History of Friday Night Funkin' in Timeline
"Friday Night Funkin'" is an open-source rhythm game created by "The Funkin' Crew Inc." (ninjamuffin99, PhantomArcade, Kawai Sprite, and evilsk8r) and released on Newgrounds in 2020. Inspired by games like "Dance Dance Revolution" and "PaRappa the Rapper," it involves rhythm-based gameplay similar to "Club Penguin's" "Dance Contest" minigame. The game's popularity is credited with reviving interest in Newgrounds, a platform known for its early 2000s internet culture.
October 5, 2020: Friday Night Funkin' Ludum Dare Prototype Release
On October 5, 2020, Friday Night Funkin' was first released as a prototype for the Ludum Dare 47 game jam.
October 2020: Beginning of Friday Night Funkin' Development
In October 2020, ninjamuffin99 started developing a game for the Ludum Dare 47 game jam, which would become Friday Night Funkin'. He brought on artists evilsk8r and PhantomArcade, who had prior game development experience, to help with the project. Kawai Sprite joined the team to compose the game's music. The game was put together quickly using a pre-made flash-to-haxe pipeline.
November 1, 2020: Friday Night Funkin' Expanded Demo Release
On November 1, 2020, Friday Night Funkin' saw the release of an expanded demo, which included additional content and features.
November 2020: Friday Night Funkin' Gains Popularity
Following its second demo update in November 2020, Friday Night Funkin' experienced a surge in popularity. This can be attributed to its catchy music, unique art style, and engaging gameplay, appealing to casual and hardcore gamers. The game's open-source nature fostered an active modding community, leading to a wide variety of fan-made content. Consequently, the full game will incorporate mod support using the Polymod framework.
2020: Friday Night Funkin' Initial Release
Friday Night Funkin' was first released in 2020 on Newgrounds by Funkin' Crew Inc. The game was developed by a small team known as The Funkin' Crew Inc., consisting of Cameron "ninjamuffin99" Taylor, David "PhantomArcade" Brown, Isaac "Kawai Sprite" Garcia, and evilsk8r.
April 2021: Kickstarter Campaign and Full Game Announcement
In April 2021, the developers announced plans for a Kickstarter campaign later that month to develop a full version of the Friday Night Funkin' demo. On April 18th, the Kickstarter campaign for "Friday Night Funkin': The Full Ass Game" launched and quickly surpassed its $60,000 goal within hours, ultimately raising over $2 million.
February 2022: Kickstarter Success Recognition
In February 2022, IGN recognized Friday Night Funkin': The Full Ass Game as one of the most successful Kickstarter projects of 2021.
2024: "WeekEnd 1" Update Release
On April 30th, 2024, Friday Night Funkin' received the "WeekEnd 1" update. This significant update introduced characters from the Pico's School series, including Pico, Nene, and Darnell. It also added "Erect Remixes," remixed versions of existing songs intended to be more challenging, and a UI overhaul. Guest composers Kohta Takahashi and Saster contributed remixes, along with Saruky, a new addition to the team.
2024: Minor Update and "Pico Remixes"
On June 6th, 2024, a minor update was released for Friday Night Funkin' that included two new "Erect Remixes" and an updated Results screen. Later, on September 12th, 2024, another update introduced "Pico Remixes," allowing players to play as Pico through nine remixed tracks, along with three additional remixes.