Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted is a virtual reality (VR) survival horror game.[1] It is an anthology of different minigames where the player must perform tasks without being caught and jumpscared by homicidal animatronic characters.[2][3] The minigames include recreations of the main Five Nights at Freddy's games, chronologically from the first Five Nights at Freddy's (2014) to Sister Location (2016), and several scenarios unique to Help Wanted.[1][4] Most minigames contain security cameras to monitor the animatronics and other tools to prevent them from catching the player. Tools include steel doors, lights, and a mask that allows the player to avoid detection.[1][5] If a player loses one of the minigames, they are jumpscared and receive a game over.[6]
Completing each level grants access to an alternate, more difficult variant featuring warped graphics.[2][7] In addition to adaptations of the main Five Nights at Freddy's games, new experiences include: "Parts and Service", where the player performs maintenance on the animatronics without provoking a jumpscare;[2] "Vent Repair", where the player solves puzzles to fix a ventilation shaft while keeping threats at bay;[4][8] and "Dark Rooms", in which the player shines a flashlight with limited power to catch the animatronics.[2] The player may optionally collect gold coins or cassette tapes hidden inside the levels; coins are used to obtain collectible objects, and the cassette tapes provide background information on the plot.[2][8]