Parents' Guide to Granny

App iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android Free Arcade Games
Granny Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

By Neilie Johnson , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 12+

Ugly, gory horror game's scares ruined by tech issues, ads.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 12+?

Any Positive Content?

  • Granny App - Screenshot #1
  • Granny App - Screenshot #2
  • Granny App - Screenshot #3
  • Granny App - Screenshot #4

Parent and Kid Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 54 parent reviews

 

 

See all 54 parent reviews
age 11+

Based on 145 kid reviews

Kids say the game is a fun, engaging experience, filled with puzzles and challenges, but opinions vary significantly about its appropriateness for younger players. While some find it mildly scary and recommend it for kids ages 8 and up, others report that the blood, jump scares, and death scenes could be terrifying, suggesting it may be more suitable for teens, especially those who are sensitive to horror themes.

  • fun gameplay
  • age recommendations vary
  • blood and violence
  • jump scares included
  • depends on child’s fear level
Summarized with AI
 

 

See all 145 kid reviews

Privacy Rating Fail

This product does not have a sufficient privacy policy.

  • Did not evaluate whether data are sold or rented to third parties.
  • Did not evaluate whether data are shared for third-party advertising and/or marketing.
  • Did not evaluate whether this product allows data collection by third-party advertising or tracking services.
  • Did not evaluate whether this product uses data to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
Learn more about our privacy ratings

What's It About?

GRANNY is a survival horror game revolving around stealth gameplay. You're being held captive by an insane, blind old woman who "hears everything," and also shambles around a small two-level house carrying a bat and dropping leg-mangling bear traps. Your objective is to escape the house within five days (the day ends if Granny catches you) by unbarring/unlocking the front door. You do this by avoiding Granny while searching the house for keys and tools; if Granny hears you, you have to run and hide -- or have your head bashed in.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 54 ):
Kids say ( 145 ):

This is one of the ugliest games on the App Store, but also one of the scariest. Granny's premise is simple: It gives you five chances to achieve your objective, and it uses economical means to create an unbelievable amount of tension. Sound is a big deal here. The creaking floorboards, spooky music, and Granny's unsettling voice and unearthly cackles will make your blood run cold, especially if you're wearing headphones. Success depends on keeping a cool head; the tension rises the longer you creep around the house, and suddenly running into Granny can cause fatal bouts of panic. The old girl's not fast, but she's persistent; if you freeze upon seeing her, you're definitely dead meat. While gameplay and sound do a lot, they're undercut by bland, ugly graphics, occasional technical issues (like Granny getting stuck on a door and swinging her bat through a wall), and annoying ad breaks that pull you right out of the horror experience. Overall, Granny feels like a prototype for a more finished app, while still managing to be child-inappropriate nightmare fuel.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what makes a good horror movie or game. What scares you the most?

  • Discuss different kinds of horror: supernatural, slasher, etc. Has your family discussed when horror movies and games are off-limits and why?

  • Think about possible benefits of horror games and movies. How can the horror genre help us face our fears?

App Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by

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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

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