Hey folks, panpaii here, bringing you an update on my current state of mind.

If you want to skip this long-ass post, here’s the TL;DR:

“I’m no longer interested in making FNaF clones and want to move on to other things. TR: Origins is still in development, but Anti-Clockwise 2 is sadly cancelled.”

This might come out of the blue for you guys, but for me, this feeling has been lingering for far too long. It started to hurt me emotionally and completely drained me. This is a decision I’ve been thinking about for the past few years, and it’s finally time to act on it.

I’m a FNaF fan just like many of you, but it’s been heartbreaking to see where the community has headed. I started making games at a very young age, first using GameMaker back in 2014, and quickly became attached to Five Nights at Freddy’s. During that time, I made a lot of friends—and a lot of enemies too. I’ve seen strong friendships break overnight over pointless drama that nobody even remembers today.

Ever since my first success with ONAF, I became attracted to that lifestyle: waking up to hundreds of new followers, likes, and attention. It slowly became unhealthy. I was skipping school to work on games alone in my room, not socializing, not talking to anyone except other weirdos like me online. I grew up with the mindset of: “If I try to make something different, will it ever be as successful as Twisted Reality?” That mindset trapped me into making the same kinds of games over and over again.

Looking back now, I realize I could’ve used that time to learn new engines, improve my 3D modeling skills, and grow as a developer. Instead, I was intoxicated by numbers and validation, making the same slop repeatedly without actually improving. Recently, I finally had the courage to cancel Anti-Clockwise 2, because I knew it wasn’t worth it anymore. It was affecting the real me—my real life.

I started having stomach aches and anxiety attacks, constantly thinking about how to make the game perfect while handling everything alone. Even then, I was never happy with the results. And honestly, what’s the point of making a game just for a few guaranteed followers when it’ll be forgotten a few months after release?

Over the past few days, I’ve been uploading AC2’s models to Sketchfab, and I’ll be releasing some behind-the-scenes content on my profile for those curious about what the game looked like. But that’s it—it’s over.

As for TR: Origins, I might still be able to finish it, but staying focused has been extremely difficult while working on my other original project, which is getting a Steam release and everything. I see TR: Origins as my final farewell to the FNaF community. I’ll always remain a fan of the franchise, but I don’t want to be stuck making these kinds of games forever, trapped in an endless loop of misery.

I see so many new upcoming devs making incredible FNaF content, but I’ve started to feel out of touch—like I’ve been left behind. I often get nostalgic thinking about old friends in the community, people I looked up to who reached out just to talk (TSM). I really miss that.

I’ll always cherish the games I’ve made. They’re all my babies, and I love them all equally. But from now on, I won’t be posting anything FNaF-related. This account will solely be used to promote my game Pretty Mecha.

If you want to take over Anti-Clockwise 2, go right ahead—no need to ask for permission. Everything is yours.

I’m also taking a break from GameJolt, as it’s become a bit toxic for me. It’s been a pleasure working with you all, and I’ll see you on the release of Twisted Reality Origins: Redesigned when it comes out in March (though I might have to delay it).

— Panpaii