If you’ve spent more than five minutes scrolling through the Five Nights at Freddy’s wiki or watching theory videos, you know the timeline is a nightmare. It's a mess. Honestly, trying to piece together Scott Cawthon’s original vision feels like doing taxes while an animatronic bear screams in your face. One of the most common questions that keeps popping up in the community is pretty straightforward: which fnaf game is 1993? The answer is the one that started it all.
The original Five Nights at Freddy’s (FNAF 1) is the game set in 1993. While the game itself never flashes a giant neon sign saying "WELCOME TO THE NINETIES," the evidence is baked into the code, the paycheck, and the lore that fans have spent over a decade deconstructing. It’s the foundational block of the entire series. Without the 1993 setting, the rest of the timeline—the bite of '87, the sister location incidents, the rise of Fazbear Entertainment—basically falls apart like a wet paper plate.
How We Know FNAF 1 Takes Place in 1993
Scott Cawthon is a subtle developer. He doesn't usually hand out dates for free. In the first game, you play as Mike Schmidt. At the end of your harrowing week of checking doors and sweating over power percentages, you get a paycheck. That's the smoking gun.
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The paycheck is for $120.00.
That might seem like a random number, but the community did some digging. If you calculate the hourly wage for five nights of work—roughly $4.00 an hour—and compare it to federal minimum wage laws in the United States, 1993 fits perfectly. It’s a bit of real-world math applied to a ghost story. If the game took place in the 70s or the early 2000s, Mike would have been making significantly different amounts of money.
There’s also the "Help Wanted" newspaper ad you see at the start of the game. It looks and feels like a relic of the early 90s. The technology in the office—the chunky monitors, the rotary-style logic, the lack of modern connectivity—screams 1993. It’s that weird transitional period where everything was analog but trying to be digital.
The Phone Guy’s "Twenty Years" Comment
Wait. There’s a wrinkle.
In FNAF 1, Phone Guy mentions that the animatronics have been singing those same songs for twenty years. This led some early theorists to think the game was much later. But if you track the history of Fredbear’s Family Diner, which we know opened in the early 1970s (specifically 1983 is a major touchstone for the brand’s peak), the 1993 date lines up with that twenty-year window. It’s about the brand's longevity, not necessarily the specific building you're sitting in.
Why 1993 Matters More Than You Think
It’s easy to say "okay, it’s 1993" and move on. But for the lore, this date is the anchor.
By the time we reach 1993, the Fazbear brand is dying. The restaurant is moldy. The power is failing. The company is broke. This is essentially the end of the "classic" era of the timeline before the series started jumping into the future with FNAF 3 or way back into the past with the FNAF 2 prequel.
Think about the atmosphere. 1993 was a weird year for kids' entertainment. ShowBiz Pizza and Chuck E. Cheese were in their weird, slightly creepy prime or transitioning into newer versions of themselves. Scott captured that specific vibe—the smell of stale pepperoni and the sound of mechanical servos whirring in a dark corner. If FNAF 1 took place today, it would just be a high-tech horror game. Set in 1993, it becomes a nostalgic tragedy.
The tragedy of 1993 is that it's where the original five spirits—Gabriel, Jeremy, Susie, Fritz, and Cassidy—are still trapped in those bulky, clunky suits. They’ve been there for years. By this point, they aren't just ghosts; they’re echoes of a corporate cover-up that has lasted a decade.
Comparing 1993 to the Rest of the Mess
To understand why people get confused about which fnaf game is 1993, you have to look at Five Nights at Freddy's 2.
- FNAF 2 (1987): This is a prequel. It’s brighter, has more animatronics, and features the "Toy" versions.
- FNAF 1 (1993): The "sequel" that looks older because the company has run out of money.
- FNAF 3 (Approx. 2023): Set thirty years after the 1993 location closed its doors.
See the pattern? The 1993 game is the middle child. It’s the bridge between the "Bite of '87" and the eventual burning of the franchise in the third game. If you miss the 1993 date, you miss the fact that the animatronics in the first game are actually the repaired versions of the "Withered" ones from the second game.
The Mystery of Mike Schmidt
Let's talk about Mike. If we accept that fnaf game is 1993, we have to look at who is behind the desk. Most fans now agree that Mike Schmidt is actually Michael Afton, the son of the series' main antagonist, William Afton.
Why is he there in 1993?
He’s looking for his father. Or maybe he’s trying to undo his father’s work. By placing the game in 1993, Scott places Michael at a specific age. He’s an adult now, likely haunted by the events of 1983 (the death of his brother). The 1993 setting gives the character weight. He’s a man spending his nights in a death trap for $4.00 an hour, not because he needs the money, but because he’s tied to the tragedy.
Common Misconceptions About the 1993 Setting
Some people argue the game could be 1992 or 1994.
Honestly, the difference is negligible for the lore, but 1993 is the community consensus because of the calendar. If you look at the days Mike works—Monday through Friday—and match them to the dates on the paycheck (November 12th), the year 1993 is one of the few years where that specific Friday the 12th occurs.
Mathematics usually doesn't lie, even in a game about haunted puppets.
Another confusion comes from the FNAF movie. The movie is its own thing. While it draws heavily from the 1993 vibes and the first game, it plays with the timeline in ways that don't always 1:1 match the games. If you're looking for the "1993 game," stick to the original 2014 release.
What Should You Do With This Information?
If you're trying to play the games in chronological order, don't start with 1993. That’s a mistake. Even though FNAF 1 is the 1993 game, it’s designed to be the introduction. You’re supposed to feel the mystery.
Here is the best way to handle the 1993 lore:
- Play FNAF 1 first. Experience the 1993 atmosphere without knowing everything. It makes the "Bite of '87" mention in the first night's phone call much more impactful.
- Look at the details. Check the posters on the walls. Notice how they change. In the 1993 location, the walls literally groan with the history of the murders.
- Compare the tech. Go from FNAF 1 to FNAF 2. You’ll notice the 1987 location had facial recognition technology that the 1993 location lacks. It shows the technological regression of a dying company.
The 1993 setting is the heart of the franchise. It’s the "present day" that everything else either leads to or follows from. It’s the moment when the spirits finally get their shot at the night guard who might—or might not—be the son of their killer.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Theorists
If you are writing your own theories or just trying to explain the lore to a friend who thinks it's just about jump scares, keep these points in mind.
The 1993 date is verified by the $120.00 paycheck and the calendar matching Friday, November 12th. It is not a guess. It is a calculated fact within the community. When you're discussing the timeline, use 1993 as your "zero point."
Everything before 1993 is the "Rise of Afton."
Everything after 1993 is the "Legacy of Afton."
Don't get bogged down by the "Twenty Years" line from Phone Guy. It's a generalization, not a hard timestamp for the building's construction. Focus on the paycheck. In the world of Fazbear Entertainment, the money always tells the truth, mostly because they’re so stingy with it.
The next time someone asks you which fnaf game is 1993, you can confidently point to the original. It’s the game that defined a genre, launched a thousand YouTube channels, and turned a simple security guard job into a decade-long mystery.
Start your deep dive into the 1993 archives by looking for the "hidden" newspaper clippings that flicker on the walls of the East Hall. They provide the context for what happened leading up to that year, specifically the reports of the missing children that eventually led to the restaurant's health department threats and ultimate closure. That is where the real story of 1993 lives.