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 639 kid reviews
Kids say the game is a thrilling horror experience that involves many jump scares and a dark backstory centered around child murders, making it unsuitable for younger players, particularly those who get scared easily. While some reviews suggest it can be enjoyable for ages 9 and up, parents should be aware of the intense themes and manage their child's exposure to the lore to avoid distress.
- suitable age limit
- dark lore
- many jump scares
- thrilling experience
- parental discretion
- not for young kids
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Privacy Rating Warning
Privacy Rating
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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
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