This has been a weird year overall, but Halloween is just around the corner. You know what that means — spooks, haunts, ghost stories, tricks, and plenty of treats! While you may be celebrating it a little differently this year, that doesn't mean that you can't get into the spirit like you normally would. Here are some of the best Halloween apps to help you get your spook on! And while you're at it, don't forget to deck out your iPhone or iPad with some of the best Halloween wallpapers too.
Zombies, Run!
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What better way to motivate yourself to get out there and run than if a zombie is chasing you? Zombies Run! takes that idea and ... runs with it (pun intended). The story starts with a helicopter crash and a city full of zombies. In order to get away, you've got to run to the next checkpoint. While your outside, moving around, the story unfolds. When you reach a distance checkpoint, you'll hear a new piece of the story. You'll be able to track down hidden first aid kits, cell phones, and even people that need your help. Get into the Halloween spirit first thing in the morning with a refreshing sprint away from a zombie horde.
Zombies, Run! has been quite a popular app since it debuted a few years ago, so it is definitely one of the best Halloween apps you can get, especially if you like to run.
(opens in new tab)It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
For 50 years, Charlie Brown has been synonymous with Halloween. In 1966, the cartoon classic aired for the first time on television, and today it's loved by all generations. Loud Crow has turned the tale of the Great Pumpkin rising out of the pumpkin patch on Halloween night into an interactive book, complete with costume cutouts and a pumpkin carving session. When you tap on some illustrations on each page, they will come to life and animate. Whether you're reliving your childhood memories or starting new ones with your own children, you'll love reading and interacting with this Peanuts classic.
We always enjoy It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, so this is definitely one of the best Halloween apps out there that you must get.
(opens in new tab)myNoise
I've actually mentioned myNoise in the past because it is a fantastic sound generator for all kinds of situations. Whether you are trying to meditate with nature sounds, focus on tasks with white noise, or fall asleep with binaural beats, you have dozens and dozens of options. Plus, every sound generator comes with a series of channels that you can control manually. The reason it is on this Halloween list is that it has a couple of sound effect generators that you can use to make your porch a little spookier. Use the Poltergeist sound generator to playback screams from beyond, Evil Charm to listen to whispering wanderers, and Dark World to add dungeon background noise. You can even combine all three sound generators and turn up or down different effect channels. myNoise is free to download, but to get all of the sounds, you'll need to pay $9.99 (believe me, it's worth it).
Since myNoise has spooky sounds and pretty much anything else you may ever need, it's definitely one of our top picks for best Halloween apps, and then some!
(opens in new tab)Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle
If you're looking for a fun little game to play for the spooks, then check out Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle. This campy title lets you play as Jason Voorhees, and the objective is to terrorize and slay the campers of Crystal Lake to city dwellers in Manhattan. The game has eight "episodes" that feature over 100 ghoulish levels, and the challenge gets more difficult as you go. You'll encounter those who will try to stop you, so watch out for them! As you play, you'll level up your character and unlock more weapons that can lead to more epic death scenes. Think you have what it takes?
(opens in new tab)Into the Dead 2
If solving murderous puzzles isn't your thing, then perhaps shooting up zombies is. That's what you'll get with Into the Dead 2, a fast-paced zombie survival shooter, where you must fend off hordes of the undead. Each stage will have a new mob of zombies for you to fight through, but you'll only have so much ammo to work with. Eventually, you'll find new companions that can help you out, as well as new weapons with upgrades.
(opens in new tab)Plants vs. Zombies 2
One of my early mobile games back in the day was Plants vs. Zombies. It was a unique tower defense game where you defended your garden from an incoming horde of cartoon zombies with...plants. The sequel, Plants vs. Zombies 2, brings you even more of that garden defending action in new worlds with over 300 levels to go through. There are also new plants, new zombies, all with new abilities that you've never seen before. There are also new modes, such as endless, mini-games, daily events, and more. It's great fun for everyone this Halloween.
(opens in new tab)Creepypasta
Do you love reading horror or ghost stories? Then Creepypasta is the app for you. Creepypasta features over 5500 hand-picked stories that have been passed all over the Internet and has them all gathered in one place. You don't need an Internet connection to read them, and there is also voice narration. You can search for stories you want by title, read time, or author, and even by keyword. The stories can vary in length, from short to medium to longer reads, and there are also micropastas, which are two-sentence stories that will still creep you out.
I get quite the heebie-jeebies when reading the stories on Creepypasta, so it's one of the best Halloween apps to have around.
(opens in new tab)Goosebumps Horror Town
Did you grow up with the Goosebumps books by R.L. Stine like I did when I was in elementary school? If so, then you may have fond memories of those books. Goosebumps Horror Town is a city builder with the spooky theme of Goosebumps. In this city builder, you'll build the city of your dreams, but fill it up with monsters and creatures from the Goosebumps series. You can either terrify the cityfolk with your monsters, or help the humans defend against them — it's up to you! If you play as the monsters, you can collect materials that will unlock more Goosebumps monsters. For those who want to help the humans, you can spy on the monsters to discover what's really going on.
There are over 100 playable characters in Goosebumps Horror Town, so you are definitely going to find some of your old favorites in this fun idle city-building game. There are also a ton of iMessage stickers that you can send to your friends too, so make sure to spread the spooky cheer!
(opens in new tab)Bitmoji
To spread even more spooky cheer, why not send your dressed-up Bitmoji avatar to friends and family to show how you really feel this time of year? With Bitmoji, you can create and customize your Bitmoji avatar, from facial features to dressing up in spooky or hilarious costumes. There are a ton of different scenario options for your Bitmoji stickers, from mundane to ridiculous to scary. It's time to dive in with Bitmoji and just have some fun!
(opens in new tab)Your favorite Halloween apps?
I'm sure there are plenty more apps out there, but these are the best Halloween apps that we like to use ourselves. Do you have your own favorite that we missed? Make sure to let us and others know by dropping it in the comments!
Updated October 2021: Removed The Walking Dead: Dead Yourself, as the app is no longer available.