Friday Night Funkin: More Than Just a Rhythm Game

​By: Kyle Gonce

In October 2020, a small rhythm game made by four developers became one of the most popular rhythm games of the year, with many diving into the fun. This game is known as “Friday Night Funkin,” and has become a favorite of mine and many others. 

​Originally, this game was made for something called a “Game Jam,” an event where people try to make a game in 48-72 hours. The team was only made up of four people. Cameron Taylor (Ninjamuffin99) provided the programming, David Brown (PhantomArcade) and the unnamed evilsk8r doing the artwork, and finally Isaac Garcia (Kawai Sprite) making the music for the game.

People loved it so much at the Game Jam that the Newgrounds Demo was released on Nov. 1, 2020. Newgrounds is a very old website that many teens grew up with in the very early 2000s. It only made sense that the team put their demo on Newgrounds since they all used it way back then. 

After the Newgrounds Demo was released to the public, many people started to take a fond interest in the game. The story is very simple: Boyfriend wants to date Girlfriend (yes, those are their names) but Girlfriend's father, Daddy Dearest, has other plans. How do we settle this dispute? With a rap battle, of course (well at least in this universe). Boyfriend has to rap battle many opponents to win his Girlfriend’s love (well sometimes). Some of his most interesting opponents are “Skid and Pump,” from the popular Spooky Month series by SrPelo, or a handsome man from a dating simulator game who has a dark secret, Senpai and Spirit. 

However, it doesn't end there, as many people have provided their talents to create mods for the game. Some, even better than the original game. Mods are basically modifications to the original game, which can improve gameplay, add effects or mechanics, or anything the creator wants. 

One of these many mods is the “Starlight Mayhem” Mod. Created by “TheMaskedChris” this mod brings in his own characters from his series “On Command”. Instead of going up against the main people from Friday Night Funkin’. Boyfriend goes up against the very social CJ, the lead of his band “On Command”. What follows next is a rap battle on stage during CJ’s concert.

​Later in the mod, CJ gets his pal Ruby, who was running late to perform. Also a singer, Ruby, even if she is a little shy, challenges Boyfriend to a song battle herself after CJ convinces her. I won’t spoil anything else, you will just have to play it for yourself and see. Recently, this mod got a huge update, adding new songs and new gameplay mechanics! 

Boyfriend going up against CJ and Ruby (Image credits: A youtube showcase of the mod/The Masked Chris) (This image was taken before the update for the mod)

Next we have a very lighthearted mod, the Hex mod! In this mod, Boyfriend goes up against a basketball loving robot named Hex. Made by YingYang48, this mod is known as one of the best beginner mods for Friday Night Funkin’.

​The loveable Hex is just there to vibe and sing along with boyfriend, he doesn’t get upset or turn into some crazy rapping freak out of nowhere (as most mods go). This mod will win your heart over and is a great way to start out your FNF mod journey! 

Hex posed in his banner for the Weekend Update released on New Year's day 2022. (Image credits: FNF Mods wiki, YinYang48.)

Lastly, for all of you horror fans out there, VS. eteled is a great mod for you. Meet eteled, a mii stuck inside of a Wii. Based off of the series “Wii Deleted You” a creepy story created by IceyPie (who also had a huge role in the mod) comes to battle boyfriend as he is also trapped in the wii. With art done by TheMaskedChris (yes the guy who did Starlight Mayhem) this mod features horror themes for the brave of heart. 

Eteled next to the name of the mod (Credits: TheMaskedChris/IceyPie)

It's safe to say that this game has something for everyone. From very simple beginnings to complex advancements Friday Night Funkin’ is more than just a rhythm game. 

A fair warning: Make sure you know what mods you are downloading before you download them. Some can cover mature/dark topics. The ones in this article are kid friendly and fun (however Eteled can be a bit scary). Like the game, the mods are made with the intent to appeal to teens and/or adults, since the base game is somewhat mature itself. Just be careful when downloading mods and have fun!