Ice Scream 1: Scary Horror

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Sneak into the ice cream man's van to save your kidnapped friend.

Platforms: iPhone, Android
Price: Free to play
Rated: 4.5 of 5 from 90,407 ratings on the App Store; 4.4 of 5 from 431,975 ratings on Google Play
Players: 1
Made by: Keplerians
Released: 2019

What frightens Rod, a grinning ice cream man in a mask, has frozen your friend Charlie with a strange power and driven him off in his van. You creep after him through his van and hideouts, hiding when he comes and solving puzzles before he catches you.

A first-person horror and puzzle adventure from Keplerians. Rod the ice cream man has frozen your friend Charlie and carried him off in his van, and you follow, solving puzzles and hiding from Rod to get your friend out.

About Ice Scream 1: Scary Horror

Ice Scream 1 is the first game in Keplerians' Ice Scream series, released on the App Store in 2019 and also on Google Play. Rod, an ice cream man with a strange freezing power, has kidnapped your friend Charlie and taken him away in his van, and you set out to rescue him.

It plays in first person. You leave your room, explore creepy places around the neighbourhood and inside Rod's van, and solve puzzles to find the way forward. Rod moves around while you do it; you hide from him and try to get out before he catches you. On Normal you have three lives, and the difficulty changes how quickly enemies move and how well they hear.

The game now holds several stories: Charlie's Kidnapping, the original; The Missing Guard, Part 1, a what-if story that continues across Ice Scream 1, 2 and 3; and J. Asks for Help, where things take a different turn. Through the Keplerians Network you can add friends, compare on leaderboards, take part in events and unlock skins for Rod and the kids. A paid Premium removes the ads.

Its look is closer to a spooky cartoon than to gore. It suits anyone who likes Granny-style hiding and puzzle solving with a brighter look.

How to play Ice Scream 1: Scary Horror

Choose a story and a difficulty; Normal gives you three lives.
Get out of your room and follow Rod, searching each place for items and clues.
Solve the puzzles that open the way deeper into Rod's van and hideouts.
Hide when Rod comes near and wait for him to move away.
Free Charlie and escape before Rod catches you.

Screenshots

Ice Scream 1 screenshot: Rod stands in the open back of his ice cream van on a sunny street, a frozen boy in a box behind him

Ice Scream 1 screenshot: a dark playground with slides and a crane at night

Ice Scream 1 screenshot: Rod in his apron walks through an empty diner with red booths

Ice Scream 1 screenshot: a child's bedroom at dusk with a wardrobe, desk and computer, and touch controls on screen

Tips

Play with headphones, as the store recommends, to hear Rod coming.
Start on an easier difficulty to learn the layout.
Look around each area before using an item; most puzzles use things found nearby.
Try the what-if stories after the main one for different versions of events.