Five Nights at Freddy's 2 Mobile Game Tips and Tricks Guide

So I had a reader ask me why would a personal finance blogger delve into mobile gaming so much. Easy answer: personal finance and mobile gaming are my two passions.

I spend as much time scheming ways to make more money and minimize costs as I do playing freemium mobile games that don't cost me a penny. Compared to the days where I had to buy the $300 console and the $50 game cartridges or discs, it's a sweet deal. in fact, embracing the freemium model was one of the ways I was able to put a dent in my first savings goal (that, and shredding one of my credit cards).

On top of that, I've got over 20 years of gaming experience and I'm damn good when I put my mind to something, so it's a personal duty to share tips and tricks when I can.

If every game I play has a story behind it, then this one is as good as it gets. I sat out the first Five Nights at Freddy's, which is a serious faux pas for a serious gamer, deciding to jump straight into the second game. It's akin to skipping the original Legend of Zelda to play the side-scrolling sequel on the original Nintendo.

I dabbled around with my touchscreen interface jumping from camera to camera with absolutely no clue as to what I was doing. It's as if I have no feet and I'm tied up in a security room overlooking these cameras at menacing animatronic bots. If you like playing with sweaty palms and not knowing when something awful is going to happen to your character, you're going to have a good time.

Part Fatal Frame and part Shadowgate, Five Nights at Freddy's 2 is going to test your wits.

Don't misunderstand the title of this -- this game is crazy hard. What i mean by not needing tips is that the easiest way to get good at Five Nights at Freddy's 2 is to die many times over and over. If I think back to my first hour of the game, I must have died a baker's dozen times, or maybe double that! Not only is it "You live you learn," but clearly in this game "You die, you learn a lot more".

Case in point: I started playing this game with the sound off (I was in a public place, ok?). So my character suffered many times over and over again. A normal person would have deleted the game and moved along, but I'm a sucker for a challenge. And now I play with the sound on, as i should have.

Before you really dive into the gameplay tips, I'm going to save you a lot of time with general tips.

1. Play with the sound on. I know you just read this and you're thinking "Duh..." but it's absolutely crucial in a game like this. In fact, you should have the sound on really loud because the sounds of moving toys are your clues and will save your bacon more than once. Not to mention the whole deal with the music box which we'll get into later.
2. Play with the lights on. This may just be a personal deal, but playing this game in the dark is a recipe for loss of control of bodily functions. It's smart to keep the lights on and not get too immersed in the gameplay.
3. Play on a tablet - an iPad if possible. I've played versions on IOS and Android and I have to tell you that the IOS version ran smoother. Nothing infuriates me more than when a performance hiccup on my high-end Android phone results in me biting the dust as I did while playing Five Nights at Freddy's 2. The reason you want to play on a tablet is because I definitely dropped my phone a few times when I got spooked during gameplay.
4. No multi-tasking. I've got a job, hobbies, family, and whatnot so I play games casually. Bad idea with this game. I turned away for literally 2 seconds and game back to Game Over. Block off the time and tune in 100% or else you don't stand a chance.

Now to the gameplay tips and tricks:

1. Keep that music box wound! - Really simply, if you don't keep the music box wound, then you're fried. This is yet another reason why you'll want to have the sound on so you can keep this guy in check.
2. When in doubt, put on the mask - No need to overthink this one. It's a survival game and if you don't know what to do, then you have to hide in plain sight. Hear something suspicious, put on the mask ASAP!
3. Be ready for the fake-out - So you managed to put on your mask and you see the baddie leaving, so you take your mask off... And you're toast. Fake-outs are part of this game and they hurt more than anything.
4. Listen first, look second. Most of the time, your first clue is in the audio. It could be a scraping sound, static, shuffling, pounding, etc. Trust your ears first and then have your mask ready.

Have any other tips? Please share in the comments so we can all benefit from your experience!

I believe that being frugal and making smart money choices is like any other exercise. As we continue to practice good habits in saving money where possible, finding deals for what we want, and having a good time at it, then we become better at dealing for a living.

I'm committed to sharing my experiences with getting the most out of using credit cards, saving and spending tips, and I might even add a slice of perspective without trying to be a psychoanalyst like some other personal finance folks out there.

Please let me know what you think and if you'd like to hear my take on a specific topic.

Most Sincerely,

DealForALiving

PS. I've also started writing on my own site: dealforaliving.com.