10 UNSETTLING Facts About Your Favourite Games
5. A Kid’s Game Turned Into A Nightmare (Five Nights At Freddy’s)
Anyone who has ever attempted to make something, whether it be art, an Ikea shelf, or even a sandwich, can tell you that things don't always come out the way you intend. That's something the creator of Five Nights At Freddy's, Scott Cawthon, learned the hard way, as his infamous horror franchise was born from a desire for wholesome entertainment.
Cawthon discussed the origins of FNAF in an interview with Indie Games Magazine, where he revealed that it all started because of a kid's game. His first title was a family-friendly romp called Chipper and Sons Lumber Co, a cute game about a happy beaver managing a lumber company. However, it was met with harsh criticism, as, in his own words, "People said that the main character looked like a scary animatronic animal." To be fair, you only need to google the game to see the uncanny nightmare it was.
This negative reception really got to Cawthon, leaving him "ready to give up on game-making." However, rather than doing so, he embraced the horror, thinking if you want scary animatronic animals, you'll get them.