A horror game does not have to be in 3D to be scary. Even a plain pixel horror game can scare the living daylights out of you. And this has been proved by several game developers who have created 8-bit horror masterpieces for both for PC and Android platforms.
Scariest Pixel Horror Games for Android
With great atmospheric background music, brilliant plot and creative use of 8-bit visuals, pixel horror games can offer a true frightening experience. Here are some of the most terrifying games on Android.
In the Darkness is a spooky pixel-art horror game developed by independent game developer S Gordon. The game is still in Alpha stage, but you can download it from the Google Play Store to try the developer's build. Due to irrecoverable damage to the ozone layer, humans can no longer be exposed to direct sunlight, which is why scientists have developed a vaccine that helps protect humans from ultraviolet radiation. But little did they know that the vaccine resulted into a permanent DNA change, turning humans into zombies.
A post-apocalyptic survival game, In the Darkness revolves around the life of one of the few survivors who must fight zombies and survive the post-apocalyptic world where death is inevitable, whether it’s by zombies or by the harmful ultraviolet radiation. The game has a scary ambient music and the pixilated graphics are top-notch!
In the Darkness is a point and click adventure game where you will have to move near certain objects and tap action buttons displayed on the right side of the screen to interact with them. In this “developer build”, your objective is to survive several nights and go indoors before the sun rises. A timer on the top-left corner of the screen shows hours remaining before Sunrise. You can only interact with a generator, a ladder to climb a sniper tower, your house and your workstation/garage. I am sure the developer will add more features to this game before the final release. Nevertheless, In the Darkness has the potential to be the creepiest pixel horror game on Android.
Going Home is an 8-bit psychological horror game that’s devoid of any jump scares, but the visuals and the creepy background music will surely send chills down your spine.
The story is about a man who must find his missing family, but there’s someone or something that’s haunting his house. Armed with only a flickering flashlight, the man needs to explore his own house to unearth its deep dark story. You will help him solve puzzles, interact with various objects and avoid contact with that scary entity before he become its next target.
Dark Things is a classic point-and-click adventure horror game with pixel graphics. The game revolves around the adventures of a private detective and his accomplice, a daring journalist. It offers stylistic noir atmosphere, several complex puzzles, dialogues laced with sarcasm and wit and stunning pixilated locations. You will have to complete quests, meet new characters to know their weird tales, solve mysteries and uncover dark secrets.
Inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft, The Last Door: Collector’s Ed takes you back to the gothic Victorian era. Jeremiah Devitt receives a cryptic letter from his old schoolmate. The hidden message in the letter compels him to investigate the mystery behind it. His search leads him to a dilapidated manor, which harbors a deep secret related to his life.
You will have to help him delve deeper into this mystery by solving four frightening episodes filled with puzzles and riddles. With just a lamp and a magnifying glass, it will definitely require guts to open the last door. The Android collector's edition boasts enhanced pixel graphics and scary ambient backgrounds. There are several unlockable content, new creepy locations and complex puzzles.
Distraint is one the scariest pixel horror games on Android. Offering 2 hours of terrifying gameplay, Distraint has a very unique story full of surprises. The game has hand-drawn graphics and atmospheric music, so I would recommend playing it with your headphones on.
You will control Mr. Price and can move him left or right to solve puzzles. Controls are dead simple and since Distraint has a minimalist interface, it lets you focus on your current tasks, keeping the atmosphere tense. It’s a 2D side-scrolling psychological horror game, so don’t expect any jump scares, but the twist ending will surely leave you dazed.
Clock of Atonement is a short pixel horror with gameplay elements inspired by JRPGs. It has a very weird premise. The game revolves around the misadventures of a stalker who has murdered a woman he loves and is now repenting.
A stranger gives him a clock that lets him time-travel to the past and not let the murder happen. You will have to solve a series of puzzles to save her life, but the game does have multiple endings, so you can expect a good, a bad or a surprise ending.
Owlhead is Japanese horror escape game created using RPG maker. Its pixel graphics will remind you of old school JRPGs.
The game revolves around the adventures of four school kids who take on the challenge of visiting an old mansion known to be haunted by a scary entity called “OwlHead”. As kids enter the mansion, they disappear one by one, except for the protagonist. You will have to help him find his friends and escape this doomed mansion before the Owlhead kills him.
Another terrifying Android pixel horror game with JRPG-style visuals, Dear Red has a very unique plot. You will play as Red, who is on a lookout for her mother’s murderer.
One fine day, she finds him - and this is where the game begins. As Red you will have to decide what you should do - avenge your mother’s death or forgive him. The game has multiple endings - some are pretty vague, which may leave you with more questions than answers.
One Night is one of the best RPG Maker horror games ever made! The ultimate edition is a PC port on Android. With pixel graphics enhanced for mobile, One Night provides the same terrifying experience as on PC.
“The Complex”, a top-secret research facility is home of the weird and unexplained, but one night something strange happened that killed all researchers. You, the only survivor, must escape from The Complex by solving devious puzzles and avoiding monsters.
The creators of Hide and Seek: Story of Dorothy have launched several horror RPGs in the past. Deep Sea Girl is one of them. Like Story of Dorothy, Deep Sea Girl also revolves around the adventures of a little girl called “Ari” who has lost her mother in an aquarium.
You will have to help her find her mother by solving a variety of spooky puzzles. The game will provide riddles and hidden messages which you need to decipher to solve the mystery of her disappearance and also the secrets that lie buried in the haunted aquarium. Deep Sea Girl’s pixel graphics are very reminiscent of old school Japanese role-playing games. The puzzles are not too easy to solve. You will have to pick items and use them to solve puzzles. If you are a fan of TabomSoft’s Hide and Seek games, then you must install this pixel horror game on your Android device.