DISTRAINT

DISTRAINT is a short, heavily stylized horror drawn in dark, hand-painted graphics that pulls the player into the shoes of Price, a young debt collector willing to sacrifice practically anything for career advancement. Finnish developer Jesse Makkonen built the game as a 2D adventure with minimal classic point-and-click puzzling and maximum atmosphere — the rooms Price passes through during repossessions gradually change, warp, and fill with symbols of guilt, so the game works more like a psychological walk through the ruin of one's own conscience than a classic puzzle series.

On mobile, it's controlled simply by tapping and dragging a finger across the screen, which only benefits the short format — the game can be completed in one sitting, and touch controls never get in the way, since the game requires neither precise aiming nor quick reflexes. The sound design and dark color palette do more of the work than the game mechanics themselves, and it's precisely this atmosphere full of heaviness and claustrophobia that's the reason the title found fans well beyond the mobile game genre's borders.

A sequel, DISTRAINT 2, was also released, expanding the story and turning Price into an experienced, more hardened collector. The way the game is made available has changed over time between a paid and a discounted version, so before reaching for payment, it's worth checking the current store listing — but it's a short, self-contained experience with no ads and no need for further payments during play.

Why play it: Worth it for players who want to experience a short, atmospheric horror with a moral undertone on their phone, one that can be finished in a single sitting without watching any ads.