It is rare that a fan-made Five Nights at Freddy’s game hits as hard as the original but The Return to Bloody Nights does just that. With its gameplay, visuals and lore being incredibly similar to Scott Cawthon’s work, it is a fantastic tribute and fan game for players that are also a fan of the franchise to try out. Return to Bloody Nights brings back the original terrors of Five Nights by placing players into the unknown with Animatronics that look and behave differently to the original games. Being able to bare witness to their actual movements around the Diner whilst being given no clues as to how to stop them from invading the Office unless you see the Death Screens makes this game both incredibly scary and impressive. The Return to Bloody Nights feels like playing Five Nights at Freddy’s for the first time. So if you are interested in getting to Payday, this is Vincent’s guide on how to beat all Animatronics in Return to Bloody Nights.
How to Beat Nights in Return to Bloody Nights – Animatronics Guide
The Return to Bloody Nights features the same nightly system experienced in the first four Five Nights as Freddy’s. These act as the levels of the game, increasing in difficulty as you survive each night. You will only have access to Monday where you will need to survive until 6am to see Tuesday and so on. The base game is set on 5 nights however there is a sixth night available, titled as Payday and Custom Nights for you to challenge yourself even further. I will say that this game is a challenge from Night 3 onwards and if you are not used to playing the original Five Nights games, you may find this tough due to the quick reflexes and reaction times needed to successfully get to 6am. However, with practice homes perfection and you will be able to defeat this game if you know exactly what every Animatronic does. For that reason, Vincent’s guide will show you exactly how the Puppet and Animatronics in Return to Bloody Nights work.
The game does not specifically outline what each Animatronic does and without any real tutorial you can feel as though you have been thrown into the deep end without your arm bands on. However, this makes the game much more terrifying as you do not know what is coming. Whilst every Night Loading Screen shows you who you will face via the header photo indicating that the Animatronic in action is well-lit whilst the others remain in the darkness. Do refer to this every time you load into the game so that you know exactly what awaits you. Unlike other Fnaf Fan Games, you may think that who you face will be similar to the original, or as this behaves almost identical to Scott Cawthon’s work, the same enemies will come out to face you. But this is not the case.
All Animatronics in Return to Bloody Nights
Firstly, you will need to get used to the fact that there are multiple versions of Animatronics in Return to Bloody Nights. With variations of Freddy Fazbear and Bonnie. What is unique is that whilst these represent the original cast of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria, there is no Foxy or Chica making their appearance in this fan-made game. Instead, you will witness two different types of Fazbear and Bonnie. These are appropriately named as:
- Friendly Fazbear
- Hollow-Eyed Fazbear
- Spring Bonnie
- White-Eyed Bonnie
The rest of the Fazbear Diner cast that you will face are:
- Endoskeleton
- Emily Marionette
- Cupcake
Related: What is the Chronological Timeline of Five Nights at Freddy’s? FNAF Story Explained.
How to Deal with Freddy Fazbear and Bonnie
Friendly Fazbear and Spring Bonnie are who you will face first. They, like the original games, will come at you from either side of the door. With Friendly Fazbear trying the left door of the Office and Spring Bonnie trying the right door. You need to make sure that you are watching their moves via the camera. You need only to react when either Animatronic are at their corresponding door (left or right). You need to look out for them popping up on the closest Camera Feed, this will be Cam 7 and Cam 8. Friendly Fazbear will appear on this camera, showing the innards of his face, whilst Spring Bonnie will appear in the dark corridor, slightly off camera. When they are here, keep an eye out for the doors on your left and right. You will need to turn your Flashlight on with the left-click mouse button.
The coolest thing that Return to the Night does is that when you shut the doors in the Office, you will see a painting against the door of Fazbear and Bonnie which perfectly align with these characters when they appear outside of the door. Unlike the original Five Nights, these Animatronics can often be seen moving around or falling into place which is a fantastic touch that often acts as a jumpscare. This game is best played with headphones so that you can hear where the Animatronics are if they get close. When these two appear (at separate times but increase throughout the Nights) you need to shut the doors and wait for the one knock. This means that they have left and you can unlock the door. Afterwards, find them on the Camera Feeds to note how close they are to the Office.
The variations of Fazbear and Bonnie are more unique and we will handle them separately. Hollow-Eyed Fazbear primarily acts as a auditory block and confusion to trick you into thinking that there are Animatronics close to you when there isn’t. However Hollow-Eyed Fazbear will still attack but only when its approach is much closer. This Fazbear will appear at the furthest point outside of the Office doors on the left-hand side. You need to keep track of where he is but do not worry about closing the door on him yet. Instead, focus your attention on where the Friendly variation is. Hollow-Eyed Fazbear will talk to you, often telling you to “Look Out”. Be sure to keep checking the left side with your flashlight and when this Fazbear is standing or displaying his full face to you in the doorway. You need only to shut the door when Fazbear shows his face to you but only after waiting and listening to his call outs. You can let a total of 3-4 call outs of his pass you by, after which you should shut the door. Listen out for the singular knock again for him backing away into the corridor.
The White-Eyed Bonnie is one of the hardest Animatronics to deal with in Return to Bloody Nights. This Animatronic acts similarly to Foxy in which he will attack by full sending on your right-side Office door. However, the gameplay mechanic for White-Eyed Bonnie is very different. Players will need to keep their eyes out for this Animatronic pretty much all the time as you need to know where he is via the Camera Feeds. The main position Bonnie will be rocking is with his hands covering his face. This is because he is playing a game of Hide n Seek with you. You need to always be aware of his movement and when he gets to Camera 8, shut the door on your right immediately as he will run for it. You will hear his rapid footsteps followed by 5 knocks on the door. Unlike Friendly Fazbear and Spring Bonnie however, you cannot open the door straight after hearing the 5 knocks. Wait 3-5 seconds before opening so that you do not get a nasty fright.
How to Stop the Endoskeleton and Puppet
The Endoskeleton is a unique Animatronic in that it cannot really be seen on the Camera Feeds. Once this Animatronic gets free roam across the Diner but will typically appear only at the Office doors. You will need to keep your wits about you and regularly shine the flashlight into the Office doorways in case the Endoskeleton shows itself. When it does, shut the door and the Endoskeleton will leave instantaneously. This Animatronic works off you not seeing it and being blissfully unaware of its presence.
Emily Marionette is the Puppet in Return to Bloody Nights and its primary purpose is to slowly creep up behind you whilst you are busy stopping the Animatronics from getting inside the Office. You need to use the flashlight (left-click on mouse) to look for the Marionette’s face. The Puppet will only return to its box when you shine the light directly on its face. The Marionette appears in the centre of the Office and makes multiple moves before zoning in on you. You can find it popping out its head from the bottom, standing bolt upright in the centre or leaning left or right to avoid your gaze. Out of all the Animatronics, you have the longest period to wait with the Puppet and should take advantage of this when you are trying to complete Night 4 or 5. Whilst you should incorporate looking behind you in your sequence of checking the Camera Feed, Left door and Right door, you only really need to worry about the Marionette when it is leaning to your left or right of the space behind you in the Office.
This Time, Just Ignore the Cupcake
The Cupcake has the primary function of being a temporary visual disturbance in the Camera Feed. Unlike other Animatronics, all you need to do is ignore Cupcake and wait for its moment to pass. You will be able to still use the cameras when the Cupcake shows itself however if there is another Animatronic on that Feed, you will have a harder time noting its movements and placement in the Diner. The Cupcake will appear on any camera and obscures your vision as it blocks the entire Camera Feed that you are trying to look at. Keep in mind however that the Cupcake cannot kill you and cause a Game Over, instead it just stops you temporarily from looking into a room.
That was our guide on how to beat the Animatronics in Return to Bloody Nights. We hope this guide was helpful for you. Whilst you can learn of how to handle the enemies in the Death Screens when you get a Game Over, it is helpful to know what to do/expect in future Nights. For more Horror Game content and guides, feel free to see our GJ related here.
