My Top 5 Favorite FNaF Fangames!

So I haven't really enjoyed mainlife Five Nights at Freddy's in a while, I really didn't like engaging with it after Scott's donations were made public, and Security Breach's lack of quality really made fall off of the franchise. That being said, I still enjoy fanmade content for the franchise, and I think the fans are doing much better work than Scott or Steel Wool, in my personal opinion. I'd like to preface my list by saying I don't support Scott Cawthon. Financially supporting Scott means financially supporting the right-wing, as we've seen before with his donations, which I simply cannot get behind. With all of that being said, here are my favorite FNaF fangames. 

5. A Bite At Freddy's: This one to me is all about the polish. It looks like an official spin-off game, but with even cooler designs. What can I even say about the southern aesthetic? It's perfect. It's executed very well, as are many other things in this game. The gameplay is unique, going off courses rather than nights. Turning it into a fast-food joint rather than a pizza place also really helps push the new southern look. It has simple one-line voice acting that I really enjoy, as well as, surprisingly, humor. I don't usually like too much humor in my FNaF games, but this one really made me laugh. The portrait animatronics also made me very excited as an animatronic nerd, they're just like the old Chuck E. Cheese animatronics! 

4. FNAF 1 REMAKE: When it comes to ransomware FNaF remakes, this is the best one in my opinion. Like the rest of the games on this list, I like it a lot because it has a unique narrative, and really leans into storytelling. This game has a KinitoPET/Doki Doki vibe to it that I really enjoy. I really like Buddy, his narration, while not being the most original, still really tugs on my heartstrings, and he's probably my favorite out of the Monika-likes I've encountered. I really enjoyed how it was poking some fun at the genre while still having compelling storytelling. Another thing you'll find out about me here is that I really appreciate good music and mixed media, of which this game has both. As with most of these games, it also has a banger behind-the-scenes. 

3. Mechanism: The effort! The cabinet! The pazazz! Just... How this one was even made is what puts it so high up on the list for me. The creator really went above and beyond, adding 8 whole endings, amazing groovy music, and even rotoscoped animation. Wow, I love rotoscoped animation, I was so happy to see it here. This was inspired by Faith, another one of my favorite games ever. The game is entirely pixel art, and it looks really good. This game was built to be part of an arcade cabinet, which is just the coolest thing ever to me. It's developer really went above and beyond for this project, and while I might not have as much to say about it as I do the others on this list, it gets the number 3 spot because I just cannot stop appreciating the effort and determination put into this one project. 

2. JR's: Prior to the #1 spot, JR's was my favorite FNaF fangame solely due to its approach. Here comes my love for mixed media again, which Junior's has quite a bit of. 3D models, 2D art, even animations that mimic the look of old claymation. This also probably has my favorite gameplay out of any fangame I've encountered: Paranormal investigation. Instead of just trying to survive the night, you are actively investigating the animatronics for paranormal occurances. I'm just a huge sucker for paranormal investigation in general, so of course I love this mechanic. It also has the best redesigns, in my opinion, out of any FNaF remake. I especially love Foxy and The Mangle. Oh, my goodness, Mangle in this game is just... Perfect. 

1. Banshee: The style and substance within this game is really what does it for me. A perfect retelling of the sixth game with still existing as a standalone work of art? Magnificent. The redesigns are terrifying, as is the ambience. This game made me feel a type of dread that no other FNaF game, mainline or fangame, has been able to give me, and that's what a horror game should do. It's clearly analog horror inspired, which is one of my personal favorite genres so of course I enjoyed when this game envoked a similar style. All of the secrets are both unnerving and extremely interesting, and add onto the lore in such an interesting way. The multiple endings really hit too, both really causing a pit in your gut in different ways. It's the type of story I wish I could make, which is why it's my number one pick.