Why has Friday Night Funkin’ become so popular?
The strange psychology of why everyone loves this simple rhythm game.
As it currently stands, Friday Night Funkin’ is a rhythm game that has gained mass mainstream attraction. It appears that it has recently become the biggest hit among the gaming scene. Plenty of fanart, mods, and songs show that this game is something that plenty of people love! With a successful Kickstarter campaign to make it a full game (which reached $2,247,641) and a fandom that is perpetually growing every day, it’s a bit strange that such a simple game about this blue-haired twenty-something that fights in rap battles for his girlfriend’s heart is so popular…right? Well, not exactly. What if I were to tell you that it’s actually perfectly logical in a way? Let me explain…
What’s the game about?
Friday Night Funkin’ is a rhythm game made by ninjamuffin99, Phantom Arcade, and Kawaii Sprite. In the game, you (Boyfriend) rap against various enemies to win both your girlfriend’s (Girlfriend) heart and her parents’ approval. From her parents to a weird lemon demon, your ex (who also turns out to be a major mascot for Newgrounds), to the dating sim Girlfriend plays…which turns out to also be a demon…there’s a lot of demons. Pretty basic, but almost a little too basic. There’s got to be something more to the story right? Well, turns out Girlfriend’s parents are demons. Surprise! But if they’re demons, why is she so human? Speculation is she’ll turn into a demon over time, kind of like puberty. But who knows? Anyways, it turns out her parents can banish people to video games and who knows what else. No one really knows where the story is going, or what is exactly going on. But that’s kind of the fun of it right? But I digress, why is this game so popular?
The appeal of rhythm games.
Rhythm games have been around for a very long time, even having their moments in the U.S with games like Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution being popular for a short while. Music in and of itself has plenty of appealing properties to it, however, I will mainly be focusing on the aspects of rhythm games and why they are so entrancing.
According to Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, rhythm games may help to improve motor performance, cognitive skills, and language skills. They even did studies on a majority of well-known games on how they could help those with disabilities recover (which is off topic but super cool, the link to the paper is here if you wanna check it out.)
Rhythm games are often simply hitting notes in time to a song, which may seem easy, but just like playing a real instrument, it can become immensely difficult to master. And while they aren’t as prevalent now, from 2000 to 2010 they did have their moments in the spotlight! Games like Guitar Hero, Just Dance, and Dance Dance Revolution were all extremely popular for a short while in the U.S, however, they still have an immense following in Asian countries. But what makes rhythm games so much fun?
A large amount of the appeal in rhythm games is the music itself, as music has plenty of wonderful properties that make it immensely joyful to partake in. However, I would like to focus more on the game aspect. A lot of people love music, but learning an instrument or learning to dance can be quite difficult for some or impossible for others. Not to mention how pricey it may be to pick up an instrument or pay for lessons. In this way, rhythm games remove a lot of the initial struggle when it comes to music and getting involved. Not only that, but if you become dedicated to a game, then you may actually program your brain to release dopamine upon doing well or beating that really hard song.
Not only that, but there’s something else that I haven’t mentioned yet, and that’s just feeling really damn cool upon becoming skillful at a game. It’s such a niche little genre, but it requires enough skill that it can be impressive to those who simply don’t have the time to invest in the game or aren’t interested in playing. Have you ever seen videos of people absolutely tearing it up on a Dance Dance Revolution machine? Yeah, bet you thought those people were super cool right?
The Rise
Friday Night Funkin’ originated from the site Newgrounds, and it’s very obvious to see! It has this essence of what is essentially early 2000s edge, which is a staple of the site as it was heavily popular in the early 2000s. The general aesthetic of the game is heavily reminiscent of the games that came before it. What does this have to do with anything though?
Back in the early 2000s, Newgrounds was an immensely huge platform with its games being played by up-and-coming YouTubers like Markiplier, Jacksepticeye, and CinnamonToastKen. Some content creators that are essentially celebrities nowadays, such as Arin Hanson, came from the site! You may recognize series’ such as Henry Stickmin, Super Smash Flash, and Castle Crashers. However, there is an immense number of one-off games that you may have heard of that came from or were supported by the site. Because of this, these things can be very nostalgic for “zennials” or those who grew up with this content. If you don’t recognize any of these names, let me jog your memory…
Henry Stickmin
On January 15th, 2015, Markiplier uploaded his first Henry Stickmin playthrough. However, the game was originally released on August 27th, 2008. Jacksepticeye also played the game, and not soon after the series had multiple sequels and a prequel made. The series was a point-and-click adventure-style game made with Flash, which has since been discontinued, the program itself being renamed to Animate. The series consists of Breaking the Bank, Escaping the Prison, Stealing the Diamond, Infiltrating the Airship, Fleeing the Complex, and Completing the Mission. These games have a plethora of endings depending on what choices you make, which there weren’t a lot of in the beginning, but they grew exponentially with later releases.
While the game isn’t talked about often nowadays, it still has a slight following online and has been the source of a few memes. While it used to be more well known, there is another game that you may not know actually was tied to Newgrounds as well!
Castle Crashers
Castle Crashers was released on August 27th, 2008 by Behemoth, and the soundtrack consisted of songs made by members of the Newgrounds community! A fangame was also released beforehand featuring the voice talents of Newgrounds creator, Tom Fulp, who also is good friends with the creator of Friday Night Funkin’, and even created the beloved character Pico as well! In the fangame, Castle Crashing the Beard (recently remastered), you play as a castle crasher who takes on the disembodied head of Tom Fulp, who has promised not to shave his beard until the release of Castle Crashers on Xbox Live Arcade. Strange, but it gave fans a small taste of what Castle Crashers could be like before release!
Of course, there are plenty of other games from the site that you probably don’t remember now, but used to be well known, such as:
…and many more! This is just to demonstrate the possible memories that people may have regarding Newgrounds and its more edgy humor and subject matter. A lot of these games have brought us comfort in the past, and having a similar game with a fresh and unique twist will most likely comfort us now. A lot of us grew up with entertainment such as this, and whether or not we notice it, Friday Night Funkin’ has its similarities. Everyone could use a bit of nostalgia and comfort these days, right?
In conclusion…
Friday Night Funkin’ is the perfect recipe for success in this era of stress and…stress. Mainly a lot of stress. There’s plenty to attract a new generation of people to the game, and just as much to rope in the generation who grew up with its general aesthetic on Newgrounds in the early 2000s. And honestly, I’m glad I wrote this article because this was an immense trip down memory lane for me. That’s coming from an 18-year-old woman by the way. I PROMISE I’M NOT OLD, HAHAHAHA…ANYWAYS. Friday Night Funkin’ has a lot going for it at the moment, and as an enthusiast of the game so far I’m stoked. What about you?
