Several factors propelled theFive Nights at Freddy’sfranchise to success: The simple but stimulating mechanics, the wide-eyed animatronic stares, and the fast food establishment’s unnerving setting - a place that’s supposed to harness childhood joy. Scott Cawthon’s indie horror also gained a cult following throughstreamer Markiplier’shilarious and dedicated playthroughs, but the real magic lies in its ability to turn nostalgia eerie.
Continuing to tilt your perception of friendly fast-food joints is the horror parody game, Jollibae, which is one letter away from the chain it’s mocking. Founded in 1978, Jollibee is a Filipino brand with restaurants situated in Asia, North America, and Europe, serving Jolly Spaghetti and Yumburgers, alongside sporting the unsettling anthropomorphic bee mascot.
Jollibae Pits A FNAF-Styled Animatronic Against Your Professional Eater
This short survival horror experience has 10-15 minutes of fast, digestible gameplay, comprised of chase sequences, and on-brand jump scares backed by drip-fed lore to reveal the location’s history. Jollibae’s tone has been described as “a combination of horror, comedy, and absurdity” - playing into the developer’s name - and the visual style blends modern and retro graphics into one very real-looking ordeal.
Jollibae first debuted in Absurdd’s horror game jam entry, Engkanto: Anino, and the devs wanted to invest their time and resources into a horror parody before tackling a more in-depth project. As part of their childhood, the team considers the indie to be “a kind of homage to those bygone days when we were still small.”
Horror fans flooded the game’s website with positive feedback, applauding the atmosphere, saying “You know how to make an atmosphere in a game! Very spooky and great jump scares.” The title’s lore was also commended, including a specific Filipino detail highlighted by a player, revealing “My favorite part which was very minor was the balut on the menu lol. As someone who is part Filipino, I’ve had my run in with that food lol.”
Joining the same bandwagon as Five Nights at Freddy’s, Jollibae has also become a popular indie for streamers to react to and test their nerves against. It even became Itchio’s third most popular game upon release.
Jollibae is available todownloadfor Windows only in a “name your own price” deal.
Five Nights At Freddy’s: Every Game In The Series, Ranked
The Five Nights At Freddy’s series is the true king of mascot horror. This list breaks down the best in the series for your animatronic horror fix.
