Comparison

Sanitarium vs Ghost In The Mirror

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Sanitarium

Embark on a dark adventure as an amnesiac in a creepy asylum. Solve puzzles, uncover a complex plot, and escape this morbid universe. This enhanced mobile version offers new features for an immersive point-and-click horror experience.

Highlights
  • Amnesiac protagonist
  • Morbid and creepy universe
  • Puzzle solving
  • Complex plot
  • Touch and pad controls
  • New inventory system
  • Achievements
Features
Read full description

In Sanitarium you play an amnesiac thrust into a morbid, really creepy universe. After a car accident you wake up to find that instead of lying in a hospital, you’re in an asylum with your head wrapped in bandages. Who the hell am I? What am I doing here? How do I escape? There endless questions eating away at you, and so too are the many puzzles you’ll need to resolve throughout this immersive, captivating adventure. Featuring a rich, complex plot set in an intense world where a very thin line separates reason from madness, Sanitarium is a masterwork suitable for point-and-click beginners, experts and everyone who enjoys captivating storylines and horror games. This version has not only been authentically recreated for mobile, but also enhanced with brand-new features: • Choose between touch mode and pad mode • A new easy-to-use interface specially adapted for touch devices • Automatic save system • Dynamic ON/OFF hint system • New inventory system • 20 Achievements to unlock • Choose between full screen mode & original mode • 3 languages available: English, French, German (voices and text) Originally released in 1998 for PC and Adventure Game of the Year Winner, this timeless point-and-click horror game is a must-have for adventure game fans. Discover or rediscover one of the scariest games of all time with this mobile version you can play anywhere! MORE ABOUT DOTEMU facebook.com/dotemu twitter.com/dotemu youtube.com/dotemu

About

Ghost In The Mirror

Embark on an episodic graphic adventure filled with humor, puzzles, and mystery. Guide characters through richly detailed 2D worlds, solve intricate puzzles, and make choices that shape the narrative. This game blends classic point-and-click elements with modern storytelling and a unique meta-narrative.

Highlights
  • Episodic graphic adventures
  • Storytelling and puzzles
  • Wild humor and fourth-wall breaks
  • 2D pixel-art exploration
  • Point-and-click gameplay
  • Choice-driven narrative
  • Original soundtrack and achievements
Currently charting
Read full description

Ghost In The Mirror: Episode 1 - Here Be Dragons Do you believe in ghosts? Are you ready to be scared?! ... Well, then I think you've got the wrong game. Seriously, I started off with the darkest intentions, wanting to create a horror game, but the urge to laugh took over. Sure, it's an adventurous game with mysterious elements... However, with constant fourth-wall breaks, irony, jokes, and vulgarity, you tend to forget about ghosts! Let me introduce myself, I'm Sui! I'm Italian, and I'm a solo indie developer. I've dedicated myself so much to this project that I've ended up inside it in flesh and pixels. Sitting behind my desk, I will narrate the events and guide you by the hand through this journey... ...A journey that will keep you glued to the screen from the first to the last episode. Yes, you heard right, EPISODES! Ghost In The Mirror is an anthology of graphic adventures. A series of ghost stories characterized by a lot of storytelling, puzzles, and wild humor. A collection of modern adventure games that still capture the spirit of the '90s games. This is "Here Be Dragons", the first episode of the saga. In this adventure I'll take you to the 18th century, and together we'll experience the adventures of Roger, a morally dubious boy on the run from the law. A journey that starts in a fishing village, with light puzzles and comedic moments, but will take us adrift at sea, surrounded by mystery, ghosts, and... ...Well, I don't like to reveal too much about the plot, so that's enough! But I can tell you what characterizes this and all the other episodes of Ghost In The Mirror: You'll guide characters from different eras through a 2D world with an unprecedented depth. You'll explore evocative pixel-art scenarios and handcrafted animations, immersing yourself in gripping stories, all connected by the eerie thread that unites the worlds of the living and the dead. You'll solve intricate puzzles and meta-puzzles like in a classic point-and-click game. You'll visit places rich in interactive elements and talk to the quirky characters that populate them. You'll collect items necessary to progress in the game, which, if used creatively, might reveal the programmer's sheer foolishness. Your choices will determine the outcome of the adventures, offering a personalized and replayable gaming experience. Prepare to be carried away by an original and thrilling soundtrack that will plunge you into the game's atmosphere. Unlock your potential through a series of exciting achievements, revealing your skill and dedication. Get Ghost In The Mirror and let yourself be captivated by an epic adventure! Specters, spirits, ghosts, poltergeists, ectoplasms... Throughout history, we've come up with many names for them, and countless people swear they've seen one. Do you believe in ghosts? Here's what we'll do: you'll answer me directly in the game. Have fun, and happy nightmares! Play comfortably using touchscreen, keyboard, mouse, or controller, tailoring the gaming experience to your personal preferences Please note that this game contains only the first episode, "Here Be Dragons", of "Ghost in the Mirror" saga. The other episodes are sold separately.

Screenshots

Sanitarium4 screens
Ghost In The Mirror4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Ghost In The Mirror at every 6 months against Sanitarium's every 73 months. Ghost In The Mirror also leads on review sentiment (96% vs 70%) and rating (4.5 vs 4.2). Sanitarium's advantage is ratings volume (131 vs 16) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 11.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Sanitarium costs $3.99 and Ghost In The Mirror $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Ghost In The Mirror holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sanitarium has 131 ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of Sanitarium's written reviews are positive against 96% of Ghost In The Mirror's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sanitarium ships an update every 73 months, Ghost In The Mirror every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Sanitarium versus Ghost In The Mirror: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSanitariumGhost In The Mirror
Price$3.99$3.99
Rating4.2 (131 ratings)4.5 (16 ratings) — better
Positive reviews70.5% of reviews96.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings131 — better16
Update frequencyEvery 73 monthsEvery 6 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank—#198 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better11.0
Further details — not scored
Size887 MB70 MB
Age rating9+9+
DeveloperDotEmuStefano Mazzotta

Customer experience

Sanitarium

All ratings131 ratings
Positive80.9%
Neutral5.3%
Negative13.7%
Written reviews166 reviews
Positive70.5%
Neutral9.6%
Negative19.9%

Ghost In The Mirror

All ratings15 ratings
Positive86.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative13.3%
Written reviews28 reviews
Positive96.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative3.6%

Bugs and requests

Sanitarium

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Game freezes or crashes in certain levels
  • Dialogue skipping and desynchronization issues
  • Unresponsive interactions and missing prompts

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add Russian language support
  • Improve touch controls and UI for mobile
  • Provide more instructions and tutorials

Ghost In The Mirror

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Sanitarium

No in-app purchases

None

Ghost In The Mirror

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Sanitarium free?
Sanitarium costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ghost In The Mirror free?
Ghost In The Mirror costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Sanitarium or Ghost In The Mirror?
Ghost In The Mirror is rated higher. Sanitarium averages 4.2 out of 5 from 131 ratings, while Ghost In The Mirror averages 4.5 from 16 ratings.
Do Sanitarium or Ghost In The Mirror have ads?
Neither Sanitarium nor Ghost In The Mirror shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sanitarium or Ghost In The Mirror?
Sanitarium ships an update every 73 months, and Ghost In The Mirror every 6 months. Most recently, Sanitarium was updated on November 6, 2026 and Ghost In The Mirror on November 7, 2026.

Other comparisons