The Five nights at Freddy's game is set in an office, where the player can see the animatronic figures by keeping an eye on security cameras positioned throughout the restaurant. The player's ability to view the camera feeds, turn on the hallway lights, and close the doors on each side of them is limited.

To keep the animatronics at bay, the player must use the doors and camera feed points spread throughout the building. In the event that the player is unable to do so, they will be startled, and the game will be deemed to be over. To advance until the following night, the player must survive from midnight to six in the morning. 

The player's objective is to avoid collisions with four animatronics: the five nights at freddy's unblocked game's namesake, Freddy Fazbear, as well as his three buddies, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy. There is a secret fifth animatronic in the game known as Golden Freddy, and the only time he makes an appearance is when the player has a hallucination.