Animatronic Encounters

“	"It's your lucky day! We've sent our highest rated Animatronic as a preview of our sensational service! Freddy Fazbear is on his way!"	”
	— HandUnit in the tutorial of the game.

Animatronic Encounters are the primary gameplay segments in FNaF AR that take place when an animatronic enters the player's home.

Types of Encounters

There are two different types of encounters in FNaF AR. Before the gameplay update in October of 2020, encounters would consist of multiple red Freddy icons on the map moving around, representing various animatronics. The icons would slowly make their way to the player and then enter the player's house, in which the player would tap a camera icon to encounter them.

After the update, encounters were changed drastically, with three different ways of encounter animatronics; lures, wandering animatronics and ? icons. ? icons are blue diamond shaped icons scattered around the map. When clicked, they can bring up a random Animatronic, remnant or a prize balloon.

Remnant Encounters

When the game first launched, remnant encounters worked differently to how they do now. When there was no animatronic encountered, the player could collect remnant in their room before one attacks via the camera icon.

In these encounters, the player can use their Flashlight to attract the remnants. However, players should avoid the Dark Remnant, as they could summon RWQFSFASXC if too many are collected. They may surround the Light Remnant for a while before disappearing.

Animatronic Encounters

Animatronic Encounters are when an animatronic enters the player's home. Animatronics all have their own unique mechanics, however each one follows the same general format, with the only exceptions being Mangle and Ballora.

Each character will be cloaked via the "Animstealth module", being entirely hidden to the player's eye. The player must find an area of static and stare at it to lure the animatronic out. Using the Flashlight will cause the animatronic to reveal themselves faster. Animatronics when revealing out of the static will either haywire, or charge. If they charge, the player must wait for them to uncloak to shock them and end the encounter. If the animatronic haywires, the player must look away.

Some characters, like Springtrap, will force you to stare at him during his haywire, and some like Circus Baby only require you to not look at their face. Other characters require different mechanics, such as the Noise Meter and Freddy Fazbear Mask.

Wandering Encounters

Wandering encounters are when various animatronics will appear on the map for the player to fight. Using a lure will cause a specific character or skin to appear on the map for the player to encounter in a similar fashion. The only differences between wandering encounters and ? encounters are that the player is aware of who they are going to be facing off against.

New Animatronic Encounter System

With the Spring Gameplay Update in 2021, a brand new type of encounters were added, using the Diagnostic and Repair Multitool 2.0. These encounters would have the animatronics gain health bars, forcing the player to shock them multiple times. The addition of buffs would also allow the player to deflect the animatronic's attacks towards the player.

As of now, the only animatronics to be featured in this encounter system are Bare Endo, Freddy Fazbear, Bonnie, Chica, Foxy, Springtrap and Circus Baby. Despite this, animations for Toy Bonnie had been found, suggesting that other animatronics, including him, were once meant to be added to this encounter system.

Encounter Tools

Golden Freddy's Tablet

Golden Freddy's tablet is a mechanic exclusive to Golden Freddy and his encounters. The tablet stays at the top of the screen and showcases varying different combinations of the main four mechanics as well as the timer from Mangle's mechanic and the battery for shocker and flashlight.

The tablet will sometimes have certain modes locked, normally only unlocking the combinations needed to defeat Golden Freddy. The player will have to figure out which of Golden Freddy's six different modes is currently active to know which combinations to pick to defeat him.

Diagnostic and Repair Multitool 2.0

The Diagnostic and Repair Multitool 2.0 is the new UI for the Big Gameplay Update. This new UI comes with 2 new features: player health bar, and Buffs. The Player Health Bar is damaged when the animatronic attacks you, once it is low enough, you'll get jumpscared.

Buffs

Buffs are a new form of power ups similar to devices that you earn from Freddy Balloons, and the shop. They are used in animatronic encounters and can be found on the middle portion of the DaRM 2.0. Buffs can range from deflecting animatronic attacks to simply blocking them. Each buff can come at multiple levels of use, ranging from 1 to 1000 depending on the buff in question.

Unlike most devices, you can only buy these in bundles or earn them via prize balloons and Freddy balloons. Despite there being 8 different types of buffs, most have similar effects, being deflecting animatronics, increasing defense, increasing battery life and the amount of damage the shocker deals to animatronics.

The Attack Block buff.

The Battery Defender buff.

The Shield buff.

The Shield Protector buff.

The Shield Boost buff.

The Shocker Boost buff.

The Shocker Cooldown buff.

The Ultimate Shocker buff.