The Complete Chronology of Five Nights at Freddy's: Unraveling the Timeline from Novels to Games

The Big Picture

The Five Nights at Freddy's series has a complex timeline with nine games and 23 books released since 2014, making it a challenge to follow the story in chronological order.

The games and books can be experienced in either the order of their release or in chronological order, based on personal preference and the inclination to analyze and speculate.

The narrative truly begins with Five Nights at Freddy's 4, which is set in 1983 and portrays the earliest event in the timeline. The current endpoint (up to this point) is Tales from the Pizzaplex #8, situated in the megaplex featured in the latest game, Security Breach.

The highly anticipated Five Nights at Freddy's film is finally here, set to be released in theaters and on Peacock on October 27. Fans are eagerly waiting to be terrified by the murderous animatronics and excited to see one of their favorite franchises on the big screen. Even those who are unfamiliar with the series have shown interest, especially since it features Josh Hutcherson from The Hunger Games and is being released just in time for Halloween. This significant milestone prompts us to take a closer look at the franchise's complex timeline.

Since 2014, a total of nine official games and 23 books have been released for Five Nights at Freddy's, creating a timeline that can be quite confusing to follow. Some people may prefer to experience the games and books in the order they were released, which allows for more room to theorize and speculate on the story. On the other hand, there are those who would rather play and read in chronological order to witness the story unfold from beginning to end. Whatever your preference may be, you're in luck! This article will cover both approaches.

Image via ScottGames

Five Nights at Freddy’s Games and Books in Release Order

To avoid spoilers or if you prefer to follow the release order, starting with Five Nights at Freddy's (2014) is recommended.

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: The Silver Eyes (2015)

Five Nights at Freddy’s: Sister Location (2016)

Five Nights at Freddy’s: The Twisted Ones (2017)

Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria Simulator (2017)

Five Nights at Freddy’s: The Fourth Closet (2018)

Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted (2019)

Five Nights at Freddy’s: Special Delivery (2019)

Fazbear Frights #1: Into the Pit (2019)

Fazbear Frights #2: Fetch (2020)

Fazbear Frights #3: 1.35 AM (2020)

Fazbear Frights #4: Step Closer (2020)

Fazbear Frights #5: Bunny Call (2020)

Fazbear Frights #6: Blackbird (2020)

Fazbear Frights #7: The Cliffs (2021)

Fazbear Frights #8: Gumdrop Angel (2021)

Fazbear Frights #9: The Puppet Carver (2021)

Fazbear Frights #10: Friendly Face (2021)

Fazbear Frights #11: Prankster (2021)

Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach (2021)

Fazbear Frights #12: Felix the Shark (2022)

Tales from the Pizzaplex #1: Lally’s Game (2023)

Tales from the Pizzaplex #2: Happs (2023)

Tales from the Pizzaplex #3: Somniphobia (2023)

Tales from the Pizzaplex #4: Submechanophobia (2023)

Tales from the Pizzaplex #5: The Bobbiedots Conclusion (2023)

Tales from the Pizzaplex #6: Nexie (2023)

Tales from the Pizzaplex #7: Tiger Rock (2023)

Tales from the Pizzaplex #8: B7-2 (2023)

Image via Blumhouse

Five Nights at Freddy’s Games and Books in Chronological Order

Now that you've completed everything in the order of release or maybe you chose to follow the events chronologically, here is a list of every Five Nights at Freddy's game and book (up until now) presented in chronological order. Please be cautious as spoilers lie ahead.

'Five Nights at Freddy’s 4'

Set in 1983, Five Nights at Freddy’s 4 takes place during the earliest events in the overall timeline. The game immerses players in a series of minigames that narrate the story of a young boy who endures a sequence of traumatic incidents at Fredbear’s Family Diner. These events unfold leading up to a party where the boy is subjected to bullying by both his peers and his older brother. Notably, this game showcases the infamous Bite of ‘83, wherein the boy is lifted and crushed by the animatronic’s mouth. The game strongly suggests that the boy perishes as a result of this incident.

There are easter eggs regarding the Purple Guy in two of the minigames; he is also seen in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 and Five Nights at Freddy’s 3.

'Five Nights at Freddy’s 2'

'Five Nights at Freddy’s: Sister Location'

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 takes a leap forward in time to 1987, where players step into the shoes of Jeremy Fitzgerald, a security guard stationed at a Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza establishment. Presently, this location is under scrutiny as a result of a series of child murders committed by an individual known as the Purple Guy, although the police mostly rely on rumors at this stage of the investigation. The enigmatic purple figure makes his first appearance in the franchise in this installment and continues to appear throughout the series as more information about the animatronics' past is unveiled. Additionally, Balloon Boy and The Puppet make their debut in this game, with The Puppet's true identity being disclosed in Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria Simulator.

Five Nights at Freddy’s: Sister Location is set in Circus Baby’s Entertainment and Rental, an establishment that utilizes animatronics manufactured by Afton Robotics and is overseen by William Afton, the creator of Freddy Fazbear. Within this game, the novelty comes in the form of the Scooping Room, where the animatronics' endoskeletons are extracted and repurposed as salvageable components. Additionally, multiple endings are included, with one of them revealing the true identity of the Purple Guy.

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'Five Nights at Freddy’s

Welcome to the first game! In this game, players assume the role of Mike Schmidt and delve deeper into the disturbing history of the restaurant. This includes the mention of the child murders that were brought up in the second game. Although a suspect was arrested for these heinous crimes, no bodies were ever discovered. The unsettling presence of a foul odor and blood-like fluid leaking from the animatronics sparks rumors and triggers a police investigation, as depicted in Five Nights at Freddy's 2. This event correlates with the warning given by the Phone Guy, stating that if caught by an animatronic, the guard will be forcefully placed into a suit and ultimately killed.

Five Nights at Freddy’s Novel Trilogy

Taking place in the early '90s, after the Bite of '87, Five Nights at Freddy's features The Puppet in both Sister Location and Five Nights at Freddy's 2. This positions the novel trilogy, including The Silver Eyes, The Twisted Ones, and The Fourth Closet, after these titles. Set between 1995 and 1996, the novels revolve around Charlotte Emily, the daughter of Henry Emily, William Afton's former business partner. Throughout the series, Charlotte strives to unravel the mysteries surrounding her father's demise and the incidents at a Fazbear's Pizza establishment. However, it is eventually unveiled that she was a victim of William Afton's murderous actions, with her soul possessing an animatronic.

While the novels don’t perfectly align with the games, this is the best spot to read this trilogy to fill in some gaps on Henry Emily and The Puppet.

'Five Nights at Freddy’s 3'

This game is set approximately 30 years later than Five Nights at Freddy’s and occurs in a brand-new location called Fazbear’s Fright, a horror attraction based on the characters from Fazbear’s Pizza. Unlike previous installments, there is only one animatronic, a bunny named Springtrap, that the player must defend against. However, the player will also encounter hallucinations of other deteriorated animatronics, which will lead to equipment malfunctions. One of the minigames within this game reveals that Springtrap is being possessed by William Afton. Additionally, the game offers both a good and a bad ending that unveil the fate of the murdered children who possess the remaining animatronics.

'Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria Simulator'

This game centers around Michael Afton, the son of William Afton, as he takes on the role of manager at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. Under the guidance of the Cassette Man, Michael's task is to salvage the malfunctioning animatronics found in a secluded back alley, which include Springtrap and Circus Baby. The game's ending unveils the true identity of the Cassette Man as Henry Emily, who had set up the salvage operation as a trap in order to destroy the pizzerias, sacrifice himself, and ultimately set free the trapped spirits.

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Fazbear Frights Novel Series

This collection consists of 12 novels (Fazbear Frights 1-12), each comprising of three short stories and an epilogue. Although the specific timeframe of many of the stories remains ambiguous, they feature characters from the aforementioned games and books (such as Springtrap) and are named after the setting of Five Nights at Freddy's 3. Reading this series after experiencing Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria Simulator is a recommended approach to concluding what is informally referred to as the "Clickteam Series." This term is sometimes used to describe the initial six games since they were developed using Clickteam Fusion 2.5. Furthermore, these novels are positioned prior to the more contemporary games. It is advised to read them in the order of their release to maintain the continuity of the overarching story conveyed in the epilogues.

Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted' & 'Five Nights at Freddy’s: Special Delivery'

In order to rectify the negative reputation that Fazbear Entertainment has endured in recent decades, Help Wanted endeavors to recreate several scenes from the initial three games. It is evident that this endeavor takes place subsequent to the incriminating incidents of Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria Simulator. Akin to Help Wanted, Special Delivery follows a comparable style and pursues the same objective of repairing the company's standing. Therefore, it is advisable to pair and engage with these two games simultaneously.

'Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach'

Following Help Wanted and Special Delivery, the upcoming installment in the series, Security Breach, takes place in a fully developed megaplex, indicating the restaurant's triumph over its previous notoriety. This game introduces a free-roam experience and offers six different endings. The canonical ending reveals the reappearance of William Afton wearing a charred Springtrap suit in an underground location reminiscent of those from previous games. Despite not witnessing Afton's demise, there remains a possibility of his return.

Tales from the Pizzaplex Novel Series

The Tales from the Pizzaplex series (Tales from the Pizzaplex 1-8) follow a similar structure to Fazbear Frights. Each book consists of three short stories and an epilogue. Although the specific timeframe is not explicitly mentioned, all the stories take place in the megaplex from Security Breach, implying that they occur during and after that game. To fully appreciate the overarching story, it is recommended to read them in the order of their release dates and keep the epilogues in proper sequence.

Five Nights at Freddy's is a horror film set to be released on October 27, 2023. Directed by Emma Tammi, it features a stellar cast including Josh Hutcherson, Matthew Lillard, Elizabeth Lail, and Mary Stuart Masterson. With a runtime of 110 minutes, the movie falls under the main genre of horror.