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For other uses of "Night Springs", see Night Springs (disambiguation)

Quote1 Now Night Springs is in Arizona, although not for long. It's in Arizona because whatever the town that has become Night Springs is really called is located near one of the thin, worn places in the world -- where dreams and reality flow together and life is always a little strange. Aperfect analogy for Night Springs. Quote2
― Alan Wake, Alan Wake's American Nightmare

Night Springs, Arizona is a fictional town in the U.S. state of Arizona, serving as the primary setting in Alan Wake's American Nightmare. The real name of the town is unknown. The town was built to support the workers of the oil fields. It later developed into a tourist attraction due to the popularity of the Mount Redtooth National Observatory, and the annual Night Springs Visual Arts Film Festival.

The town was the location of an Altered World Event, in which it became threshold to another dimension called the Dark Place. Within this world is the Dark Presence - a nightmarish entity wanting to be unleashed upon the world. The threshold was a place of power that allowed the art created there to shape reality. The Darkness also possessed various people, animals, and objects in the area - known as the "Taken".

In 2012, the town was temporarily renamed Night Springs by writer Alan Wake, who was using one his old episodes from the television show "Night Springs" as a manuscript to write his escape from the Dark Place. The town was placed in perpetual night by his evil doppelgänger, Scratch, who was attempting to kill Alan's wife, Alice. Alan managed to defeat the time-loop with help from the town's inhabitants and destroyed Scratch using Alice's film. With Alan returning to the Dark Place, the town of Night Springs was no longer under his influence.

History[]

Not much is known about the town of Night Springs, or its original name. It was built to support the workers of the oil fields, but later cultivated a presence of art and science. In 2001, Night Springs began the Night Springs Visual Arts Film Festival, held every August at the Drive-In Theater. The town also hosts Night Spring University, which operates the Mount Redtooth National Observatory. In addition, the town has Night Springs Radio, hosted by Eddie Rodman.

In August 2012, the town was the site of an Altered World Event. The 12th Annual NSVA Film Festival attracted photographer and filmmaker Alice Wake. She and friend Serena Valdivia planned to premiere her film "Sunrise", which was a compilation of footage shot during her marriage to her husband, writer Alan Wake. In 2010, Alan had disappeared during their vacation in Bright Falls, Washington and was believed to be dead. In reality, Alan was alive and trapped in a dimension called the Dark Place. The Dark Presence within, led by Alan's doppelgänger Scratch, was trying to keep Night Springs on a time-loop in which the town was in endless night, allowing the Darkness to grow and take over. Alan used his writing to shape reality and wrote a manuscript that would allow Alan to escape through a threshold and fight Scratch to save Alice and the town. Scratch used the Taken and multiple time-loops to stop Alan. But the residents of Night Springs remembered the events from each loop and managed to better assist Alan on his journey. Eventually, Alan used the sunrise from Alice's film to destroy Scratch's body. Alan remained trapped in the Dark Place, but he was able to remove Scratch from reality and allow the night in Night Springs to end.

Night Springs Visual Arts Festival[]

Every year, Night Springs celebrates an event in August known as the Night Springs Visual Arts Film Festival. The festival is primarily held at the Drive-In Theater and features independent films.

Notable Locations[]

Notable Residents[]

Trivia[]

  • Night Springs is named after the eponymous TV show, which is well-known in the Alan Wake world. Alan used to be on staff as one of the show's writers before he became a famous novelist.
  • In American Nightmare, there is a lookout behind the Souvenir shop at the Drive-In Theater where one can presumably see the lights of Night Springs in the distance.
  • Given the numerous Joshua Trees in the scenery, this manifestation of Night Springs would be along the northwestern edge of the state.
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