Secret of the Mimic is the latest instalment in the FNaF franchise—and one of the best games post-FNaF 6. Very clear lessons were learned from previous Steel Wool titles, and each criticism feels addressed within this game. From the tone to the gameplay, it really feels like Steel Wool sat down, looked at each common critique of their past work, and made sure to improve and iterate. It’s super polished, well presented, and—rather importantly—scary.

The tone is a big deal for me. My own, and many other fans’, criticisms of Steel Wool’s games were that they felt very much toned down from Scott’s previous titles. Ruin, despite being an attempt at a scarier Security Breach, still felt very juvenile in its writing—and Security Breach goes without saying. The atmosphere and tone of this game, however, stay consistent throughout, with an adult protagonist at the center who—despite not speaking much—provides a very realistic and relatable character to play as, with lots of room to fill in the blanks of his story.

The writing this time is also just generally a lot more realistic, with characters talking naturally and with a sense of drama that really makes you understand the tragedy surrounding Murray’s Costume Manor. Writing aside, there’s much more this game does to cement a solid, serious tone. For instance, there are corpses littered throughout the establishment—stuffed into suits, hanged, and covered in flies. It’s done in a very effective manner that feels very Cawthon-esque; sometimes, you’ll be staring at a mascot and not even realize there’s a corpse inside until you do a double take and notice those weren’t mascot limbs sticking out of that suit.

Unlike Security Breach and Ruin, the horror isn’t just surface-level jumpscares this time—there’s a real sense of danger throughout, with visible human consequences lying all around the facility. There’s still a ways to go with the tone, as sometimes the game gets a bit silly and leans too far into humour and craziness rather than sticking to its guns and remaining a grounded horror experience. But Steel Wool are clearly improving, and learning what makes fans tick as they go.

The gameplay is another example of Steel Wool’s best. It’s a great mix of linear and non-linear, with a clear sense of direction but the ability to wander off, find secrets, collectibles, and small side missions that feel super rewarding once you figure out a pesky number code or puzzle.

The mechanic of the Mimic being able to use any costume or character in a room leads to great tension, as you brush past a bunch of dormant suits—really making you squirm, hoping one doesn’t spring to life and run at you with all the speed and determination of a wild animal. The stealth in this game in general feels much more refined compared to Security Breach, where you could blaze through most stealth sections with ease. In this game, trying to run through an area will get you punished. You cannot outrun the Mimic.

One criticism I do have with the gameplay, however, is the puzzle variety. Steel Wool have a tendency to repeat puzzles a lot, and this game is no different. Puzzles never really deviate from numeric codes and combinations—with slight spins and variations being the biggest amount of puzzle variety you get. This game would have benefited from more item-based puzzles, like Resident Evil—where you receive an item, go back to a place to insert it, which leads to another item you won’t know what to do with for a while, until everything clicks later on. That kind of puzzle satisfaction was lacking from this game—and many of Steel Wool’s games—so I hope they address that in a future title.

Aesthetically, the ‘70s setting is handled very well. Steel Wool are no strangers to nailing aesthetics, and the browns, greens, and oranges, patterned carpets, and ornate decor really feel like you’re in a FNaF-flavoured Overlook Hotel. Dingy rooms that feel like your grandma decorated them are filled with animatronics and mascot suits, and that contrast of a very vintage, homely setting versus fantastical animatronics and attractions makes each room feel strange and uncomfortable—a much better fit for horror than the bright neon of Security Breach.

Now—how scary is it? Well, Secret of the Mimic is definitely a step in the right direction. There are some genuinely very intense sequences in this game, with unique mechanics that force you to focus—making an inevitable jumpscare much more effective. There are dips and bows in the scares here and there, with some parts—like the chase with Jackie—not really feeling as intense as they could, and some set pieces feeling a little too whimsical to be feared (such as the huge Music Man and scrapped-together Proto Mimics). Though you’ll still get a good kick out of this game if you’re looking to be scared.

Little bit of a tangent, but I always feel like these games are lacking “sit ‘n’ survive” sequences, as those are very effective—and part of what made the franchise what it is today. A shame to see another game with no such section. Considering this game revolves around a central security office, this felt like a big missed opportunity.

Finally, let’s talk story. This game has a plot that’s been a little controversial to some fans, as they feel (myself included at times) that it’s rewriting history. This is not the fault of Steel Wool, as this is just where Scott Cawthon is choosing to take the story after the initial finale that was FNaF 6. It’s very bizarre to have such a grand and technologically advanced game taking place before FNaF 1 even happened. Sister Location was guilty of advanced tech in an early time period, but SOTM feels more egregious, as we’re setting this huge adventure—with sci-fi tech and wild twists—before the first murders even happened in the series.

Fazbear Entertainment is somehow a giant corporation already in 1970, and it really feels like we’re diluting the humble beginnings of the franchise—throwing a third wheel into the mix of William and Henry, and making Fazbear Entertainment much more than a small business made by a serial killer and his oblivious co-partner. This is the issue with continuing the same thread of story for so long without branching off: you step on the toes of the original story no matter how hard you try to respect it.

Now, all that aside—the story, if you look at it in a self-contained manner, is great. A story of neglect and consequences. Crime and punishment. A family tragedy and the inability to let go. It’s great—emotional and harrowing at times. It reminds me of a horror-themed Portal 2, with the story of Cave and Caroline. The way it tells the story through voice logs and film reels is great, and makes you feel gratification as a player for piecing it all together yourself. It’s also not quite as secretive as previous games—the story is rather direct, and the secret additions simply add further detail rather than being essential to complete the picture in your head. It’s a refreshing change of pace from the convolution and overly cryptic nature of recent instalments.

Overall, Secret of the Mimic is one of the most well-presented and polished FNaF games—and without question, Steel Wool Studios’ best product in their lineup. It’s a project that you can tell went smoothly internally, and it addresses fan criticisms super effectively.

It’s not perfect—the puzzles can be repetitive, it’s a tiny bit short, has some minor bugs (mostly audio), and personally, it’s still a little out there for me to consider it my absolute favourite, as I feel like we’re losing the plot a little bit—but it’s a great game, and certainly one of the better FNaF entries you can pick up outside of the classics.

Looking forward to seeing how the next game takes things even further. ;)