If you’re a true fan of horror, you’re probably always looking for new ways to experience the genre. Movies, books and short stories, and even audio formats – that’s where Chilling comes in.
The Chilling App is best described as ”listening to a friend whisper an incredibly unsettling story into your ear.”
It’s a great way to get your thrills and chills, but why is it so good? Let’s really look in detail here and see why Chilling is a great horror audio platform.
VARIETY AND DIFFERENT STORIES
Killers, monsters, thrillers, ghosts, true crime… the Chilling App offers a massive selection to choose from when you’re chasing that spooky adrenaline rush.
What gets under your skin the most? Does a terrifying true story really send a chill down your spine? Or does the thought of an eldritch creature, coming to kill you, make your hair stand on end? Maybe a ghost or a demon gives you the creeps: unknowable entities with mysterious intent.
There’s over 400 stories on the app at this moment, and more are added multiple times a week. You can also minimize the app and darken the screen to immerse yourself further.
You can find every major horror subtype on Chilling. The variety is one of the biggest strengths of this app – along with the next point.
QUALITY AUDIO AND PROFESSIONAL NARRATORS
The ambience menu, where you can choose sounds like a campfire or rainstorm helps make the stories immersive, but the best part is how high-quality and clear the audio and the over dozen professional narrators – with more being added.
The app also features a sleep timer – which is helpful if you want to listen to Chilling as you go to sleep.
Considering that the app is only $2.99 a month with a free trial, there’s a ton of value. Finally – the audio is completely ad-free: nothing would be more immersion-breaking than hearing about paper towels right when a monster is about to kill someone.
UNSETTLING TALES
The variety of the content is outstanding, and the narrators are exceptional. The quality of the stories, however, are also superb.
I’ve listened to a number of stories on Chilling. One was about the real-life disappearance of a woman in Europe in 1990. It was a hair-raising tale of a sudden disappearance from someone in a crowded area, with several sightings, with absolutely no explanation. The woman has been missing for over 31 years and she, nor her body have ever been found.
Another particularly creepy tale was a story involving skulls in the Appalachian mountains. In that story, the protagonist ends up upsetting a local evil that tracks him and disrupts his life. Things get even worse when he continues to not follow the rules regarding the local evil in that story.
All of the content in Chilling is incredibly fulfilling to experience, and well-made.
GROWING CHILLING FOR THE FUTURE
Even the best apps have room to grow, and Chilling could still improve to have a better overall user experience. And after learning more about the founders’ vision, they’re on their way.
The current amount of content on Chilling is great, but a dedicated listener could get through it in a couple of weeks. Chilling is addressing this by adding new content constantly. This is something that will soon no longer even be a point to make, but for the accuracy of this review, it was worth mentioning. Full horror novels are being added as well, including classics such as Frankenstein and Dracula.
Also, the UI could be enhanced. It has the content categorized well, but a referral section based on past content, as well as a few more personalized/customized options could improve the overall experience. I was thrilled to learn that all of this and more is on the roadmap.
Finally – and this is a side point – much of the horror content is in the form of Creepypastas. This is another point that will soon be moot, as Chilling is in the process of adding even more horror novels, short stories, along with original and exclusive content. It is great to see traditional horror literature being supported by the app.
FINAL THOUGHT
Chilling is still one of the best horror apps you’re going to be able to find on mobile, or anywhere, really. In fact, I was unable to find any app that compared with the quality and variety of audio content. The content is great, there’s a clear dedication to quality, and for what you pay, it’s very much worth it. I am very excited to see where Chilling goes from here.
You can check out Chilling on the Google Play Store or Apple Store. They offer a free-trial so there’s little risk in checking it out!
