I'm aware of the reputation these types of mobile horror games have achieved throughout the years -- most will simply scoff at them and move on.
But I am being completely honest when I say that Granny is not only a legitimately good game, but also a legitimately good horror game.
Granny's gameplay loop is seriously more mechanically intricate and routinely complex than most horror games on the market, especially within its fellow indie competitors. It's a well-planned, fine-tuned and thoroughly engaging game. Yet it still presents itself as a comprehensive and simple experience.
There really is an enthralling, rhythmic routine in this game's gameplay loop. It can be really stressful in the enjoyable sort of way. Constantly keeping track of Granny's whereabouts and current route; not to mention improvising to the ever-changing dynamic item locations. Granny will even learn to adapt to your paths and routines if you repeat them too much. It's really neat!
And on the harder difficulties it especially becomes a thorough challenge -- far more than I'm willing to take on. I have no idea how the toddlers can manage such on their touchscreen iPads. I suppose they're simply just intensely coked up on their Galaxy Gas fumes and such.
The movement also just feels super precise and comfortable. That really just goes for the controls in general.
My sole issue with the game though is the fact that it lacks rebindable keybinds. Even still, the official layout isn't too bad. It can be initially pretty awkward, but that is really all.
Now, I feel most scoff at child-friendly horror. And on a surface-level perspective: yeah I can understand that. It can come off as quite obnoxious and blissful at times.
But I've also I come to feel like that's a very 12-year-old's naive way of generally seeing all children-focused adjacent horror media. As if anything that isn't deeply serious or "cool" is therefore "cringe" and thus bad. It comes off merely as projected insecurities of being called a "baby".
Yet I find Granny vastly impressive even just for its non-explicit horror. It's easy to rely on the ol' reliables in the horror genre (e.g. gore, guts, and other gross stuff) as an alternative to carefully crafted horror and spooks. So being able to convey a real sense of horror for a younger players, while still not outright pushing away an adult audience is super notable. And Granny definitely succeeds in such. I certainly got seriously spooked on several occasions. All good fun!
On a quick note, also: I just find this game seriously charming. It simply feels earnestly compact with unfiltered passion and full of heartful authenticity.
It's one of the few times I earnestly can say "The developer clearly had sincere fun developing this game", for it's just so apparent in the end-result.
Hell, even Granny's voice-lines were recorded by the developer's wife. That's astoundingly adorable!
If nothing else speaks of this game's quality, then consider the fact that it ended up defining a whole new sub-genre of horror: Granny-likes. It's a stupid term, sure, but at least it's honest and precise.
And for the people who still aren't convinced: If we didn't have Granny, we wouldn't have gotten Amnesia: The Bunker.
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