Playing games on mobile phones can be just as engaging and scary as it is on other gaming platforms. Mobile games have improved a lot over the past few years, and the horror options have become more and more exciting. Genre fans can enjoy great graphics, chilling music, and some of the scariest serial killers in games who will make sure players have a bloody good time throughout the gameplay.
However, there are also great retro mobile games that stand the test of time and are still enjoyable to play. Gamers can enjoy shooters, mysteries, and even multiplayer titles with surprisingly complex and chilling stories and some of the most horrifying ghosts and gaming monsters ever. For players who are not sure which titles to start with, here are some of the best mobile horror games.
Updated October 3, 2024, by Hamza Haq: Mobile gaming has come a long way since its inception, steadily catching up to PC and console over the years. While it still can’t compete when it comes to AAA quality, high-fidelity open-world action-adventure games, the horror genre is another story. This is because, as a rule, horror is less about the budget of the game and more about the art style, direction, and game design, factors that can easily fit into the slim form factor of mobile. Another aspect where the mobile gaming industry has an edge is its incredible reach. The number of people who own mobile phones is vastly more than those who own a gaming PC or console.
26 Slender Rising (Free)
App Store Rating: 4.2
- Available on iOS
- Developer: Michael Hegemann
- Price: Free
Slenderman originated as a creepypasta in 2009. Since then, it has become a staple figure in the horror world, with a multitude of stories, games, and even films being made about him. In this free mobile game, the player must collect eight pages scattered around the forest while avoiding Slenderman, who is stalking them down.
Slender Rising has an iconic eerie atmosphere, full of grayscale fog and freaky character design that makes turning corners an anxiety-causing move, while the increasingly frequent Slenderman appearances make for a hair-raising experience.
25 Granny
App Store Rating: 4.3
- Available on Android & iOS
- Developer: Dennis Vukanovic
- Price: Free
For gamers who enjoy puzzle-based horror games, Granny could be just what they are looking for. Awaking in a dank bedroom, the player must strategically find and use items to escape the house while avoiding the baseball bat wielding Granny that stalks the rooms.
Featuring simple mechanics but requiring a degree of strategy, Granny has the potential to be a very scary game. For players looking for more of a challenge, they can also increase the difficulty, which plunges them into darkness and makes Granny more alert to sound.
24 Evil Nun
App Store Rating: 4.4
- Available on Android & iOS
- Developer: KEPLERIANS SL
- Price: Free
Evil Nun follows much of the same formula as Granny, as a find-and-use-item stealth game. However, this game is much richer in lore. Throughout the game, players have opportunities to find out the truth about Sister Madeline as one plays as a child invited to a summer camp at Eagle's Junior High School.
With a range of puzzles and escape routes and a large map, Evil Nun is an engaging mobile horror with extremely tense gameplay and a truly evil narrative.
23 Hello Neighbor
App Store Rating: 3.8
- Available on Android & iOS
- Developer: tinyBuild LLC
- Price: Free
Hello Neighbor is a deceivingly dark mobile horror where the player must try and enter their neighbor's house. There, they must try to discover the secrets of his basement and the truth about the missing children of the town.
With AI technology that hinders the player's attempts to get in or escape the neighbor's house based on their strategies, each Hello Neighbor experience is different. Overall, this is a fun game with a unique aesthetic and engaging story.
22 The Baby In Yellow
App Store Rating: 4.4
- Available for Android & iOS
- Developer: Who is in control?
- Price: Free
The Baby In Yellow is a great choice for those who enjoy sim survival horror games as well as those who love to go on eerie adventures and explore a unique story. It's one of the most popular mobile games among horror fans thanks to its simple yet unique design.
Players must babysit a demon baby while navigating through the surprisingly difficult duties of changing and feeding, among many other seemingly normal tasks. The Baby In Yellow also has detailed graphics and is filled with heart-stopping jump scares that make the experience much more suspenseful.
21 Bendy and the Ink Machine
App Store Rating: 4.5
- Available for Android & iOS
- Developer: Vintage Cartoon Madness
- Price: £0.99
Bendy and the Ink Machine lets players dive into an atmospheric world filled with vintage cartoons and spine-chilling surprises. Thanks to its beautiful and nostalgic graphics and unique story, this mobile horror game is a great option for beginner and advanced players.
During their adventures, gamers will explore an abandoned animator's studio where the line between reality and fiction blurs. Players have to try to unravel dark secrets while evading Bendy and his cartoon friends. While Bendy and the Ink Machine has a seemingly cute old-school design, it still provides a chilling experience filled with macabre and vintage horror elements.
20 DISTRAINT 2
Play Store Rating: 4.6
- Available for Android
- Developer: Jesse Makkonen
- Price: $7.49
DISTRAINT 2 is a direct sequel to the first DISTRAINT, a side-scrolling horror game with some puzzle elements that’s available on most platforms, including mobile. Having played the first game in the series is a bonus but not required to enjoy this title.
The game’s art style is hand-drawn and unique and unlike anything else out there. Combined with the zoomed-in field of view, it manages to create a sense of tension in the gameplay. Clever visual effects and tight audio cues are used to deliver cinematic storytelling and a tight narrative. To avoid distracting the player with unneeded information, DISTRAINT 2 uses a very unobtrusive UI that only shows the most important information. Owing to its linear nature, DISTRAINT 2 is a perfect title to enjoy on mobile, delivering an excellent horror story that builds on the prequel in every way.
19 Moth Lake: A Horror Story
App Store Rating: 5
- Available for Android & iOS
- Developer: Stefano Mazzotta
- Price: £3.99
Moth Lake: A Horror Story is one of the most terrifying horror games that provides a thrilling story-driven experience for its players. Horror fans will get to explore over three-hundred scenarios in a dark world inspired by the '90s.
Gamers will have to solve unique puzzles and make crucial decisions that will reshape their friendships and rivalries. Moth Lake: A Horror Story takes its players on a chilling adventure, great for those who enjoy psychological horror stories but aren't fans of gore or jump scares.
18 Reporter: The Beginning
App Store Rating: N/A
- Available for Android & iOS
- Developer: Igor Migun
- Price: £0.49
Reporter is filled with spine-tingling moments and terrifying monsters, as well as brain-teasing puzzles that make the experience much more challenging. This game has a more realistic design and transports its players to a scary but atmospheric world with a twisted and mystery-filled story.
Players will get to take on the role of an investigative reporter and explore a charming town where mysterious killings are happening and, as they delve deeper, uncover the secrets of this small town while also trying to survive attacks from deadly monsters.
17 Orphans
App Store Rating: 4.7
- Available for Android & iOS
- Developer: SponsorAds GmbH & Co.KG
- Price: Free
Orphans is a great choice for both beginners and more advanced players who love to explore creepy abandoned places in games and love stories that mix horror and mystery. This spooky interactive horror mystery game lets its players explore an infamous abandoned orphanage with a dark secret.
Gamers can become an active part of a classic and goose-bump-inducing horror story where their actions will affect the course of the game and how it ends. Orphans not only has a chilling story but great graphics and a unique messaging system that allows players to communicate with characters via messenger, making the experience more immersive.