Common Sense Media Review
By Chris Morris
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Terrifying psychological thriller is too much for kids.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Five Nights at Freddy's
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 162 parent reviews
Based on 638 kid reviews
Kids say the game is both enjoyable and suspenseful, with a mix of jump scares that can be startling but tend not to be overly terrifying. While they appreciate its engaging gameplay and dark lore, many agree it's better suited for older children or teens due to its intense themes and occasional scary moments, recommending parental guidance for younger players.
- enjoyable gameplay
- suitable for older kids
- mild jump scares
- dark lore
- parental guidance recommended
- high horror tolerance
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Privacy Rating Warning
Privacy Rating
Our expert evaluators create our privacy ratings. The ratings are designed to help you understand how apps use your data for commercial purposes.
Pass
Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.
Warning
Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.
Fail
Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.
Privacy Rating
Our expert evaluators create our privacy ratings. The ratings are designed to help you understand how apps use your data for commercial purposes.
Pass
Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.
Warning
Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.
Fail
Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.
What's It About?
As the new night security guard at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, it's your job to keep an eye on the animatronics, which are prone to wandering at night. Should they find you, you're toast (though it's not malicious on their part -- they just don't understand you). You'll monitor their comings and goings through a series of cameras around the restaurant, and there's a set of emergency doors on both sides of the room. The difficulty comes from the limited amount of power you have. Every action you make drains power -- and you're never shown how much. Should you run, the room goes dark and you're totally defenseless.
Is It Any Good?
Happy animatronics. Rudimentary game controls. No blood or weapons.
Let's face it: On paper FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY'S shouldn't be this terrifying. But once you lose (and you will), you can rule out going to sleep for a little while, no matter how old you are. It masterfully uses atmosphere and tension to psych you out as you play. You'll feel vulnerable and helpless, and when the creepily smiling characters pop up and the music spikes, you'll jump out of your seat.
For adults or older teens looking for a game to challenge them and give them some legitimate chills, it's a terrific choice -- perhaps one of the best we've seen. But for younger players, it's the stuff of nightmares.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about wanting to do or play something that's too grown-up. Why should you wait until you're older?
Families also can talk about when it's fun to be scared -- and when it's not.
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android
- Pricing structure :
- Release date : September 11, 2014
- Genre : Adventure Games
- Publisher : Scott Cawthon
- Version : 1.0
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 5.1 or later, Android v 2.3 and up
- Last updated : May 28, 2021
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate