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Horror games about children

In these horror games a child is at the centre. Most often you play one: small, unarmed and alone at night in a house, a gallery or a town that grown-ups have left. Others send you looking for a missing child, or set children loose as the thing that hunts you. The fear is being too small to fight back, so you hide, run and solve your way out.

The top 30 of 153 horror games about children, ranked by player and critic scores

The 30 best, 2026

  1. Endacopia key art: a round-headed boy in a red cap beside a signpost with a worried face, against a starry black sky PsychologicalEndacopiaYou play Mellow, a small boy trapped in a strange house who must win back his senses. 99% on Steam (8,448 reviews)about 6 hPaidPC
  2. Ib key art: a brown-haired girl with red eyes, in a white blouse and red skirt, holds a red rose against a dark green wall beside the white Ib logo PsychologicalIbThe player character is Ib, a nine-year-old girl who visits the gallery with her parents and is left alone inside it. 99% on Steam (5,357 reviews)about 2 hPaidPC, Switch, PlayStation
  3. Underground Blossom key art: a gold pocket watch with white petals drifting around it in front of a dim brown train carriage PsychologicalUnderground BlossomThe line starts in Laura's childhood, with stops named Crib Station and Child Lane and a pram on the first platform 98% on Google Play (13,000 ratings)about 2 hPaidPC, Mac, iPhone, Android
  4. The Joy of Creation: Story Mode key art: burned animatronic bears with glowing eyes peer through two dark windows beside the game's title FNAFThe Joy of Creation: Story ModeThe first level has you as a small child in a crib, keeping your sanity as animatronics come to the window and closet 97% on Game Jolt (17,336 ratings)about 50 minFreePC
  5. Fran Bow key art: Fran, blood running from one eye, holds her black cat before a red-eyed creature, with a skeleton in a top hat and masked figures on the left PsychologicalFran BowYou play Fran, a ten-year-old girl in 1944 who has found her parents murdered 97% on Steam (23,250 reviews)about 7.5 hPaidPC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, Android
  6. Five Nights at Candy's 3 key art: the stitched face of the Monster Rat with glowing red eyes and metal teeth in the dark, the red title across it FNAFFive Nights at Candy's 3You play young Mary Schmidt, a little girl alone in her room at night in 1962. 97% on Game Jolt (8,953 ratings)about 2 hFreePC
  7. Mad Father key art: Aya, a black-haired girl with a red bow, cowers as a pale, blood-stained hand reaches for her 2D horrorMad FatherYou play Aya Drevis, an 11-year-old girl alone against what her father has made 97% on Steam (6,879 reviews)about 3 hPaidPC, Switch
  8. MOLE cover: the title in amber pixel letters on a red navigation grid splashed with blood, framed by a riveted porthole PsychologicalMOLEFlashbacks return to the death of the Navigator's son, and the grief over it drives the story. 97% on Steam (4,098 reviews)about 3 hPaidPC
  9. Lily's Well key art: a magenta outlined brick well with a wooden roof and a grey crank against a black background 2D horrorLily's WellYou play Lily, a little girl home alone, and many endings are grisly fates for her 97% on Steam (2,688 reviews)about 3 hFreePC
  10. Five Nights at Freddy's: Into the Pit key art: a worn yellow rabbit animatronic with glowing blue eyes rising from a ball pit SurvivalFive Nights at Freddy's: Into the PitYou play Oswald, a young boy trying to save his father and several children. 96% on Steam (11,018 reviews)about 5 hPaidPC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch
  11. The Return to Bloody Nights Classic key art: a worn yellow animatronic in a purple top hat stares beside the title on a purple starry background FNAFThe Return to Bloody NightsThe animatronics are possessed by the spirits of children murdered at the diner; a missing child poster hangs by the desk 96% on Game Jolt (2,688 ratings)about 1 hFreePC
  12. Final Nights 3 key art: five decayed animatronics, a white fox, a rotted rabbit, a balloon boy, a puppet and a brown bear, lunge from the dark around a glowing green 3 FNAFFinal Nights 3: Nightmares AwakenYou play Kevin, the injured child from FNaF 4, alone in his hospital room 96% on Game Jolt (2,323 ratings)FreePC
  13. Zelle key art: a dark silhouette with glowing white eyes stands before a huge grey full moon AnimeZelleYou play Emerada, a little boy trying to get home before the night is over. 96% on Google Play (1,450 ratings)about 4.5 hPaidPC, Mac, iPhone, Android
  14. The Deadseat key art: the title in rough black letters over a blue retro handheld controller with red buttons, white light bursting behind it on purple SurvivalThe DeadseatYou play a child in the back seat whose handheld game is the only escape from the fighting 97% on Steam (676 reviews)about 1 hPaidPC
  15. INSIDE key art: the boy hides behind a pillar in a dark factory while a machine sweeps the room with a searchlight PsychologicalINSIDEA small boy in a red shirt is the only character you play, alone and hunted from the first scene. 97% on Steam (76,338 reviews)about 2 hPaidPC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, iPhone
  16. The Witch's House MV key art: blonde Viola on the left, the purple-haired witch with glowing mismatched eyes looming in the sky, and a stone house with a black cat in its window 2D horrorThe Witch's House MVYou play Viola, a 13-year-old girl lost alone in the witch's house 95% on Steam (4,204 reviews)about 1.5 hPaidPC, Mac, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch
  17. Bondee's Barnyard: Safety Violation key art: a green animatronic cow head looms beside the cartoon logo with a farmer, a duck and a pig FNAFBondee's Barnyard: Safety ViolationThe missing child is hiding inside Kou with you, and a shock from the guard kills them 97% on Game Jolt (648 ratings)FreePC
  18. Tattletail key art: the purple, furry Tattletail toy with big blue eyes and a heart-shaped nose beside its red box, in front of a lit Christmas tree, with a large figure with glowing red eyes behind Multiple endingsTattletailYou play a child in a family house, sneaking around at night with a present opened early. 95% on Steam (5,089 reviews)about 1.5 hPaidPC, Mac
  19. House key art: two girls on a small grassy world under a grey, rainy sky, one poking a snail with a stick beside an axe 2D horrorHouseYou play a young girl exploring the house, per the store and press kit descriptions. 95% on Steam (2,257 reviews)about 2.5 hPaidPC, Mac, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch
  20. Baby Blues Nightmares key art: the crayon-style title over black ink splatter in a dim child's bedroom with blue cloud-painted walls and a wooden wardrobe SurvivalBaby Blues NightmaresYou play a toddler who can't reach door handles and has to drag chairs over to open them. 98% on itch.io (584 ratings)about 2 hPaidPC
  21. Symbiosis key art: a pixel-art woman and a child in a cat-ear beanie holding a bloody knife, among dead trees and pink flowers under a red moon 2D horrorSymbiosisHer young son Mint can't sleep, wants a bedtime story and won't stay in his room while the intruders roam. 96% on itch.io (893 ratings)about 45 minFreeBrowser, PC
  22. Hello Charlotte EP1 key art: a smiling white-haired girl tied by red strings to yellow claw hands, under a one-eyed dark figure, on grey static PsychologicalHello Charlotte EP1: Junk Food, Gods and Teddy BearsCharlotte is a 12-year-old girl told to watch over Felix, the young nephew of Dr. Huxley. 96% on itch.io (894 ratings)about 1 hFreePC
  23. Night Blights key art: the white hand-drawn title on black, with small skeletal long-eared creatures clinging to the letters FNAFNight BlightsYou wander the house from the perspective of a small child, protecting the family while they sleep 95% on Game Jolt (1,242 ratings)about 3 hPaidPC
  24. Horror Tale 1: Kidnapper key art: the hooded kidnapper in a stitched rabbit mask beside the Horror Tale title on a dark purple background EscapeHorror Tale 1: KidnapperYou play Tom, a boy left home alone, who teams up with his friend Harry while his parents are away. 94% on Google Play (74,000 ratings)about 1 hFree with adsAndroid, iPhone, PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, Browser
  25. BioShock key art: a rusty Big Daddy with a drill arm and a Little Sister holding a syringe in a dim, flooded art deco hall Multiple endingsBioShockThe Little Sisters, small girls in dresses carrying syringes, gather from the dead under a Big Daddy's guard. 94% on Steam (32,277 reviews)12 h or morePaidPC, Xbox
  26. Dead Space 2 key art: Isaac Clarke's helmet with glowing green light strips in darkness SurvivalDead Space 2Child Necromorphs, designed for the Sprawl's setting, swarm the player in groups. 94% on Steam (30,265 reviews)about 9 hPaidPC, Xbox
  27. Fear & Hunger key art: the painted faces of pale adventurers and a dark knight behind the game's title SurvivalFear & HungerA little girl found locked in a cage in the dungeons can join your party, and she matters to how the story ends 94% on Steam (23,065 reviews)11 h or morePaidPC, Mac
  28. Withering Realms key art: the pale doll guardian with one red eye and crooked teeth, with Clover's face behind its shoulder, beside the gothic title Action horrorWithering RealmsThe heroine is Clover, a nine-year-old girl, who rides on the back of her doll guardian. 97% on Steam (437 reviews)PaidPC
  29. Murder House key art in the style of a VHS box: the killer in a bunny mask raises a hooked blade over the title, with the line Don't put your eggs in this basket SurvivalMurder HouseThe Easter Ripper kidnapped, tortured and killed children before he was caught and executed. 95% on Steam (2,354 reviews)about 2.5 hPaidPC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch
  30. F.E.A.R. key art: the F.E.A.R. logo beside Alma, a pale dark-haired girl, on an orange background Action horrorF.E.A.R.Alma, a mysterious little girl dressed in red, haunts the compound. 94% on Steam (19,718 reviews)about 8 hPaidPC

To play with friends

7 games

Short enough for one evening

Done in an hour or so

Free to play

51 games

Every game of the kind

More picks

Scores are those players and critics give on the stores and sites named; each game's page says where.

More kinds of horror

  1. Short horror games621
  2. Psychological horror games530
  3. Horror games with multiple endings417
  4. Horror puzzle games341
  5. Survival horror games259
  6. 2D horror games254
  7. PS1 horror games233
  8. Stealth horror games180
  9. Horror escape games164
  10. Surreal horror games145
  11. Horror visual novels137
  12. Anime horror games132
  13. Haunted house games131
  14. Mystery and detective horror games127
Every genre

Where you play

  1. Steam horror games1009
  2. Epic horror games97
  3. GOG horror games270
  4. itch.io horror games592
  5. PC horror games1337
  6. Mac horror games391
  7. Linux horror games261
  8. PlayStation horror games404
  9. Xbox horror games367
  10. Switch horror games317
  11. Mobile horror games188
  12. VR horror games69
  13. Browser horror games236
  1. Scary games1456
  2. Free horror games561
Every game, A to Z