The handful of Five Nights at Freddy’s spin-offs released so far seem just as popular as the main entries. As such, it was inevitable that a retro-style pixel art horror adventure would surface at some point. This task has fallen onto Mega Cat Studios, best known for creating and publishing a slew of modern Mega Drive/Genesis and NES titles. Visually, Into the Pit outperforms SEGA’s humble 16-bit system, loosely resembling one of the relatively few 2D games that made it to the PS1. It’s difficult to think of a comparison, as what’s presented here is surprisingly unique both in terms of substance and style.
We’re introduced to Oswald, a timid and mild-mannered schoolboy. The town Oswald lives in has seen better days, with unemployment rife since a steel mill closed. Feeling the pinch, the only restaurant Oswald’s family can afford to visit is a rundown pizza joint run by a despondent, although friendly, individual known as Jeff. While snacking on cheap ‘n greasy pizza, Oswald overhears that the restaurant once had a ball pit. Despite being advised not to investigate, likened as a festering health and safety nightmare, Oswald leaps in headfirst and finds himself transported to 1985. The very same restaurant is a hubbub of activity, hosting children’s parties and featuring a busy arcade. Also: animatronics. You can probably see where this is going…
…or perhaps not. Into the Pit isn’t quite as straightforward as it may initially seem. While exploring the restaurant during the peak of its popularity, Oswald’s dad – a former blue-collar worker – also discovers the ball pit, and is swiftly dragged back to 1985 by one of the sentient animatronics. From the depths of the pit emerges an animatronic version of Oswald’s dad, who’s even (somehow) able to fool Oswald’s doting mother. Carted off to their small suburban homestead, Oswald must spend the next five nights going about his day while avoiding his robotic replacement father figure, before heading to the restaurant at night to find out what has happened not just to his dad, but also to other children once consumed by the ball pit.
During the day, Oswald briefly attends school – and oddly, it’s supposed to be his first day, yet the narrative doesn’t quite reflect this, commencing with a typical lunch time – and you’ll also get to explore Oswald’s home fully, with his doppelganger dad occasionally sealing off various exits forcing you to find alternative routes. Both of these locations play into the storyline, with Oswald’s school chums occasionally providing items needed to progress. A library and the steel mill can also be visited, but unlike the school, restaurant and Oswald’s home, these are merely single screen locations.
The majority of time is spent within the dimly lit restaurant. In the present day there’s little in the way of danger. You’re able to converse with Jeff and the few other townsfolks brave enough to dine there, as well as scout for items and follow leads – with the current main objective always present on screen. Oswald can carry numerous items at once, so inventory management isn’t called for. The torch needs a steady supply of batteries though, so it’s vital to search for backups. Navigating without torchlight isn’t too tricky, as every interactable item is highlighted when approaching. Also present on screen is a noise meter; running will make significant noise, while also increasing the risk of Oswald tripping over.
Leaping into the ball pit at night is where things become more involved and much more twisted. The atmosphere is much more ominous than before, with the restaurant cloaked in darkness. The animatronics walk from one room to the next, alerted by sound, and make themselves known one by one. That’s to say, the first couple of nights ‘pits’ you against a single adversary, with more appearing as the story unfolds. You’ll need to find unique ways to distract them, with more of the restaurant becoming accessible over time. Some rooms, such as the now familiar security office, are locked until required. The ability to leap through time allows for a few creative puzzles, such as “borrowing” the basement key in the present day and hoping nobody has changed the locks since 1985. There are some arbitrary solutions though, with Oswald having to jump several figurative hoops to acquire a single slice of pizza. Just check the bins, my dude.
But while some of the objectives do feel like padding, with only so much achievable before heading back home, it’s never any less engaging. As a horror game, Into the Pit is surprisingly accomplished. The atmosphere is unnerving, and the sound design is excellent – it’s even possible to hear the animatronics leaving and entering adjacent rooms, giving a clue to their location. If an animatronic gives chase you’re able to hide – which commences a short event, such as shifting left and right while trapped in a wardrobe to avoid an animatronics’ gaze – and you can also set off noise makers before vanishing into airducts and emerging elsewhere. The main eating area can be difficult to escape from though, cornering Oswald into the basement. Exiting the pizza joint at night will commence the ‘bad’ ending – something I accidentally triggered more than once.
As a distraction, there are several simple arcade games to play, including a sliding block puzzle and pizza-themed takes on Asteroids and Frogger. These arcade cabinets need to be fixed in 1985 so that they can be played in the present, gathering parts from both eras. Not only are there high scores to beat, but tokens to earn too – with one prize needed to progress. A couple of mission objectives are vague (at one point I wasn’t sure if I should be looking for something in the present or the past) which may lead to younger gamers becoming temporarily stuck.
On that subject, Into the Pit is a bona fide horror game – it has an unsettling atmosphere, and being chased can be unnerving, creating a sense of unease while hiding. The animatronics screech loudly when seen, and jump scares are common – including spiders crawling along the screen out of the blue. It’s clearly intended to make players jump, but at the same time, never leave them distressed. There’s nothing here in the way of blood and gore, for instance, aside from a single roadkill possum.
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Into the Pit is a pleasant surprise, feeling like something the team genuinely wanted to create rather than simply being a cash-in product. I can’t vouch for the ways it expands FNAF lore, but I can say that it achieves more than some recent horror games trying to make a name for themselves. Oswald himself is likeable and his quest endearing, the pixel art is well drawn with plenty of flair (key characters have a faux 3D appearance), and there are reasons to return after the first 5-6 hour run-through. While the dialogue is overly twee, it matches the tone; Oswald is merely a child, after all. It’s a pretty good example of how a decent spin-off can positively alter a perception of a franchise as a whole.
Mega Cat Studio’s Five Nights at Freddy’s: Into the Pit is out now on all formats.