Common Sense Media Review
By Erin Brereton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Attack-based app may offer more anxiety than victory.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Five Nights at Freddy’s AR: Special Delivery
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 4 parent reviews
Based on 14 kid reviews
Kids say that the game is a fun addition to the franchise, with engaging gameplay and immersive augmented reality effects, though it tends to be less scary compared to previous entries. However, challenges like difficult mechanics and numerous microtransactions detract from the overall experience, leading some to recommend it primarily for older teens and caution against younger children playing.
- engaging gameplay
- less scary
- tough mechanics
- age recommendation
- microtransactions
- immersive experience
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's It About?
Malfunctioning animatronic attacks are projected onto a player's real-life surroundings in FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY'S AR: SPECIAL DELIVERY. Players click on map locations in this addition to the horror series to engage with the animatronics or block them with a jammer. The robots are often invisible, so players will see static as they approach. A flashlight may help gamers spot the animatronics, and they can try to use a device to shock them as they pounce. Players can also deploy a basic version of an animatronic to collect parts for itself and later send it to scare friends.
Is It Any Good?
While the surprise attacks are entertaining, clunky controls and bugs scare up more frustration than frights in this experience. Five Nights at Freddy's AR: Special Delivery has a fairly simple premise -- essentially, players are just trying to shock ghoulish-looking animatronics before they complete their attack. A second tool, a flashlight, provides illumination that may help you briefly see the creatures before they strike. You can also send a sparse Bare Endo robot out to scavenge for parts for a certain time period, ranging from 30 minutes to four hours, to help build it up, or direct it to freak out any friends you're connected to through the app.
The AR element doesn't necessarily make the game scary -- players basically just see a view of their surrounding environment that's occasionally disrupted with wavy lines until the animatronic leaps at them. The noises the animatronic makes and vibrations you can feel heightens tension during its approach, though, and players may get a kick out of seeing the creepy devices lunge at them suddenly. But while the gameplay isn't complicated, it isn't easy. The window you have to shock an attacking animatronic is slim, and using your flashlight to spot them will also run down the battery you need to protect yourself. The robots strike extremely fast, which doesn't help. What's more, the shocking device has a cooldown period, so if you're too jumpy, it may not have recharged in time -- even if you determine the exact moment an attack will begin, which seems to involve as much luck as skill. Players hoping to figure out a strategy may find they're struggling to come up with a plan, or react in time, which can make the game more frustrating than fun. The developers also have a few bugs to work out, as the game can freeze while loading, leaving you unable to access or play it without deleting and downloading the app again. Fixing the glitches and adjusting the mechanics for fighting animatronics would go a long way in helping Five Nights at Freddy's AR: Special Delivery provide an uninterrupted, consistently creepy, and enjoyable experience.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how to behave in a crisis like the situation featured in Five Nights at Freddy's AR: Special Delivery. If you were under attack, what should you do?
What makes scary books and films appealing? How can they affect younger audiences -- and why is it sometimes fun to be scared?
Five Nights at Freddy's AR: Special Delivery's backstory features some dark humor, but does that make it less scary -- or change the way we view some of the more macabre elements of the game?
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android
- Pricing structure : Free
- Release date : April 12, 2021
- Genre : Action Games
- Topics : Adventures , Fantasy , Robots
- Publisher : Illumix, Inc.
- Version : 13.4.0
- Minimum software requirements : Requires iOS 11.2 or later or Android 7.0 and up.
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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