Silent Hill f is shaping up to be one of the series' most exciting and pivotal releases. While Bloober Team shocked the games industry last year with its surprisingly fantastic remake of Silent Hill 2, that game is still a new rendition of a much-beloved classic—it didn't need to conjure up its own novel, impactful narrative or broader structural elements. Silent Hill f doesn't have this same advantage, as it's a wholly new idea within the Silent Hill oeuvre.
This is part of what makes it so exciting. Yes, the Silent Hill 2 remake was great, but it was essentially an alternate version of an already-released story; Silent Hill f is uncharted waters, for both Konami and gaming audiences. It's no mere copy of previous Silent Hill titles, either, as it's set in Japan, long before the events of the first Silent Hill game, complicating the lore significantly while offering a fresh perspective on the series' long-standing narrative and tonal trends. In other words, Silent Hill f is a breath of fresh air, and if it's executed well, it could be just what the series needs to get back on track. Luckily, for those seeking a warm-up before the game's release, there are plenty of games that could serve such a purpose.
Silent Hill f's Hinako Can't Be Another James Sunderland After SH2 Remake
It may be widely praised as the best in the series, but Konami has hopefully ignored Silent Hill 2 when developing Silent Hill f.
Best Games to Play While Waiting for Silent Hill f
The following list will omit fairly obvious suggestions, such as older Silent Hill games and the Resident Evil franchise.
- Amnesia: The Dark Descent
- Corpse Party
- Doki Doki Literature Club
- Fatal Frame 2
- Ghostwire Tokyo
- Higurashi: When They Cry
- Kuon
- Mouthwashing
- Omori
- Oxenfree
- Signalis
- Siren
Based on the information currently available about Silent Hill f, it looks to be leaning into the same psychological horror that made the series so unique in the first place, leveraging themes like guilt and trauma for a more impactful narrative. Thus, many of the best games to play while waiting for Silent Hill f to release focus on similarly intimate subject matter, with complex characters at their center. Games like Omori, Signalis, and Mouthwashing fit the bill in this respect, as they are designed around well-written predefined characters, their stories centered on their psyches. The horror of these games comes from the hearts and souls of their protagonists and tertiary characters, more so than from shock value or momentary scares.
Naturally, one of the most widely publicized elements of Silent Hill f is its Japanese setting, so psychological horror games set in Japan could constitute an appropriate amuse-bouche. It should go without saying that the Higurashi: When They Cry franchise, which was created by Silent Hill f lead writer Ryukishi07, is a great choice for anyone looking to get familiar with Japanese horror games, especially those that hone in on the psychological. Ghostwire Tokyo, Siren, Corpse Party, and Fatal Frame are also strong picks for a Silent Hill f waiting playlist, as these follow Japanese protagonists and Japanese themes, both implicit and explicit. While not from a Japanese team, Doki Doki Literature Club is clearly anime-inspired, with more than a few direct references to Japanese culture. Like the aforementioned games, it is highly psychologically disturbing.
It's worth noting that Fatal Frame, Corpse Party, Doki Doki Literature Club, and some parts of Siren follow teenage protagonists, just like Silent Hill f.
Ryukishi07 has a penchant for writing surprising twists, so it's a fool's errand to try and predict the particulars of Silent Hill f's story. That said, there are some clear indications that it will be a deeply unsettling, intimate horror experience, taking players on a winding journey through the unknown. Going off this broad-strokes description, the above games are certainly among some of the better options for those looking to prepare for Konami's next major Silent Hill venture.
Silent Hill f
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 86 /100 Critics Rec: 87%
- Released
- September 25, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity
- Developer(s)
- Neobards Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Konami
WHERE TO PLAY
In 1960s Japan, Shimizu Hinako's secluded town of Ebisugaoka is consumed by a sudden fog, transforming her home into a haunting nightmare.
As the town falls silent and the fog thickens, Hinako must navigate the twisted paths of Ebisugaoka, solving complex puzzles and confronting grotesque monsters to survive.
Immerse yourself into Hinako's world imagined by renowned author Ryukishi07, with entrancing music, including pieces by Akira Yamaoka, and beautiful visuals in a gripping tale of doubt, regret, and inescapable choices. Will Hinako embrace the beauty hidden within terror, or succumb to the madness that lies ahead?
Discover a new chapter in the SILENT HILL series, blending psychological horror with a haunting Japanese setting.
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Franchise
- Silent Hill
- Number of Players
- Single-player
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Playable
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror, Action
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
