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5 mobile horror games that are genuinely scary

Are you up for the challenge?

5 mobile horror games that are genuinely scary
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| Papa Sangre

When we talk about good horror games, we normally just mean good games that involve zombies, ghosts, and mad bastards wielding chainsaws.

But this list is different. We're looking for games that will genuinely make you jump. Or, at the very least, squirm in discomfort.

Not for the faint of heart and not for playing just before bed (unless you're crazy), these 5 mobile games will legitimately scare you or you can get a refund on the cost of reading this article.

Papa Sangre
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Are you afraid of the dark? Maybe don't play Papa Sangre, then - a game where you're encouraged to close your eyes, slip on some headphones, and enter a world of complete darkness.

You move about the world through taps on your touchscreen but you can't see anything: the only way to know what's happening is to listen carefully. And that'd when the game creeps up and spooks you.

The game is disorientating and otherworldly, putting you in the perfect position of discomfort for a good shock. If you like it (you masochist), the developer also has a sequel, a spin-off called The Nightjar, and a more action-orientated take called Audio Defence: Zombie Arena.

Night Terrors
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What's more scary than walking through a house full of ghosts? Walking through YOUR house when it's full of ghosts.

That's the magic of augmented reality game Night Terrors which uses your phone's camera to show your surroundings on screen and then throws on noise, disturbance, flashes of lightning, and… well, we wouldn't want to spoil it.

The most terrifying part is that after you play, you'll never see your own home in the same way again. This might be the most expensive game on the list, considering that you'll have to move house after you finish.

Forgotten Memories: Alternate Realities
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Forgotten Memories is the closest thing you're going to get to Silent Hill on your phone. It's a creepy, clunky, psychological nightmare about wandering through an abandoned asylum.

And, I mean, abandoned asylums are never a good place to visit for a nice family vacation, are they? They're always filled with plaster statues who come to life and the distorted sounds of a little girl signing a playground song. Horrible places.

Part of the scariness comes from the controls, as is the case with a lot of classic horror games. This time, it's fiddling with touchscreen buttons and other virtual annoyances. But it's just when you're wrestling with awkward controls that something comes up behind you and… boo!

Five Nights at Freddy's 3
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Five Nights is a genuinely scary ass game. Like, sully your favourite skirt level of scariness.

It's a classic set-up: ramp up the tension more and more and more until the player is sat on the very last molecule at the edge of their seat. Then, throw an animatronic rabbit in their face. Guaranteed bricks.

I would tell you which is the best FNAF to play. Which one has the best secrets and the most interesting gameplay. But I've never played more than 5 minutes of Freddy's 3 and will never play another game in the series. So you'll have to make do.

Lost Within
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What is it about horror games and asylums? Let's try a different setting, like an aquarium or the living room section of IKEA.

But, okay, let's roll with it. You're trying to escape from a haunted mental hospital and you're stalked at every turn by big, lurking, deadly monsters. You can try and face them head on, but it's a better idea to run for your life and hide in a cupboard until an adult comes along.

It might not be as spooky as Siren but play this one under the covers, with headphones on, and you're guaranteed a few nightmares.

Mark Brown
Mark Brown
Mark Brown is editor at large of Pocket Gamer