on the second and third game, respectively. [15] [ non-primary source needed ] Later that same month, Blum tweeted that the film had a planned release window of 2020. [41] [ non-primary source needed ] In November 2018, Cawthon announced that the film's script had been scrapped and it would be further delayed. [42]

On November 20, 2020, Cawthon made a post on Reddit discussing the several scrapped screenplays for the film, followed by the announcement that the film does have a finished screenplay and will begin filming in spring 2021. [43] However, Blum revealed in September 2021 that the film still had script issues and that Columbus was no longer attached to the project as director. [44] In October 2022, Emma Tammi was announced to direct the film in addition to co-writing alongside Cawthon and Seth Cuddeback. [45] The film released on October 27, 2023, to negative reviews from critics, but was a box office success, grossing over $296 million. [46]

Public image

In November 2019, Cawthon announced that he would be creating a game specifically for a fundraising event for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital hosted by YouTuber MatPat, who would play the game with fellow YouTubers Dawko and Markiplier on a livestream. The game, Freddy in Space 2, was released December 3 [47] on Game Jolt, and included dollar amounts hidden throughout that dictated how much Cawthon would donate following the stream. He boasted that a total of US$500,000 was available to find but warned that it was difficult and that he doubted they would be able to find it all, as his playtester had taken five hours to complete the game. Originally, the game had a two-hour slot to be featured in the livestream; however, Markiplier continued playing after the stream had ended and managed to find a final hidden US$100,000 that raised the total donation figure to US$451,200. Cawthon went on to donate the full US$500,000 to St. Jude's.[ citation needed ]

In June 2021, Cawthon became a trending topic on Twitter when his publicly available political donations were shared on the website. Except for one donation to Democratic Party representative Tulsi Gabbard, all of Cawthon's donations were to Republican Party politicians, including U.S. President Donald Trump. He posted on Reddit to confirm his support for the Republican Party, describing himself as pro-life. He claimed that he had been doxed, and had received threats of violence and home invasion after his donations were publicized. While the reaction to his post was mostly positive on Reddit, it was mixed on other social media platforms such as Twitter, where some members of the LGBT community reacted negatively. [48] Days later, Cawthon announced his intention to step away from professional game development and appoint someone else to assume creative control of the franchise; [48] [49] [50] [51] Cawthon nonetheless continued directing the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise and, as of 2024, still has exclusive rights over it.[ citation needed ]

On March 9, 2024, Cawthon appeared in an episode of The Game Theorists entitled, "MatPat’s FINAL Theory!" which was MatPat's final episode appearance as host after he announced his retirement from YouTube on January 9. [52] This was Cawthon's first public video appearance. [53] [54]

Personal life

Cawthon lives in Texas, with his wife and six children. One of his sons, Braden Cawthon, is an author. [1] [55]

Works

Ludography

Non-Five Nights at Freddy's video games
YearTitle
1994Doofas
1995Floppy Disk
2002RPG Max
2003The Fifth Paradox
RPG Max 2
Lost Island
Elemage
Mega Knight
Demon Night
Dungeon
Dinostria
Phantom Core: The Moon Mission
War
Gunball
Stellar Gun
Ships of Chaos
Legacy of Flan
Legacy of Flan 2: Flans Online
Legacy of Flan 3: Storm of Hades
2004Flannville
Junkyard Apocalypse
Moon Minions
2005Flannville 2
Metroid: Ripped Worlds
Legend of White Whale
Chup's Quest
2006The Misadventures of Sigfried the Dark Elf on a Tuesday Night
Bogart
Bogart 2: Return of Bogart
Light from Above
2007Weird Colony
M.O.O.N.
Legacy of Flan 4: Flan Rising
The Desolate Room
2008Iffermoon
2011The Powermon Adventure!
Doomsday Picnic RPG
Slumberfish!
Slumberfish!: Catching Z's
The Pilgrim's Progress: The Video Game
2012The Desolate Hope
2013Aquatic Critters Slots
Vegas Fantasy Jackpot
Vegas Wild Slots
Golden Galaxy
Mafia! Slot Machine
Platinum Slots Collection
Chipper and Sons Lumber Co.
Bad Waiter Tip Calculator
2014Forever Quester
Snap-A-Game: Classic RPG
Jumbo Slots Collection
Pimp My Dungeon
There is No Pause Button!
Slumberfish
Fighter Mage Bard
Use Holy Water!
Rage Quit
20 Useless Apps
Cropple
Spooky Scan
Vegas Fantasy Slots
Pogoduck
Scott's Fantasy Slots
VIP Woodland Casino
Hawaiian Jackpots
8-Bit RPG Creator
Bible Story Slots
Magnum Slots Collection
Gemsa
Fart Hotel
Chubby Hurdles
Shell Shatter
Kitty in the Crowd
Dark Prisms
Sit 'N' Survive
Five Nights at Freddy's video games
YearTitle Director Writer Producer Programmer Voice Actor Role
2014 Five Nights at Freddy's YesYesYesYesYesPhone Guy
Five Nights at Freddy's 2 YesYesYesYesYes
2015 Five Nights at Freddy's 3 YesYesYesYesYesPhone Dude & Phone Guy
Five Nights at Freddy's 4 YesYesYesYesYesPhone Guy (archive sound)
2016 FNaF World YesYesYesYesNo
Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location YesYesYesYesNo
2017 Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria Simulator YesYesYesYesNo
2018 Ultimate Custom Night YesYesYesYesYesPhone Guy (archive sound)
2019 Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted NoYesYesNoYesPhone Guy & Phone Dude (archive sound)
Five Nights at Freddy's: Special Delivery NoYesYesNoNo
Freddy in Space 2YesYesYesYesNo
2021Security Breach: Fury's RageYesYesYesYesYesHimself
Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach NoYesYesNoNo
2022Youtooz Presents: Five Nights at Freddy'sNoYesYesNoNo
2023Freddy in Space 3: Chica in SpaceYesYesYesYesNo
Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted 2 NoYesYesNoNo
2024Five Nights at Freddy's: Into the PitNoYesYesNoNo
2025Five Laps at Freddy'sNoYesYesNoNo
Five Nights at Freddy's: Secret of the MimicNoYesYesNoNo

Filmography

Films

YearTitleCreator Director Writer Producer Animator Notes
1999Birdvillage Beak's VacationYesYesYesYesYes"Birdvillage" film series
Birdvillage Beak's AdventureYesYesYesYesYes
Birdvillage Beak's Snowball FightYesYesYesYesYes
2002Birdvillage: The MovieYesYesYesYesYesLost film; "Birdvillage" film series
Birdvillage: Second NestYesYesYesYesYes
2003A Mushsnail TaleYesYesYesYesYes"Mushsnail Tale" film series
Return to Mushsnail: The Legend of the SnowmillYesYesYesYesYes
2004Noah's Ark: Story of the Biblical FloodYesYesYesYesYes
2005The Pilgrim's ProgressYesYesYesYesYes
2006A Christmas Journey: About the Blessings God GivesYesYesYesYesYes
Christmas SymbolsYesYesYesYesYesShort film included on the DVD of his film A Christmas Journey: About the Blessings God Gives
2010Bible Plays: David and GolliathYesYesYesYesYes"Bible Plays" short film series
Bible Plays: Noah's ArkYesYesYesYesYes
2023 Five Nights at Freddy's YesNoYesYesNoFeature films based on his video-game series " Five Nights at Freddy's "
2025 Five Nights at Freddy's 2 YesNoYesYesNo

Series

YearTitleCreator Director Writer Producer Animator Notes
2010The Jesus's Kids ClubYesYesYesYesYes6 episodes
2021Five Nights at Freddy's: On Tour!YesYesYesYesNoMiniseries based on his video-game series "Five Nights at Freddy's" co-directed with Jason Topolski; 4 episodes
2024 The Game Theorists NoNoNoNoNoHimself; cameo

Animator only

YearTitleNotes
2010Earth ScienceEducational videos made for the "Rock n' Learn" company
Human Body
Life Science
Physical Science
Alphabet Circus
Money & Making Change
Division Rap
Dance with the Animals
Getting Ready for Kindergarten
Proofreading Skills
Writing Skills
Reading Comprehension
Math Word Problems
What is Multiplication?
Telling Time
Nursery Rhymes

Bibliography

Novels

YearTitleNotes
2015Five Nights at Freddy's: The Silver EyesCo-author with Kira Breed-Wrisley
2017Five Nights at Freddy's: The Twisted Ones
2018Five Nights at Freddy's: The Fourth Closet
2019Fazbear Frights 1: Into the PitCo-author with Elley Cooper
2020Fazbear Frights 2: FetchCo-author with Andrea Waggener and Carly Anne West
Fazbear Frights 3: 1:35 A.M.Co-author with Elley Cooper and Andrea Waggener
Fazbear Frights 4: Step CloserCo-author with Elley Cooper, Kelly Parra, and Andrea Waggener
Fazbear Frights 5: Bunny CallCo-author with Elley Cooper and Andrea Waggener
Fazbear Frights 6: BlackbirdCo-author with Kelly Parra and Andrea Waggener
2021Fazbear Frights 7: The CliffsCo-author with Elley Cooper and Andrea Waggener
Fazbear Frights 8: Gumdrop AngelCo-author with Andrea Waggener
Fazbear Frights 9: The Puppet CarverCo-author with Elley Cooper
Fazbear Frights 10: Friendly FaceCo-author with Andrea Waggener
Fazbear Frights 11: PranksterCo-author with Elley Cooper and Andrea Waggener
2022Fazbear Frights 12: Felix the SharkCo-author with Elley Cooper, Kelly Parra, and Andrea Waggener
Tales from the Pizzaplex #1: Lally's GameCo-author with Kelly Parra and Andrea Waggener
Tales from the Pizzaplex #2: HAPPSCo-author with Elley Cooper and Andrea Waggener
Tales from the Pizzaplex #3: SomniphobiaCo-author with Kelly Parra and Andrea Waggener
Tales from the Pizzaplex #4: Submechanophobia
2023Tales from the Pizzaplex #5: The Bobbiedots ConclusionCo-author with Andrea Waggener
Tales from the Pizzaplex #6: NexieCo-author with Kelly Parra and Andrea Waggener
Tales from the Pizzaplex #7: Tiger Rock
Tales from the Pizzaplex #8: B7-2Co-author with Andrea Waggener and Kelly Parra
2024Five Nights at Freddy's: VIPCo-author with Eugene C. Myers
Five Nights at Freddy's: The Week Before
Five Nights at Freddy's: Return to the PitCo-author with Adrienne Kress
2025Five Nights at Freddy's: Escape the PizzaplexCo-author with Lyndsay Ely

Graphic novels

YearTitleNotes
2019Five Nights at Freddy's: The Silver Eyes: The Graphic NovelAdaptarion from his original novel co-authored with Kira Breed-Wrisley, illustrated by Claudia Schröder
2021Five Nights at Freddy's: The Twisted Ones: The Graphic NovelAdaptarion from his original novel co-authored with Kira Breed-Wrisley, illustrated by Claudia Aguirre
Five Nights at Freddy's: The Fourth Closet: The Graphic NovelAdaptarion from his original novel co-authored with Kira Breed-Wrisley, illustrated by Diana Camero
2022Fazbear Frights: Graphic Novel Collection #1Graphic novel collection based on his novel series Fazbear Nights; co-authored with Elley Cooper, Carly Anne West, illustrated by Didi Esmeralda, Anthony Morris Jr., and Andi Santagata
2023Fazbear Frights: Graphic Novel Collection #2Co-authored with Andrea Waggener, Carly Anne West, illustrated by Didi Esmeralda, Coryn MacPherson, and Anthony Morris Jr.
Fazbear Frights: Graphic Novel Collection #3Co-authored with Kelly Parra and Andrea Waggener, illustrated by Diana Camero, Didi Esmeralda, and Coryn MacPherson
Fazbear Frights: Graphic Novel Collection #4Co-authored with Elley Cooper and Andrea Waggener, illustrated by Diana Camero, Coryn MacPherson, and Benjamin Sawyer
2024Fazbear Frights: Graphic Novel Collection #5Co-authored with Elley Cooper and Andrea Waggener, illustrated by Diana Camero, Coryn MacPherson, and Benjamin Sawyer
2025Tales from the Pizzaplex: Graphic Novel Collection #1Co-authored with Andrea Waggener, illustrated by Diana Camero, Coryn MacPherson, and Pamintuan

Guide books

YearTitleNotes
2017Five Nights at Freddy's: The Freddy FilesGuide books about the series
2019The Freddy Files: Updated Edition
2021Five Nights at Freddy's: The Ultimate Guide
2022Security Breach Files
2024Security Breach Files: Updated Edition

Other books

YearTitleNotes
2017Five Nights at Freddy's: Survival LogbookActivities book
2018Art with Edge, Five Nights at Freddy'sColoring book
2021The Official Five Nights at Freddy's Coloring BookColoring book
Co-author with Claudia Schröder
2022The Official Five Nights at Freddy's How to DrawDrawing book
Co-author with Claudia Schröder
2023Five Nights at Freddy's Character EncyclopediaEncyclopedia of Five Nights at Freddy's characters
Five Nights at Freddy's CookbookCooking book
Co-author with Rob Morris
2024Five Nights at Freddy's: Ticket to Fun Ephemera KitGame book

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Animatronics</span> Mechatronic puppets

An animatronic is a mechatronic puppet controlled by a machine to move in a fluent way. They are a modern variant of the automaton and are often used for the portrayal of characters in films, video games and in theme park attractions.

Blumhouse Productions, LLC, doing business as Blumhouse, is an American independent film and television production company founded in 2000 by Jason Blum and Amy Israel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Blum</span> American film producer (born 1969)

Jason Ferus Blum is an American producer. He is founder and CEO of Blumhouse Productions, which has produced the horror franchises Paranormal Activity (2007–2021), Insidious (2010–2023), The Purge (2013–2021), and Halloween (2018–2022). Blum has also produced Sinister (2012), Oculus (2013), Whiplash (2014), The Gallows (2015), The Gift (2015), Hush (2016), Split (2016), Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016), Get Out (2017), Happy Death Day (2017), Upgrade (2018), Us (2019), The Invisible Man (2020), Freaky (2020), The Black Phone (2021), M3GAN (2022), Five Nights at Freddy's (2023), and Speak No Evil (2024).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Markiplier</span> American YouTuber (born 1989)

Mark Edward Fischbach, known online as Markiplier, is an American YouTuber, actor and filmmaker. One of the most popular YouTubers on the platform, he is known for his "Let's Play" videos of indie horror games. He was listed by Forbes as the third highest-paid content creator on the platform in 2022, and has won four Streamy Awards and a Golden Joystick Award. He has spun-off his YouTube fame into a media career, venturing into acting and filmmaking.

<i>Five Nights at Freddys</i> (video game) 2014 video game

Five Nights at Freddy's (FNaF) is a 2014 point-and-click survival horror game developed and published by Scott Cawthon. The player controls Mike Schmidt, a night security guard at a family pizzeria. Schmidt must complete his shifts while avoiding the homicidal animatronic characters that wander the restaurant at night. The player has access to security cameras to monitor the animatronics throughout the shift, and a set of steel doors that can lock out the characters. Using the cameras and doors consumes the player's limited electricity, and draining all of the power causes these tools to become inoperable. If the player fails to keep the animatronics out of the office, they will be jumpscared and experience a game over.

<i>Five Nights at Freddys 2</i> 2014 video game

Five Nights at Freddy's 2 is a 2014 point-and-click survival horror game developed and published by Scott Cawthon. It is the second installment in the Five Nights at Freddy's series. Set in a fictional pizzeria, the player takes on the role of night security guards Jeremy Fitzgerald and Fritz Smith, defending themselves from the restaurant's hostile animatronic mascots. The player cannot leave their office, but has access to a flashlight and security cameras throughout the restaurant to monitor animatronic activity. Wearing a mask that looks like one of the animatronics allows the player to avoid being detected in most cases, though some animatronics are repelled via other methods. If the player is detected, they will be jumpscared and experience a game over. As the game progresses, Atari-styled minigames and phone calls provide insight into the history of the restaurant.

<i>Five Nights at Freddys 3</i> 2015 video game

Five Nights at Freddy's 3 is a 2015 point-and-click survival horror video game developed and published by Scott Cawthon. It is the third installment in the Five Nights at Freddy's series, and takes place in a horror-themed attraction based on the restaurant chain featured in the first two games. The player takes on the role of an unnamed security guard who must defend themself from a decrepit animatronic called Springtrap that roams the attraction while battling hallucinations of other animatronics. To survive, the player must monitor the building's security cameras while maintaining faulty systems that occasionally shut down. If the player fails to keep Springtrap out of the office or stares at the hallucinations for too long, they will be jumpscared, though only one from the former will cause a game over.

<i>Five Nights at Freddys 4</i> 2015 video game

Five Nights at Freddy's 4 is a 2015 point-and-click survival horror video game made and published by Scott Cawthon. It is the fourth installment of the Five Nights at Freddy's series. The game takes place in the bedroom of a child, where the player must avoid attack by nightmarish animatronics that stalk them. Unlike previous games in the series, the player does not have access to a network of security cameras to monitor animatronic progression, and instead must rely on audio cues. In-between nights, the player is able to play Atari-styled minigames that tell the story of a young boy that is consistently tormented by his older brother.

<i>Five Nights at Freddys</i> Media franchise created by Scott Cawthon

Five Nights at Freddy's (FNaF) is a video game series and media franchise created by indie game developer Scott Cawthon. The franchise features ten main video games, several spin-off games, novels, and a film adaptation.

<i>Five Nights at Freddys</i> (film) 2023 film directed by Emma Tammi

Five Nights at Freddy's is a 2023 American supernatural horror film based on the video game series of the same name created by Scott Cawthon. Directed by Emma Tammi, who co-wrote the screenplay with Cawthon and Seth Cuddeback from a story by Cawthon, Chris Lee Hill, and Tyler MacIntyre, the film stars Josh Hutcherson as a troubled security guard who starts a job at an abandoned pizzeria where he discovers its animatronic mascots are possessed by the souls of murdered children. Elizabeth Lail, Piper Rubio, Mary Stuart Masterson and Matthew Lillard star in supporting roles.

<i>FNaF World</i> 2016 video game

FNaF World is a 2016 indie adventure role-playing video game created by Scott Cawthon. It is the first official spin-off to the Five Nights at Freddy's series and the fifth game overall. The game was initially released for Windows via Steam on January 21, 2016, and for Android on January 12, 2017, but has since been taken down from those two platforms and re-released as freeware.

<i>Five Nights at Freddys: Sister Location</i> 2016 video game

Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location is a 2016 point-and-click survival horror video game developed and published by Scott Cawthon. It is the fifth main installment in the Five Nights at Freddy's series and the sixth game overall. Set at a sister location of Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria called Circus Baby's Entertainment and Rental, players control a new employee who must perform maintenance work while defending themselves from a set of murderous animatronics. The gameplay in Sister Location differs significantly from the previous Five Nights at Freddy's games in that it grants players mobility between rooms where tasks are completed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MatPat</span> American YouTuber (born 1986)

Matthew Robert Patrick, better known as MatPat, is an American semi-retired YouTuber and internet personality. He is the creator and former host of the YouTube series Game Theory, and its spin-off series Film Theory, Food Theory, and Style Theory, each analyzing various video games, films alongside TV series and web series, food, and fashion respectively. Each of the different series are posted on individual channels, each named after the respective series. In addition to the creation of his channels, MatPat narrated the majority of the videos that are presented on his channels prior to his departure on March 9, 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atomic Monster</span> American film and television production company

Atomic Monster is an American film and television production company, founded in 2014 by James Wan. The company produced The Conjuring Universe, Lights Out, Mortal Kombat, Malignant and M3GAN.

<i>Five Nights at Freddys: Help Wanted</i> 2019 video game

Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted is a 2019 virtual reality (VR) survival horror game developed by Steel Wool Studios and Scott Cawthon. It is an anthology of minigames based on the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise; the player must complete tasks without being jumpscared by homicidal animatronic characters. The minigames include VR adaptations of the main Five Nights at Freddy's games and several new experiences. Hidden inside the levels are coins that unlock collectible objects and cassette tapes that provide insight into a metafictional narrative.

<i>Five Nights at Freddys: Security Breach</i> 2021 video game

Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach is a 2021 survival horror game developed by Steel Wool Studios and published by ScottGames. It is the ninth main installment in the Five Nights at Freddy's series and the eleventh game overall. Set in a large entertainment complex, the player takes on the role of a young boy named Gregory, who must evade the complex's hostile animatronic mascots as well as the night guard, attempting to survive until the morning. The game features significant differences from other installments in the franchise, with primary differences including free-roam gameplay.

<i>Five Nights at Freddys</i> (soundtrack) 2023 film score by the Newton Brothers

Five Nights at Freddy's (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the 2023 film Five Nights at Freddy's based on the video game franchise of the same name created by Scott Cawthon. The soundtrack consisted of the score written, composed and produced by the Newton Brothers, and was released alongside the film on October 27, 2023, through Back Lot Music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Five Nights at Freddy's (song)</span> 2014 single by The Living Tombstone

"Five Nights at Freddy's" is an electronic song by electronic rock band The Living Tombstone, based on the 2014 video game of the same name. The song was produced and sung by Yoav Landau, and was released as a single in 2014. The song was popular on YouTube, reaching over 300 million views by 2024, along with over 500 million plays. It was featured in the end credits of the video game's film adaptation released in 2023, and has been credited with creating a musical subgenre oriented around the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Marsh, Calum (October 25, 2023). "A Reclusive Horror Designer Pivoted From Religious Games" . The New York Times . Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Cawthon, Scott (November 4, 2014). "Interview of the author of a top paid game in AppStore". Clickteam . Interviewed by Lionet, François. Archived from the original on November 6, 2014. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  3. Rubio, Juan (March 17, 2018). "Grandes juegos realizados por una sola persona". Vandal (in European Spanish). Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 Morgan, Joe (October 25, 2014). "Scott Cawthon - Christian Developer Spotlight". Geeks Under Grace. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Smith, Adam (April 30, 2012). "Rise of the Coffee Bots: The Desolate Hope". Rock Paper Shotgun . Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 Ehrhardt, Michelle (February 1, 2016). "The many failures of the Five Nights At Freddy's creator". Kill Screen . Retrieved March 5, 2023.
  7. 1 2 Hernandez, Patricia (February 7, 2015). "Why Five Nights At Freddy's Is So Popular". Kotaku . Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  8. Crecente, Brian (July 25, 2015). "Five Nights at Freddy's creator talks about life after Dollar General, the stress of success". Polygon . Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  9. Bullard, Benjamin (October 25, 2023). "The Origin of Five Nights at Freddy's: How an Indie Video Game Became a Blockbuster Horror Movie". NBC News . Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  10. "Five Nights at Freddy's for PC Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  11. "FNaF World for PC Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  12. Cawthon, Scott (January 25, 2016). "FNaF World". Steam . Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  13. Hussain, Tamoor (July 3, 2017). "Five Nights At Freddy's 6 Was Announced, Then Canceled". GameSpot . Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  14. Davidson, Matt (December 5, 2017). "New Five Nights at Freddy's Game Released... Disguised as a Pizzeria Simulator". IGN . Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  15. 1 2 Cawthon, Scott (August 19, 2018). "Upcoming Projects Mega-Thread!". Steam . Archived from the original on November 14, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  16. animdude (August 27, 2018). "I have a feeling that we will be seeing more of Kellen in the FNAF universe. His work is not yet done". Reddit . Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  17. Illumix Official (September 6, 2019). FNAF AR Teaser (video). Retrieved February 27, 2020 via YouTube.
  18. Illumix Official (September 13, 2019). FNAF AR: Special Delivery – Official Announcement Trailer (video). Retrieved February 27, 2020 via YouTube.
  19. Blake, Vikki (July 4, 2020). "Funko tweets Five Nights At Freddy's Security Breach characters and hints of a possible release date". Eurogamer . Retrieved September 7, 2020.
  20. Blake, Vikki (August 23, 2020). "Scott Cawthon is working with fans to bring the best Five Nights at Freddy's fan games to life". Eurogamer . Retrieved August 23, 2020.
  21. Dayton, Andrew (September 16, 2020). "Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach revealed for PS5". PlayStation Blog . Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  22. "The Creator of 'Five Nights at Freddy's' Has Some Scary Politics". October 27, 2023.
  23. "Sorry, FNAF Creator Scott Cawthon, Political Donations Don't Work That Way". June 14, 2021.
  24. McWhertor, Michael (June 17, 2021). "Five Nights at Freddy's creator says he's retiring, handing off franchise". Polygon . Archived from the original on June 17, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  25. Groux, Christopher (December 17, 2015). "'Five Nights At Freddy's: The Silver Eyes' Novel Released Early In Kindle And Paperback [LINK]". Design & Trend. Archived from the original on December 18, 2015. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  26. "Scholastic & Scottgames, LLC Announce a New Book Series Based on the Bestselling Video Game Franchise Five Nights at Freddy's". Scholastic Media Room. June 20, 2016. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  27. Cruz, Janna Dela (February 26, 2017). "'Five Nights at Freddy's: The Freddy Files' Guide Book News: New Book Reveals Secrets of the Franchise". The Christian Post . Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  28. Aguila, Sheanne (June 8, 2017). "'Five Nights at Freddy's: Survival Logbook': New Details About Scott Cawthon's Upcoming Book". The Christian Post . Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  29. Patrick, Ryan (June 12, 2017). "'Five Nights at Freddy's' latest update: 'Survival Logbook' teases at more help after release of 'The Freddy Files'". International Business Times . Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  30. Cawthon, Scott; Breed-Wrisley, Kira (2018). Five Nights at Freddy's: Book 3. Scholastic, Incorporated. ISBN   978-1338139327.
  31. Cawthon, Scott; Cooper, Elley (December 26, 2019). Into the Pit (Five Nights at Freddy's: Fazbear Frights #1). Scholastic, Incorporated. ISBN   978-1338576016.
  32. Kit, Borys (April 7, 2015). "Video Game 'Five Nights at Freddy's' Getting Movie Treatment". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  33. Fleming, Mike Jr. (October 20, 2017). "Gil Kenan To Direct 'Five Nights at Freddy's' For Warner Bros". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  34. Houston, Madison (February 6, 2017). "Back to basics: Five Nights at Freddy's movie update". Nerdvana. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  35. Groux, Christopher (February 1, 2017). "'Five Nights at Freddy's' Movie Back at Square One, Says Scott Cawthon". Player.One. Archived from the original on April 17, 2017. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  36. Barkan, Jonathan (March 28, 2017). "Five Nights at Freddy's Movie Being Produced by Blumhouse". Dread Central . Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  37. Squires, John (March 28, 2017). "Tease from Creator Hints at Blumhouse Making 'Five Nights at Freddy's' Movie". Bloody Disgusting . Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  38. Justimbaste, Kristinova V. (May 26, 2017). "'Five Nights at Freddy's' Movie Adaptation Will Work, Says Producer Jason Blum". The Christian Post . Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  39. Kenan, Gil [@gilkenan] (June 22, 2017). "this is sadly correct. love FNAF and the community, hoping for a great film!" (Tweet). Retrieved April 13, 2023 via Twitter.
  40. Blumhouse [@blumhouse] (February 12, 2018). "Mr. Columbus, are you ready for Freddy? .#FiveNightsatFreddys" (Tweet). Retrieved April 13, 2023 via Twitter.
  41. Blum, Jason [@jason_blum] (August 18, 2018). "We are. My guess and just a guess. '20" (Tweet). Retrieved April 13, 2023 via Twitter.
  42. McWhertor, Michael (November 12, 2018). "Five Nights at Freddy's movie delayed, new 'AAA' game in the works". Polygon . Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  43. animdude (November 20, 2020). "Bad news about the FNAF movie. :(". Reddit . Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  44. Foutch, Haleigh (September 29, 2021). "'Five Nights at Freddy's Movie: Jason Blum Reveals Chris Columbus Is No Longer Directing, but the Film Is Still Happening". Collider. Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  45. Kit, Borys (October 5, 2022). "'Five Nights at Freddy's' Movie Finds Its Director in Emma Tammi". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on December 28, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  46. "Box Office: 'Five Nights at Freddy's' Repeats No. 1 Despite Brutal 76% Drop". variety.com. November 5, 2023.
  47. realscawthon. "Freddy in Space 2". Game Jolt . Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  48. 1 2 Chalk, Andy (June 12, 2021). "Five Nights at Freddy's creator 'won't apologize for' Trump support". PC Gamer . Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  49. Crump, James (June 13, 2021). "Five Nights at Freddy's Scott Cawthon Won't Apologize for Supporting Trump". Newsweek . Archived from the original on June 17, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  50. Blake, Vikki (June 13, 2021). "Five Nights at Freddy's creator confirms claims he has financially backed Donald Trump". Eurogamer . Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  51. Walker, Ian (June 16, 2021). "Five Nights At Freddy's Creator Scott Cawthon Retires Amid Controversy". Kotaku . Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  52. Jones, CT (January 9, 2024). "YouTuber MatPat Announces Retirement". Rolling Stone . Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  53. "MatPat's Last Game Theory Episode Featured A Cameo From FNAF Creator". www.thegamer.com. March 10, 2024.
  54. "MatPat leaves hidden message in his final Game Theory YouTube video". www.dexerto.com. March 9, 2024.
  55. Cawthon, Scott. "Scott Games". ScottGames.com. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021.