Horror games have been around since the early days of video games and the genre has continued to evolve with the advancements of technology. I remember the first time I played Doom on my cousin’s desktop PC and the screams I made whenever I saw hordes of monsters approaching me.
With the rise in popularity of mobile gaming, developers have been introducing the horror genre to new gamers and indulging the old ones through mobile apps. In this article, I will feature some of the best horror games that you can download and play today.
Granny
What’s scarier than being trapped in a house in the middle of the woods? It’s being trapped in a house in the middle of the woods with a crazy old lady trying to keep you inside. This is the premise of the first game on our list, Granny.
In this survival horror video game, you will play the role of an unnamed protagonist who needs to get out of the house within five days while solving puzzles to complete the items needed to escape. You will do this will trying to avoid the titular character Granny who abducted you.
Granny, created by Dennis Vukanovic aka DVloper, is one of the most intense mobile games I have ever played and if you like survival horror games, this one will not disappoint you. This free-to-download game is rated 4.4 stars on the Apple App Store and 4.3 stars on the Google Play Store.
Dead by Daylight Mobile
If you haven’t played Dead by Daylight yet on the PC or video game consoles, I recommend that you try out Dead by Daylight Mobile. It’s one of the more popular games among horror games fans. This is another survival horror like the first entry but this time, it’s a multiplayer game.
Dead by Daylight Mobile may be terrifying but it’s also a lot of fun because you can play it with your friends. It’s basically a one player versus four players game where a single player becomes a monster with special abilities and will try to hunt down the other players.
The game is quite a delight if you also like horror movies because it features well-known antagonists, including Halloween’s Michael Myers, Stranger Things’ Demogorgon, and Scream’s Ghost Face. You can download the app for free on the Google Play Store for Android and the Apple App Store for iOS.
Sinister Edge
Unlike the previous entries on this list which are both survival horror games, Sinister Edge is what you may call a horror adventure game. Published by Everbyte, the game takes you on a journey to look for your missing family. In your search, you are greeted by puzzles and terrifying places.
I’d say that the game offers a truly immersive experience because you will have to run, hide, solve complex puzzles, look around, and listen for noises. Beyond the excellent gameplay is its very excellent 3D graphics for a mobile game.
Sinister Edge also offers a virtual reality (VR) mode for a more realistic experience in case you own a VR device. This mobile game is completely free to download but offers in-app purchases. Head over to the Apple App Store to download for iOS devices or the Google Play Store for Android users.
Into the Dead
If Temple Run, Doom, and The Walking Dead were fused into a single game, the end product would be the zombie-themed action game Into the Dead. In this game you will have to run through a landscape overrun by zombies and dodge them or plow through the throngs using weapons.
Because of the 2012 game’s popularity, the sequel, Into the Dead 2: Zombie Survival, was released in 2017. While you may consider both games to be relatively old, they still hold their own against most games these days in terms of gameplay and graphics.
Both games are free to download, with several in-app purchases offered. You can get the game from the Google Play Store if you’re an Android user or from the Apple App Store if you own an iOS device.
Dead Trigger 2
Speaking of zombie slaying, Dead Trigger 2 is the horror game for you if you want blast away at zombies. This first-person shooter (FPS) from Madfinger Games was highly praised for its graphics when it was released in 2013.
Unlike most zombie shooter games on mobile devices, Dead Trigger 2 is a free-movement shooter, similar to PC and console FPS games. Normal gameplay involves completing objectives while killing zombies. The game also features an Arena of Death mode where you will face an infinite wave of zombies.
This horror game is rated 77 out of 100 by Metacritic. It received a rating of 4.5 stars on the Google Play Store from Android users and 4.7 stars on the Apple App Store from iOS device owners.
Evil Nun
Another addition to the survival genre is Evil Nun. In this game, you stumble upon a school only to be ambushed by a hideous-looking nun straight out of your Sunday school nightmares. What’s more horrifying than her hammer and teeth is her supernatural hearing.
While trying to escape the evil nun, you will get to explore the school premises and try to save some of the children trapped inside. The setting's labyrinth-like layout will make it harder to plan your escape.
Evil Nun is also a freemium game that you can easily download on your mobile device. You will find it as “Evil Nun: The Horror 's Creed” on the Apple App Store and as “Evil Nun: Scary Horror Game Adventure” on the Google Play Store.
Endless Nightmare
I may have mentioned that Granny or the Evil Nun were scary antagonists but the knife-wielding woman in Endless Nightmare really had me terrified. In this game you play the role of a police officer named James, who arrived home to find his wife and daughter dead.
Aside from investigating what happened, you will also have to avoid, hide, or run away from the aforementioned scary woman. You will need to be strategic in your approach in this game because you will need not only to observe your surroundings, you will also be forced to use items around you.
This heart-pounding game is available for both Android and iOS users. You will find the game on the Google Play Store as “Endless Nightmare: Epic Creepy & Scary Horror Game” and on the Apple App Store as “Endless Nightmare: Escape”.
Knock-Knock
If you like side-scrolling games and the horror genre, Ice-Pick Lodge’s Knock-Knock might be the mobile game for you. This game has the vibes of a Tim Burton film and focuses more on eeriness and the discomfort of the player rather than jump scares and gore.
The unnamed protagonist needs to survive until dawn as he fears for his life and thinks that his cabin in the woods is being surrounded by sinister creatures lurking in the dark. To survive, you will need to turn on the lights in all of the rooms as weird “guests” start to come in.
This game is not free to download but I think it’s worth the $0.99 price tag on the Apple App Store for iOS devices or the $1.49 cost on the Google Play Store for Android devices.
Fran Bow
While the Fran Bow game series is considered a horror puzzle game, I consider it more of a psychological horror similar to Knock-Knock. The game is about the titular character Fran Bow, who witnessed the murder of her parents which broke her psyche and landed her into an asylum.
The Oswald Asylum is where this story-driven horror adventure game actually begins. Fran decides to leave the asylum to find her way home to her aunt but to do this, she will have to make her way through a world filled with psychological horrors.
Using medication, you will help her shift between reality and the horror world to solve puzzles and return home. The story is divided into several chapters, which are downloaded separately. Each chapter is available for $1.99 and can be found on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
Conclusion
This list of horror games covers a lot of different gameplays and presentation styles so mobile gamers can decide which is the game for them. Since I’m a fan of the horror genre, may it be movies, books, or games, I liked each and every one of these entries.
Whether you like the gun-toting protagonists of zombie shooters or the creepy characters of psychological horrors, there is a mobile game for you. Hopefully, this list helped you get an idea of what kind of horror game you want to play. Happy gaming!
