Silent Hill (サイレントヒル, Sairento Hiru) is a Japanese horror series of survival horror video games created by Team Silent and published by Konami. The series is set in Silent Hill, a fictional town in the U.S. state of Maine, where supernatural events, mysterious practices, and dreams take physical form. These often appear as terrifying environments and creatures that follow the main characters. The series focuses on psychological horror, with characters who are ordinary people. The franchise includes books, three movies, and other related games.

The first four main games (Silent Hill, Silent Hill 2, Silent Hill 3, and Silent Hill 4: The Room) were made by Team Silent, a group inside Konami, from 1999 to 2004. These games received high praise from critics. The next three main games (Origins, Homecoming, and Downpour) were created by Western companies from 2007 to 2012 but received less positive feedback. Konami brought the series back to life in 2022 with new games, including The Short Message, a new version of Silent Hill 2, Silent Hill f, the planned game Townfall, and a new version of the first game.

As of December 2025, the games have sold more than 14 million copies worldwide.

Overview

The first game in the series follows Harry Mason as he looks for his missing adopted daughter in the mysterious town of Silent Hill in Maine. He finds a group performing a ritual to bring back a god they worship and learns the truth about his daughter's background. The game has several endings based on the player's choices. It was released in 1999 for the PlayStation. In 2009, it became available for download on the European PlayStation Network for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable, and later that year on the North American PlayStation Network.

The second game follows James Sunderland as he searches for his dead wife, Mary, in Silent Hill after receiving a letter from her that says she is waiting for him there. After exploring the town, he learns the real reason for her death. The game was released in September 2001 for the PlayStation 2. An extended version was released for the Xbox in December 2001 as Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams in North America and Silent Hill 2: Inner Fears in Europe. It was also released for the PlayStation 2 in 2003 as Silent Hill 2: Director's Cut, with a version for Microsoft Windows in February 2003.

The third game follows a teenage girl named Heather as she gets involved in a conflict with a cult in Silent Hill and discovers her true origins. It was released in May 2003 for the PlayStation 2, with a version for Microsoft Windows in October 2003. This game is a direct follow-up to the first game in the series.

The fourth game follows Henry Townshend, who becomes trapped in his apartment as strange events begin to happen around him and other residents. It was released in 2004 for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Microsoft Windows. This game marked the end of Team Silent's work on the series.

The fifth game is a prequel to the first game and follows Travis Grady, a truck driver who becomes trapped in Silent Hill after saving a girl from a burning house. As he searches for the girl, he meets characters from the first game and confronts his past. It was developed by Climax Studios and released in 2007 for the PlayStation Portable, with a version for the PlayStation 2 in 2008. This was the first Silent Hill game made outside Japan. It is called Silent Hill Zero in Japan.

The sixth game follows Alex Shepherd, a soldier returning from overseas. He finds his father missing, his mother in a catatonic state, and no one knows where his younger brother is. The game shows Alex's search for his missing brother. It was developed by Double Helix Games and released in 2008 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and in 2009 for Microsoft Windows.

The seventh game follows Murphy Pendleton, a prisoner stranded in Silent Hill after his transport vehicle crashes. It was announced in April 2010, developed by Vatra Games, and released in 2012 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. This is the only Silent Hill game playable in stereoscopic 3D.

Shattered Memories is a reimagining of the first game, developed by Climax Studios for the Wii and released in December 2009. It also had versions for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable in January 2010. The game keeps the original premise of Harry Mason searching for his daughter but changes the setting, plot, and some characters.

Gameplay in Shattered Memories has two parts: a first-person therapy session with an unseen patient and a view from behind Harry as he explores Silent Hill. The game is interrupted by environmental changes where Harry is chased by monsters.

The game focuses on completing psychological tests that change the first setting and on exploring, solving puzzles, and avoiding monsters in the second setting. Combat was not included in the second setting to increase fear. The game received positive reviews for its graphics, story, and soundtrack but had mixed feedback about its chase sequences.

A remake of Silent Hill 2 was announced in October 2022 for the PlayStation 5 and PC, developed by Bloober Team. Akira Yamaoka, the original composer, returned for this game and future entries. The remake was released in October 2024.

A remake of the first Silent Hill game was announced in June 2025, also developed by Bloober Team after the success of the Silent Hill 2 remake.

Play Novel: Silent Hill is a visual novel version of the original game, released exclusively for the Game Boy Advance in Japan in 2001. It has been translated into English by fans.

Silent Hill (mobile game) is a mobile version of the original game. It was released in Japan for the FOMA phone in 2006 and for Java ME in 2007.

The Silent Hill Collection is a re-release of the first four main games on the PlayStation 2. The European version includes Silent Hill 2, Silent Hill 3, and Silent Hill 4: The Room, while the Japanese version also includes the first Silent Hill.

Silent Hill HD Collection is a high-definition re-release of Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill 3 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It features improved visuals, new sounds, and voice tracks. Silent Hill 2 includes both original and new voices, but Silent Hill 3 only has new voices due to legal issues. Silent Hill 2 also includes the main story and the Born from a Wish sub-story. This collection was the first time Silent Hill 3 was playable on an Xbox. It received mixed to negative reviews due to technical problems like framerate issues and lockups. The PlayStation 3 version was fixed, but the Xbox 360 version was not, and refunds were offered to Xbox owners.

Silent Hill: The Arcade is an arcade game featuring two characters, Eric and Tina, who battle monsters in Silent Hill while uncovering the mystery behind Eric's nightmares. It has a multiplayer mode where players can choose to be Eric or Tina.

Silent Hill: Orphan is a mobile game set in an abandoned orphanage with first-person, point-and-click gameplay.

Silent Hill: The Escape is a mobile game released in Japan for the FOMA phone in 2007 and internationally for iOS in 2009. The goal is to find a key and open a locked door through ten stages. It is played from a first-person perspective and received mixed reviews due to its weak story and poor execution.

Silent Hill: Orphan 2 is a mobile game and a sequel to Silent Hill: Orphan.

Silent Hill: Orphan 3 is a mobile game and a sequel to Silent Hill: Orphan 2.

Recurring elements

The games in the Silent Hill series use symbols to represent ideas, facts, and the feelings of the characters. These symbols can be seen in images, sounds, objects, creatures, or situations.

Most Silent Hill games take place in the fictional American town of Silent Hill. The town was inspired by small towns in America, as shown in movies, books, and other media from different countries. Some parts of the town’s design resemble a Japanese village, but real places in the United States also influenced it. Cushing, Maine, is the hometown of Stephen King, whose stories Carrie, The Mist, and 1408 helped shape the game’s ideas. Snoqualmie, Washington, was used as a filming location for the TV show Twin Peaks, and the first four Silent Hill games include many references to that show.

In the movie versions of Silent Hill, the town was moved to West Virginia and based on Centralia, Pennsylvania, a real town abandoned because of a coal mine fire. In Shattered Memories, Silent Hill is shown as a snowy town during a blizzard. In The Room, the story happens in a fictional city called South Ashfield, near Silent Hill.

The games often show a dark version of reality called the "Otherworld." In this place, normal rules do not apply, and characters see things that represent their fears, thoughts, or emotions. These strange things appear because of a harmful force that once helped people but was later corrupted.

A common part of the Silent Hill stories is a group called The Order, a religious cult. Members of The Order act as villains in many games, such as Dahlia in the first game and Claudia in the third. The Order runs a place called the "Wish House," which is an orphanage for poor children, managed by a charity called the Silent Hill Smile Support Society.

The Order’s religion centers on worshiping a god named Samael in one game or simply called "God" in others. Their beliefs are based on a story about a god who tried to create paradise but failed because he ran out of power. The cult believes the god will one day return and finish creating paradise. To help this happen, the Order does bad things like sacrificing people, selling illegal drugs, and kidnapping children to train them. The games also include religious items with magical powers.

Two main themes appear in most Silent Hill games: the main character is usually an ordinary person (except in Homecoming, where the hero is a soldier), and the character’s journey is either searching for a missing loved one or being drawn to Silent Hill by a spiritual force.

Each game has multiple endings, and which one happens depends on the player’s choices. Most games include a joke ending where the hero sees flying saucers, but Downpour and Book of Memories use characters from earlier games for their joke endings. The Room has no joke ending.

The games are mostly played from a third-person view, with some scenes using fixed camera angles. The environment is often dark and foggy, making it hard to see. Most characters have a flashlight and a device that warns them of nearby enemies, such as a radio, walkie-talkie, or camera phone.

Except for Shattered Memories, which has no combat, players can use weapons or guns to fight enemies. Some games, like Origins and Downpour, include hand-to-hand fighting. After Shattered Memories, the games focus more on avoiding enemies than fighting them. Solving puzzles is also a key part of the games, as it helps players find items needed to progress.

Development

The development of the Silent Hill series began in September 1996 with the first game, Silent Hill. The game was created by Team Silent, a group of employees at Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo. Konami, the parent company, wanted to make a game that would be popular in the United States. To achieve this, they suggested creating a game with a style similar to Hollywood movies. Even though Konami focused on making money, the developers of Silent Hill had a lot of creative freedom because the game was made during a time when most games were low-budget and in 2D. The team decided to focus on making a game that would emotionally affect players instead of following Konami’s original plans.

The story for the first game was written by director Keiichiro Toyama. The story for Silent Hill 2 was created by CGI director Takayoshi Sato, who based it on the novel Crime and Punishment. Other team members helped develop the actual story for the game. Hiroyuki Owaku and Sato were the main writers for the game.

The first game, Silent Hill, used real-time 3D environments. To reduce the limits of the hardware, developers used a lot of fog and darkness to hide details in the graphics.

Sato estimated the budget for the first game to be $3–5 million and for Silent Hill 2 to be $7–10 million. He said the team wanted to create a masterpiece rather than a game focused only on selling copies. They aimed to make a story that would last a long time, like good books.

The games were inspired by movies such as Jacob’s Ladder, Phantoms, Twin Peaks, Hellraiser, Stephen King’s The Mist, The Lost World, and the art of Francis Bacon. These influences helped create a style that uses psychological fear to scare players. Films and shows by David Lynch also inspired the team, especially during the making of Silent Hill 2.

Japanese horror traditions, including classical Noh theatre and stories by writer Edogawa Rampo, also influenced the games. The town of Silent Hill is a small American village imagined by the creative team. It was inspired by Western literature, films, and depictions of American towns in European and Russian culture. The version of the town in the film adaptations of the first and third games is loosely based on the town of Centralia in Pennsylvania.

The religion of the Order in the games combines elements from Christianity, Aztec rituals, Shinto shrines, and Japanese folklore. The names of the gods in the Order’s religion were created by Hiroyuki Owaku, but they include Aztec and Mayan influences. Some religious items in the series were created by the team, while others were based on real religions. The substance called Aglaophotis, which appears in Silent Hill and Silent Hill 3, is based on a similar herb in the Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism). The name of the talisman called the "Seal of Metatron" refers to the angel Metatron.

The games use many sound effects, including ambient sounds and moments of silence. These effects are designed to make players feel emotions like urgency, discomfort, or psychological unease. Akira Yamaoka, the former sound director, said that atmosphere is a key part of the series. Without it, the games would not have been possible. The games also include music composed by Yamaoka.

The music ranges from industrial to trip hop to rock. Some tracks include vocals by voice actress Mary Elizabeth McGlynn. The music for Silent Hill 3 and Silent Hill 4 also includes contributions from musician and voice actor Joe Romersa. The game Downpour and the Book of Memories feature music composed by Daniel Licht. Downpour includes industrial music with vocals by McGlynn and Jonathan Davis of the band Korn.

Reception and legacy

The Silent Hill video game series has generally received positive reviews. Critics have praised the games for their graphics, atmosphere, and storytelling. The first three games in the series were highly praised, while the fourth game received mostly positive feedback. Later games in the series were not as well received by critics.

The first game in the series, Silent Hill, was well received by critics when it was released. It was also commercially successful. This game is considered an important title in the survival horror genre. It moved away from the style of horror seen in B movies and instead focused on creating a psychological style of horror that emphasizes mood and atmosphere.

Silent Hill 2 received high praise from critics. It was named the 14th-best game on the PlayStation 2 by IGN. IGN said the game kept the sense of fear from the first game but improved the graphics and sound, making the story more engaging and frightening. Many critics consider Silent Hill 2 one of the best horror games ever made. It appears on several "best games ever" lists.

Critics especially praised Silent Hill 2 for its dark and thoughtful story, its handling of serious topics like mental illness and domestic abuse, its sound design and music, and its scary and atmospheric tone. The game’s tense gameplay, graphics, and monster designs, which have symbolic meanings, also contributed to its success. Many consider Silent Hill 2 the best game in the series and a masterpiece of the horror genre.

Silent Hill 3 was well received by critics. It was praised for its visuals, environments, and sound, as well as its continuation of the horror themes from earlier games. The game’s story was also praised for continuing the narrative from the first game.

Compared to the first three games, Silent Hill 4: The Room received mostly positive reviews, but not as much praise as earlier games. Some critics disliked the increased focus on combat, which made the horror elements less prominent. However, the game was praised for its atmosphere, sound design, graphics, and story. Changes to the series’ usual style received mixed reactions. Some critics, like 1UP.com, said the game took steps backward, while others, like GameSpot, praised its atmosphere.

Origins received positive reviews despite some criticism. It was praised for returning to the original gameplay style, which IGN said honored the series as a whole. However, some critics noted that the series had become predictable, with GameSpot saying the game needed new ideas.

Homecoming received mixed reviews. It was praised for its graphics and sound, but the horror elements and gameplay received mixed opinions. Some critics, like GameSpot, said the game lost the psychological horror that made the series famous. Others, like IGN, called the game disappointing.

Shattered Memories received more positive reviews. GameSpot praised the game for reimagining the story of the first game instead of simply remaking it.

Downpour received mixed reviews. Some critics praised its soundtrack and story, but the game was criticized for slow combat and technical issues like occasional freezes.

The HD Collection also received mixed reviews. Critics pointed out technical problems in both games and criticized changes to the art style. Book of Memories was the least well-received game in the series, with most criticism focused on its shift away from horror as a genre.

The Duffer Brothers, creators of the 2016 TV show Stranger Things, said Silent Hill influenced their work. They mentioned that Silent Hill inspired the show’s concept of the Upside Down, a parallel dimension in the series.

Other media

The Silent Hill franchise has print media that includes comic book adaptations. It also includes books titled Silent Hill, Silent Hill 2, and Silent Hill 3, written by Sadamu Yamashita. These books are based on the video games of the same names. Other print materials include the guidebook Lost Memories and the art book Drawing Block: Silent Hill 3 Program.

Spin-off video games from the series include an arcade game called Silent Hill: The Arcade and mobile games titled Silent Hill: Orphan and Silent Hill: The Escape.

Konami, the company behind the franchise, released Silent Hill-themed pachinko machines. One was released in 2015, and two more, named Silent Hill: Return and Silent Hill: Escape, were released in 2019.

Downloadable content for the video games Dead by Daylight and Dark Deception: Monsters & Mortals was released in June 2020 and March 2021, respectively.

A film version of the first Silent Hill game was released in 2006. It was directed by Christophe Gans, a French filmmaker who is a fan of the game series.

A second film, Silent Hill: Revelation, was written and directed by M. J. Bassett. It is based on Silent Hill 3 and was released in 2012.

A third film, Return to Silent Hill, was directed and co-written by Gans. It is based on Silent Hill 2 and served as a reboot of the film series. It was released in January 2026.

Silent Hill: Ascension is a television series created by Genvid Technologies, Bad Robot Games, and Behaviour Interactive. It is a "Choose Your Own Adventure"-style series, where viewers can vote on the story’s direction after each episode. This lets viewers influence how the story develops. The series began on October 31, 2023, and aired daily at 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PT for several months. The final episode aired on April 24, 2024. The series won an Emmy for Outstanding Innovation in Emerging Media Programming in 2024.

In popular culture

• The band Axis of Perdition, a heavy metal music group, released an EP called Physical Illucinations in the Sewer of Xuchilbara (The Red God) in 2004. The EP is named after a character from the Silent Hill video game series. It also mentions that the music was recorded "in the confines of Toluca Prison," a place from the game Silent Hill 2. The EP's songs and titles reference the Silent Hill series and include music and voice samples, including those of Claudia Wolf, a main character in Silent Hill 3.

• Dementium: The Ward, a survival horror game for the Nintendo DS, was first proposed as a game in the Silent Hill series but was not accepted by Konami, the company that created Silent Hill. A similar game, Dementium II, also for the Nintendo DS, was also suggested as a Silent Hill game but was rejected by Konami.

• In the Netflix TV series Stranger Things (2016), a location called "The Upside Down" is inspired by the "Otherworld," a setting from the Silent Hill games.

• Tetsuya Yamagami, the person responsible for the assassination of Shinzo Abe, used a Twitter username called "silent hill 333" before the attack. This username was connected to the Silent Hill video game series.