Browsing Itch.io's is the perfect place to find small, interesting indies. I always have a quick scour when I have a lunch break to fill or want to play something a little different. The turnover of games is pretty quick, with each week bringing new, creative indies to the forefront and it's been like that since the website launched eight years ago.
But one particular game has held the top spot week after week for a string of months now, and that's . It's a beatboxing DDR game where you use WASD to match the onscreen arrows at the right time to some killer music, and it's a riot. Not only that but FNF's consecutive top placement has been backed by a ravenous fanbase. The community's love for this game has, in short, exploded online.
Thanks to the FNF being open-source, fans have modded their own creations with brilliant results, the top list on Itch.io featuring plenty of inspired fan spin-offs. Individual songs in the OST have been downloaded and listened to millions of times on Spotify, and YouTube videos featuring modded creations reach
It's pretty incredible to see and it's well deserved for what is a fun and dynamic rhythm game. But, the one thing that stuck out for me when I first played it, was how Friday Night Funkin' feels so distinctly like Newgrounds. It was a throwback so hard I got whiplash.
Newgrounds was such a distinct time in gaming history, a place where many animators and developers cut their teeth and gained a following long before social media was even a thing.
It's strange how a game released last year has the ability to feel like it was from one of the old gaming titans of the early 2000s. Newgrounds was such a distinct time in gaming history, a place where many animators and developers cut their teeth and gained a following long before social media was even a thing. It's no surprise then, that FNF's creators actually met through the site, with the goal of creating the "Newgrounds game they've always wanted."
Friday Night Funkin' was first made as an entry for the Ludum Dare 47 back in October 2020, and then got uploaded to Newgrounds. Soon after, the team released a chunky update exclusive to Newgrounds, which brought in so much traffic it , forcing it to undergo offline maintenance for several days.
It's a testament to how wildly popular Friday Night Funkin' is, and all despite it not even being finished yet. A kickstarter for the full release, Friday Night Funkin': The Full Ass Game, launched in April 2021 and reached its goal of $60,00 in a couple of hours and soon went on to raise over $2 million—no surprise there.
It's quite amazing to see another small indie reach incredible heights, and it's a trend we've seen again and again, like with Among Us, Phasmophobia, and Valheim. Part of the appeal and success for Friday Night Funkin' is that it feels distinctly like a 'Newgrounds game'. It's bold character designs, a hint of cheekiness, simple inputs, the addictive vibe of a difficult Flash game—it's a hyper-specific feeling of a moment in internet history, and trying to describe it is like explaining Can I Has Cheezburger to someone.
Friday Night Funkin' doesn't inherently feel like a Newgrounds game because of these features alone, but the outpouring of work the community has generated. The team's decision to make it open-source and to have modding be as easy as possible is reminiscent of the tools and accessibility of early creators using Flash. FNF inspires the same creativity Newgrounds inspired at its peak popularity, where people come together to share their creations.
I haven't been on Newgrounds in over a decade and seeing Friday Night Funkin' sitting at number one on the top of site's' most popular games scrolling through McMillen’s The End is Nigh, Cavanagh’s VVVVVV, Metanet’s N++, and Ubisoft’s Trials, Alien Hominid, The Impossible Quiz, Happy Wheels, and many more, is a nostalgic feeling.
Friday Night Funkin' reminds us of a special piece of internet history and how it paved the way for artists and developers alike. Adobe pulled the plug on Flash in 2019, and Newgrounds has never reached the heights it did in the 2000s, but it's great to see the same community spirit lives on through games like Friday Night Funkin'.
Friday Night Funkin Week 8 : https://bit.ly/37ewNKA
Friday Night Funkin’ is a musical rhythm game where you compete in freestyle music battles. Press the arrow keys in time with the music to outdo your opponents and enjoy the cool beats!
This version of the game is open-source on Github and available under the Apache 2.0 license. If you want the most recent version of FNF, including Week /span>
How to Play
Complete the tutorial level and start progressing through the story, or head to free play mode and play against any story characters from the game. In story mode, you can set the level of difficulty that best suits your ability.
FNF Mobile
Friday Night Funkin is not available on mobile devices yet, but it will be at some point in the future since the Kickstarter got funded!
Return Of Garcello Mod: https://bit.ly/3f8sRzB
Soundtrack
Friday Night Funkin' (FNF) features a range of fresh, original songs to play along to, ranging from easy to hard. The unique soundtrack in Friday Night Funkin' was composed by KawaiSprite (Isaac Garcia).
Ongoing Development
FNF is an open-source game with an active development community, and plenty of fan-made mods that expand the gameplay. As well as mods made by avid fans, the developers recently added 7 weeks to the game and plan on turning FNF into a 'full-ass game' at some point in the future. See their for more information.
Similar Games
Rhythm games are great fun to play solo or with your friends. The mechanics are simple, and whether you succeed often comes down to your sense of rhythm and visual cues. Geometry dash is another tricky game where following rhythmic cues is essential.
If you like this kind of game, check out for more musical rhythms, and browse our music game for the full collection.
Features
- Original music with a range of influences from nu-jazz to Vocaloid dance beats
- Extensive career mode with plenty of unique characters
- Various difficulty modes available to suit your rhythmic ability
- Cool 90s B-Boy visuals
- Also known as FNF
Release Date
November 2020
Developers
- ninjamuffin99 - Programmer
- PhantomArcade3K and Evilsk8r - Art
- Kawai Sprite - Musician
Platform
Web browser
FAQ
What is Boyfriend's name in Friday Night Funkin'?
Boyfriend's name is simply 'Boyfriend', as stated by the developers.
Where can I listen to the Friday Night Funkin' soundtrack?
Kawai Sprite has a Bandcamp page where you can listen to the Sound Track
What is Friday Night Funkin' vs Whitty?
Whitty is a popular mod for Friday Night Funkin' starring Whitmore, a hot-headed rockstar who has beef with your girlfriend's parents.
Is Friday Night Funkin' free?
Yes! It is free to play in your web browser without having to download anything.
