Scott Cawthon began creating and releasing games independently, often using Clickteam Fusion. These early games were generally family-friendly and targeted at Christian audiences.

One of Cawthon's early games, "RPG Max" was an RPG maker tool/game hybrid. It showcased his skills in programming and game design, but didn't achieve widespread recognition. It allowed for the creation and sharing of RPGs, similar to more well-known titles.

"Chipper & Sons Lumber Co.", released in 2013, was a seemingly harmless and cutesy game featuring beaver characters. However, its characters' unsettling animatronic-like movements and expressions were heavily criticized, leading to claims that the graphics were unintentionally frightening. This criticism became a major turning point for Scott.

Prior to "Five Nights at Freddy's", Scott created a variety of games, including "There is No Pause Button!", "Forever Quester", and several other indie titles across different genres. These games helped him hone his development skills and experiment with different game mechanics and art styles.