Five Nights at Freddy’s isn't just a jump-scare simulator anymore. It’s an absolute behemoth of a franchise. Honestly, if you try to just "play the games" to understand the lore, you’re going to end up staring at a wall for three hours wondering who the heck Mimic is or why there are suddenly soul-swapping illusion disks involved in a story about a pizzeria. You need the books. But here is the problem: Scott Cawthon didn’t exactly make it easy. There isn't one single "volume one to volume fifty" list that makes sense because the series is split into three distinct, weirdly overlapping branches.
Finding the fnaf books in order is less about counting from one to ten and more about deciding which reality you want to inhabit today. Are you looking for the original novel trilogy that reimagines the game’s origins? Or are you looking for the Fazbear Frights anthologies that might—or might not—be canon to the games? Then there are the Tales from the Pizzaplex books, which basically act as the instruction manual for Security Breach and Ruin. It's a lot.
The Silver Eyes Trilogy: The Original Reimagining
This is where it started. Back in 2015, Scott Cawthon teamed up with Kira Breed-Wrisley to release The Silver Eyes. At the time, the fanbase went nuclear because the book seemed to contradict the games. Scott eventually had to step in and clarify that the novels are a "reimagining" of the FNAF mythos. They aren't in the same continuity as the games, but they use the same "pieces." Think of it like a deck of cards; the games and the books use the same deck, but they're playing two different games.
- The Silver Eyes (2015)
- The Twisted Ones (2017)
- The Fourth Closet (2018)
If you're a newcomer, start here. It follows Charlie, the daughter of Fazbear co-founder Henry Emily, as she returns to Hurricane, Utah. You get a definitive (if separate) ending. You get to see William Afton as a fleshed-out human villain rather than just a purple sprite or a decaying rabbit suit. It’s gritty. It’s weird. It’s the most "traditional" reading experience you'll get in this franchise.
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Fazbear Frights: The Nightmare Anthologies
After the trilogy wrapped, things got experimental. The Fazbear Frights series consists of 11 core volumes plus a 12th "bonus" book. Each one contains three short stories and a "stitchwraith" epilogue. This is where the fnaf books in order gets tricky because these stories are often used to explain game mechanics like "Remnant" or "Agony."
You shouldn't read these looking for a linear plot. You read them to understand the rules of the universe. For instance, Into the Pit (Volume 1) introduces the idea of a warped, organic version of Spring Bonnie that exists in a ball pit. Step Closer (Volume 4) basically confirms how Foxy functions.
- Volume 1: Into the Pit (The one with the ball pit time travel)
- Volume 2: Fetch (The creepy dog animatronic)
- Volume 3: 1:35 AM (The Ella doll that haunts your dreams)
- Volume 4: Step Closer (The Pete and Foxy story)
- Volume 5: Bunny Call (Ralpho is terrifying, period)
- Volume 6: Blackbird (Social media and guilt)
- Volume 7: The Cliffs (The Freddy bear tag)
- Volume 8: Gumdrop Angel (Body horror at its peak)
- Volume 9: The Puppet Carver
- Volume 10: Friendly Face
- Volume 11: Prankster
- Volume 12: Felix the Shark (The "lost" stories)
Most fans argue about whether these stories are "Canon to the Games" or "Parallels." Honestly? It doesn't matter. They provide the vibes and the logic that the games often skip over. If you want to know why a character survives a fire, there's probably a story in here about "Agony" that explains it.
Tales from the Pizzaplex: The Modern Lore
If you’ve played Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach, these are non-negotiable. While the previous books were a bit detached, Tales from the Pizzaplex feels like direct lore dumps. They explain what the "Mimic" is. They explain why the Pizzaplex is built on top of the old Pizzeria Simulator location.
- Lally's Game
- HAPPS
- Somniphobia
- Submechanophobia
- The Bobbiedots Conclusion
- Nexie
- Tiger Rock
- B7-2
The standout here is the "GGY" story in HAPPS, which basically tells you exactly who Gregory is before the events of the game. Without these books, Gregory’s motivations in the DLC Ruin make almost zero sense. It's a bit frustrating that the "real" story is hidden in paperbacks, but that’s the FNAF way.
The Graphic Novels and Guidebooks
You don't need these for the lore, but they're cool. The original trilogy and some Fazbear Frights stories have been adapted into graphic novels. They're great if you want to see what the "Twisted" animatronics actually look like according to the creators.
There's also The Freddy Files. There are several versions of this: the original, the Updated Edition, and the Ultimate Guide. If you only get one, get the Ultimate Guide. It’s the most current and contains some genuinely helpful hints about the lore. Just take everything in the "fan theories" section with a grain of salt. Scott likes to mess with us.
How to Actually Read Them Without Getting a Headache
Don't try to read everything at once. You'll burn out. The lore is dense, and the writing style varies because Scott uses several ghostwriters like Elley Cooper and Andrea Waggener.
The best way to tackle the fnaf books in order is by group.
Start with the Charlie Trilogy (The Silver Eyes) to get the "feel" of the world. Then, jump into Tales from the Pizzaplex if you’re a fan of the newer games. Save Fazbear Frights for when you want to get into the nitty-gritty, weird science of the universe.
One thing people get wrong is thinking they can skip the books and still understand the movie or the future games. You can't. The 2023 movie pulled heavily from The Silver Eyes. The future of the "Steel Wool" era of games is rooted entirely in the Tales series.
Why the Order Matters for the Mimic
There is a character called the Mimic. In the games, he just... appears. People were confused. They thought it was Afton again. But if you read the epilogues in Tales from the Pizzaplex in order, you see the Mimic’s entire origin story. You see it being built by Edwin Wright. You see it learning. You see it becoming the "Glitchtrap" virus. Without the books, the games are just a series of cool-looking robots chasing you. With the books, it’s a tragedy about AI and grief.
Actionable Steps for the Aspiring Lore-Hunter
- Check the copyright dates. If you find a "new" book at a thrift store, check if it's a Frights or a Tales book. Reading Frights #5 before #1 is fine for the stories, but the epilogues will be spoiled.
- Listen to the Audiobooks. If the prose feels too "young adult" for you, the audiobooks (narrated by people like Christopher McCullough, the voice of Foxy) are fantastic. They bring a level of creepiness that reading sometimes lacks.
- Focus on the Epilogues. If you’re short on time, read the three stories in each anthology book, but pay extra attention to the 2-3 pages at the very end of the book. That's where the "real" overarching plot lives.
- Watch for the "Stitchwraith." This is the connective tissue of the Fazbear Frights series. If you skip a volume, you’ll lose the thread of what’s happening to this specific character.
The world of Freddy Fazbear is expanding faster than most people can keep up with. Whether you're here for the body horror of a girl turning into candy or the complex family trauma of the Afton clan, the books are your only real map. Grab The Silver Eyes first. It’s the safest bet before things get truly, wonderfully weird.