Whether they cover dark themes, have surrealistic atmospheres, or feel like you’re trudging through quicksand, there are few games that capture what makes Silent Hill 2 so special. Stories of love, loss, hope, and identity are frequently covered in the world of horror, but not many manage to achieve the same hopelessness that Silent Hill continuously delivers. The claustrophobic atmosphere is one thing, but having layers of complexity hidden underneath the surface of symbolism is what makes the love story of Silent Hill 2 a masterpiece.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Most cannot match what Team Silent consistently delivered, but there are a handful that either capture the psychological elements of the powerhouse franchise or the dread-filled atmosphere through either the scenery, sound design, or art direction. Although some recommendations have a stronger link to Silent Hill than others, these are the games you should play if you love Konami’s flagship horror series.
12) Graveyard Shift
You clock into your Graveyard Shift and it doesn’t take long for the hauntings to begin. Although this is a supernatural horror game, the setting is reminiscent of Silent Hill for its cold air and continuous mist. It’s abstract at times, blending the paranormal with the psychological. More on the jumpscare side, this short horror is more obvious about its attempts to scare you, but its enemy variety and slow descent into madness gives this game excellent pacing that never overstays its welcome.
11) Paratopic
Paratopic is a surreal short horror adventure that’s as strange as the iconic diner scene in Mulholland Drive. Nothing makes much sense, but its peculiar visuals and narrative is perfectly captured in its PS1-style aesthetics. The jagged pixels, musty tones, and link to analog horror make this memorable for its visuals alone. Although it falls short in having a coherent narrative, there is mystery and intrigue there for the bizarreness that unfolds on screen.
10) The Glass Staircase
The furthest point from Silent Hill on this list is Puppet Combo’s The Glass Staircase for its incredibly challenging setting and signature style that makes it a completely separate entity from the longstanding horror series. However, this horror game is mystifying. There’s something cosmic about this entry, like you don’t have much control in what’s going on. Every moment feels like it could be your last, and even when death swiftly takes you, a new orphan steps in for you to risk escape again. There’s decent exploration that strengthens its unsettling atmosphere, topped off by intense boss fights and blood-curdling chase sequences.
9) Letter to a Friend – Farewell
Letter to a Friend is a 30-minute-long black-and-white horror game focused on delivering a chilling ambience that feels as though you’re being watched and followed throughout. The air is heavy, with minimal sound design that makes the entire setting feel off. Its unique art direction is reminiscent of old pictures, although it’s jarring for its high contrast lighting and flickering visual effects. It’s eerie for its silence, having a palpable atmosphere that’s full of dread—reminiscent of your time spent in Silent Hill.
8) Post Trauma
Perhaps the closest to ever capture that legendary Silent Hill feeling you get while playing, Post Trauma manages to create an immersive atmosphere, with decent puzzles and survival horror gameplay. There is mystery, that feeling of being watched, and a narrative that grows more complex the further you explore. Where it falls short is its pacing and minuscule length for what’s a relatively dark story that should have been explored further. It’s rather abrupt instead, making it weaker compared to other entries on this list, even though it looks amazing.
7) Hollowbody
Hollowbody plays like a love letter to Silent Hill, keeping its retro fixed-camera angle aesthetic, with survival horror exploration to match it. It has that much-needed intrigue to keep playing, for a mysterious voice on the end of the telephone is beckoning you towards it, but at what cost? You want to see the dreaded climax, even if it means putting yourself at risk. This game trips up at its surface-level survival horror elements and puzzles, but has a compact narrative that is fantastic from start to finish.
6) The Windows Are Gone
You move into a new house, but something’s not quite right. After spending a mere few days moving in, you quickly realize The Windows Are Gone. This first-person PS1-style horror game has an unsettling concept that brilliantly showcases the declining sanity as your bubble-like world around you is about to pop. It captures the psychological by doing so little, as your quaint home loses its charm the more time you spend in it.
5) MASKED DEVOURER
You enter an abandoned fog-covered town, only to find there’s something inhuman still wandering within it. MASKED DEVOURER is quintessential survival horror that throws it back to the classics. With exploration, puzzles, inventory management, hiding spots, and the persistent chase of a hostile entity, this short horror is both engaging and challenging. Thankfully, this entry doesn’t take too long to finish, for any longer and its gameplay would quickly tire itself out. Its inspiration is obvious as the ending references the most memorable line in Silent Hill history.
4) Lost in Vivo
Searching for your dog in Lost in Vivo is a surrealistic nightmare which forces you into a claustrophobically small FOV with elements taken from Condemned, Cry of Fear, and Silent Hill 2. Visually unnerving, the horrors in the subway station switch up from everyday scares to the more disturbed, with abstract links to disorders and madness. The level design, backtracking, and survival elements with an inventory system are near perfection. There’s so much to explore and it only gets weirder the further you go—you may just forget what you came here for.
3) We Harvest Shadows
A glimpse into the human psyche, We Harvest Shadows is an upcoming horror game that sees the beauty in coming to terms with loss. A unique take on an otherwise cozy farming sim, night brings your demons to the forefront. The sole painting in your house shows a glimpse into your ongoing troubles, where distracting yourself with tomato-picking and wood-chopping isn’t going to fix everything overnight. There’s comfort in being isolated, but you can only endure solitude for so long.
2) SIGNALIS
Questions of the world and your identity are frequently visited in SIGNALIS, where the dystopian land you wander across is full of people who look just like you—lost, broken, or already dead. Puzzles and intricate level design keep you invested, where curiosity pulls you into the very depths of what can only be described as the futuristic Otherworld. Multiple playthroughs are necessary to make sense of your surroundings, but being lost is part of what makes this survival horror so profound.
1) Funeralopolis
While Funeralopolis has a storyline and setting similar to Silent Hill 4: The Room, this one-hour experience has impressive worldbuilding that has never left me. The feeling of confinement, curiosity, and mystery is prevalent. It is an unforgettable horror that I sincerely hope I’ll get to see more of. Realities are blurring into one and there’s something happening outside which the authorities aren’t telling us about. This gripping tale is cosmic surrealism, brilliantly captured on a single floor of an apartment complex.
Most Viewed
-
Image courtesy of Warner -
Image Courtesy of Atlas Distribution
