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Five Nights at Freddy’s is a Comforting Kind of Horror

Five Nights at Freddy’s is a Comforting Kind of Horror

It’s certainly not an obvious concept at first, that a horror game might offer some sort of comfort value. Yet, I believe that notion is part of the reason why Five Nights at Freddy’s has proven to be such a success. A year later, even the first game is still something of a cultural phenomenon. People adore the series, and it isn’t only because they like being scared.

Rather, it’s about the familiarity that comes from these particular scares. It’s the nostalgia value blended into Five Nights at Freddy’s . It taps into a feeling we all surely harbored at one point of time and makes it a reality. As such, it manages to both scare and delight, because in the back of our minds, we get to proclaim, “We were right!”

It’s the animatronic figures. Anyone who has ever been to a Chuck E. Cheese, Disney World, or another attraction catering to children has encountered one of these at some point in their lives. These automatons were designed to appear cartoonish and charming, but there was always an edge there. The size, the halting movements, and the unnatural expressions all came together to bring an undercurrent of dread to the delight.

As right as these may have seemed in their natural environment, they felt wrong somehow. The attempt to bring friendly caricatures to life never went exactly as planned. Pose with the creatures! Hug them! But be careful, because even though these aren’t Five Nights at Freddy’s abominations, they’re still dangerous. They’re robots. They’re stronger than you. Don’t stick your finger or hand in there. What if something goes wrong?

Five Nights at Freddy’s is a Comforting Kind of Horror

The fact that Five Nights at Freddy’s games confirm our suspicions that something isn’t right is reassuring. Yes, these mechanical monsters are going to hurt you. They’re as unpredictable as you thought they were. You were right to avoid them, despite people telling them your fears were silly. Your distrust was warranted.

But don’t worry, because you can beat them. Well, not exactly beat them. The Five Nights at Freddy’s titles are passive sorts of games. You can outsmart them, though! You have a chance to survive and prove you’re better than them. Again, you get to prove that you were right. Which is why I believe the three Five Nights at Freddy’s games do so well. The nostalgia is there, as well as the knowledge that your childhood fears were right and you can now do something about it.

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