Why does indie-mascot horror keep returning to the trope of the underground laboratory—a subterranean factory of nightmares that stretches endlessly downward? From Five Nights at Freddy’s to Poppy Playtime to Bendy and The Ink Machine, this setting has become a hallmark of the genre. But why is it so hauntingly effective, so widespread, and what does it symbolize?

In this episode of Into The Night, we explore the roots of the underground lab trope, its ties to Afton Robotics / Circus Baby's Entertainment and Rentals, and the metaphorical “Chasm of Babel”—a reflection of humanity’s pride, hubris, and desire to usurp the divine. We’ll discuss how these hidden depths embody the decay of the world, the arrogance of men who try to cheat death, and the terrifying cost of intellect unbound by morality.

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Cast:

Narrator: Nick Black

Thumbnail Art by: YourResume

Music:

Five Nights at Freddy's - Scott Cawthon/Steelwool Studios/Mega Cat Studios

Post-Shift 2 - Rjac35

Popgoes - Kane Carter

SFX:

www.freesound.org

www.videvo.net

https://mixkit.co/

Five Nights at Freddy's and all its copyrighted works are owned by Scott Cawthon.

The long-awaited adaptation and prequel to Security Breach: Secret of the Mimic takes us back to Freddy and Fredbear's heyday in 1979. A down-on-his-luck Fazbear Engineer, Arnold, has been tasked by Dispatch to make one final job at Edwin Murray's Costume Manor; a large warehouse and workshop where fantasy and fun and ferile fear come to life!

Inside the warehouse, however, a rogue endo-skeleton with the ability to don any costume and Mimic any character is lurking with homicidal intent. To survive, Arnold will need to use his wits and remain hidden until he can get his hands on the schematics for the Mimic, and hopefully turn him off.

Has Steelwool finally learned its lessons from Security Bleach, Ruined, and Help Wanted Poo? Has Scott Cawthon finally gotten his story on track?

Will you follow us Into the Night?

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Cast:

Narrator: Nick Black

Thumbnail by: Your_Resume

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Music:

Five Nights at Freddy's - Scott Cawthon/Leon Riskin, Steelwool Studios, Mega Cat Studios

Hollow Knight

Nintendo

ToonTown

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Edited by: Nick Black

Written and Produced by Nick Black

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Five Nights at Freddy's and all its copyrighted works are owned by Scott Cawthon.

William Afton, the man behind the slaughter. The main antagonist behind almost every dark deception within Five Nights at Freddy's. From his early appearances as the Purple Guy in FNAF 2, to his grotesque resurrection as Springtrap, and as the cunning corporate figurehead of Fazbear Entertainment, Afton has taken on many forms—but all serve one purpose: control, power, and satisfying his own twisted sense of pleasure.

But beneath the jump scares and lore, is there a deeper theme to his character? A cautionary tale from his decade-long performance of embodying envy, pride, and arrogance—a worldview poisoned by the belief that one is entitled to power, legacy, and dominion. The Spirit of Cain—destroying what he cannot possess, and damning all who stand in his way.

Will you follow us Into the Night?

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Cast:

Narrator: Nick Black

Music:

Five Nights at Freddy's - Scott Cawthon/Leon Riskin, Steelwool Studios, Mega Cat Studios

Hollow Knight

Edited by: Nick Black

Written and Produced by Nick Black

Five Nights at Freddy's and all its copyrighted works are owned by Scott Cawthon.

YES. I AM AWARE OF THAT SECRET OF THE MIMIC HAS BEEN RELEASED AND I WILL BE GETTING TO IT NEXT!

This is the episode where Roxy gets hit by a car.

After retrieving the refurbished STAFF Bot head from DJ Music Man’s Fazcade, Gregory sets a trap to take down Roxanne Wolf and claim her experimental eyes. With all the Glamrock Animatronics now decommissioned and the clock ticking toward 6AM, Gregory has one final chance to escape Freddy Fazbear’s Mega Pizzaplex. Can he outrun Vanny and survive the night?

Will you follow us Into the Night?

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Cast:

Narrator: Nick Black

Music:

Nintendo

Graveyard Shift at Freddy’s

Popgoes – Kane Carter

Post-Shift 2 – RJac25

All other Sound Effects, Music, and Original Performances were from: Five Nights at Freddy's - Scott Cawthon/Leon Riskin, Security Breach - Steelwool Studios - Megacat Studios - freesound.org - pond5.com - Pixabay

Edited by: Nick Black

Written and Produced by Nick Black

Five Nights at Freddy's and all its copyrighted works are owned by Scott Cawthon.

With Monty out of commission and Glamrock Chica reduced to a husk of her former self, Gregory returns to Parts & Service to upgrade Glamrock Freddy with his newly acquired parts. Now, only Roxanne Wolf stands between him and escape from the Mega Pizzaplex. But in true Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach fashion, things get complicated (aka, requires a fetch quest).

To lure Roxy into his trap, Gregory must first repair a STAFF Bot—his only ticket to a go-kart. The problem? The repair station lies deep inside the Fazcade… and that means braving the parlor of the one and only DJ Music Man, the Pizzaplex’s largest animatronic.

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Cast:

Narrator/Abe/Preston: Nick Black

Tate: Airfryer (Brayden Buck) https://www.twitch.tv/airfryergaming16

Music:

Nintendo

Hat In Time

Joey Drew Studios

All other Sound Effects, Music, and Original Performances were from: Five Nights at Freddy's - Scott Cawthon/Leon Riskin, Security Breach - Steelwool Studios - Megacat Studios - freesound.org - pond5.com - Pixabay

Edited by: Nick Black

Written and Produced by Nick Black

Five Nights at Freddy's and all its copyrighted works are owned by Scott Cawthon.

Gregory's final hours at the Mega Pizzaplex are here, but surviving the night at Freddy's won't be easy. To reach Roxy Raceway and dismantle the fierce Roxanne Wolf, Gregory needs access to that part of the building. With the attraction barricaded, his only option is to take parts from Montgomery Gator and upgrade Glamrock Freddy with Monty's powerful claws.

But Monty isn't going down without a fight. Can Gregory outwit the Bassist from the Bayou?

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Cast:

Narrator: Nick Black

Music:

Nintendo

Poppy's Playtime

Five Nights at Candy's

Popgoes

All other Sound Effects, Music, and Original Performances were from: Five Nights at Freddy's - Scott Cawthon/Leon Riskin Security Breach - Steelwool Studios - Megacat Studios - freesound.org - pond5.com - Pixabay

Edited by: Nick Black

Written and Produced by Nick Black

Five Nights at Freddy's and all its copyrighted works are owned by Scott Cawthon.

Monty is still a bitch.

Would you join us Into the Night?

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Cast:

Narrator: Nick Black

All Sound Effects and Music from:

Nintendo

Five Nights at Freddy's and all its copyrighted work are owned by Scott Cawthon.

Welcome to what could either be the end of my Five Nights at Freddy’s theory-crafting career or the penultimate nail in the coffin for one of the most controversial debates in the FNaF community. In this first of two in-depth video essays, we’ll be exploring why The Bite Victim, also known as The Crying Child or Dave Afton, is Golden Freddy/The One You Should Not Have Killed, how William Afton’s actions prove he never truly loved his children, and why establishing foundational rules in FNaF theory-crafting is crucial. Beyond that, we’ll also examine how the discourse surrounding this topic has fueled toxicity within the fandom.

This deep dive into FNaF lore challenges long-standing assumptions and aims to bring clarity to a debate that has divided theorists for years. Whether you’re a veteran investigator or just beginning to unravel the mysteries of Five Nights at Freddy’s, this video will offer a fresh perspective on the franchise’s most elusive truths.

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Five Nights at Freddy's and all its copyrighted work is owned by Scott Cawthon.