From the very beginning I knew I wanted a trio for the main characters. I really wanted to give each of them a distinct personality and vibe that the player could get just from looking at them, as well as really give off the feeling that they're real kids mascots.

While they talk in their showtime and story tapes, I eventually decided not to have the actual animatronics talk to the player as I felt it would take away from their horror factor. Plus, I thought it would give the player this juxtaposition when hearing their cute voices on the tape, compared to their dead silent stares in their animatronic forms. This allows them to have their personality shine through their voices, without making the animatronics feel too cheesy in the nights.

Crafty

The first was Crafty (personally dubbed as Playzone Crafty since I have lots of other variants of him from past games). His cartoon design sticks roughly the same to how he's normally appeared in the past, but I wanted all of the animatronics to be much more mascot-like. I wanted his cartoon form to be this wonderous wizard who is upbeat, enthusiastic, and wanting to get everyone in the fun spirit! However, in animatronic form he's a lot more cold and quiet, staring at the player from the darkness.

Tricksy

Tricksy is very loosely based off an older character of mine, Righty. He was voiced by the same person, and has the same wild personality! I knew I wanted him to come off as this 1950s cartoon villain, such as Wile E. Coyote. He is sly, sneaky, and loves to play pranks on others. I did this through his fedora-looking hat, suspenders and tie, as well as in his gameplay mechanic when he tries to break down a shortcut.

Mama

And lastly Mama Bear, the mother of Crafty! From the very beginning, I really wanted her to be very sweet and motherly in her cartoon form, baking amazing pies for everyone! But in her animatronic form, I wanted her to come off as the most intimidating. I did this through her being the tallest out of all of them, giving her larger arms, having her jumpscare knock over your desk, and her gameplay mechanic being one of the bigger threats in the night!

I hope you've all liked this little bit of history on how these characters came to life! Next time, I'll talk about each of the Cublets and their origins!