It’s no overstatement to say that the state of the Silent Hill franchise right now is a miracle to its fans. Just a few years ago, Pyramid Head himself wouldn’t have been able to convince me that Konami’s storied horror franchise would be back on top of the world. Bloober Team’s surprisingly excellent Silent Hill 2 Remake brought the series back from its pachinko machine-sealed fate back in 2023, and based on early reviews Silent Hill f from NeoBards Entertainment promises to be even better.
Whether you’re waiting for a sale on Silent Hill f or have already finished it, the following are ten excellent indie horror games that you’ll love if you’re a fan of the franchise, including a few I promise you haven’t heard of before.
If You Like the Survival Horror Aspects of Silent Hill
Sorry, We’re Closed
Tired of all the greys and browns in horror games? Sorry, We’re Closed is a psychedelic survival horror game from à la mode games and publisher Akupara Games that throws a young woman in London into a dark, demon-infested world that lays over our own. Convenience store clerk Michelle is hunted by demons in her dreams as she struggles to get over her ex-girlfriend, solving puzzles and fighting bosses as she unravels the truth of London’s demon underworld. With a healthy mix of horror, combat, puzzles, and gear management, Sorry We’re Closed brings you Silent Hill with a more colorful pallet and a splash of LGBTQ+ relationship introspection.
Signalis
The critically acclaimed Signalis is probably the most obvious indie game that meets both the vibes and quality of Silent Hill, but that doesn’t mean we should skip over it! You’ll take control of an android that crash lands on a remote unknown planet and must brave a frozen, forgotten world to find a way to escape. While mostly a top-down shooter, Signalis is also heavy on puzzles and resource management. In his 8/10 review, Nairon writes “It’s clear that the people behind Signalis understand what makes the classic survival horror experience work. With its stunning presentation, unique story, and an atmosphere that draws you in from the get-go. It manages to carve out its own little space in the canon of the survival horror genre that can keep up with the classics.”
Signalis is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
If You Like the Environmental Puzzles of Silent Hill
Crow Country
Silent Hill is famous for its 3D environmental puzzles that can sometimes span across large areas, often requiring the player to work through a series of smaller puzzles to crack a big, juicy one. Crow Country hearkens back to the early Silent Hill games with its decidedly retro style, showcasing an atmospheric 3D world from an isometric perspective. Special Agent Mara Forest heads to Crow Country, an abandoned theme park in my town of Atlanta, Georgia, to investigate a series of disappearances. There’s a little shooting here and there, but the grotesque enemies in this survival horror game are there primarily to stop you from solving puzzles. That also didn’t stop them from freaking me out so much I had to sleep cuddled up with my cat to keep the Long-Leg-Man away. I heartily recommend this game to any fans of 90s horror, or just lovers of great puzzle design.
Crow Country is available on PC, PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.
Heartworm
You like retro? I hope so, cause we got a lot more coming. This brand new solo-developed survival horror game puts the player in control of Sam, a young woman with PTSD who is desperately seeking a way to contact the dead. After finding information online about a house in the mountains that bridges the gap to the world of the dead, she sets out to discover what secrets the manor holds. In our 8/10 review, Jess writes “While Heartworm isn’t very challenging in its survival horror, its creative and well-designed puzzle elements still present a fun gameplay experience. It wears its inspiration of 1990s survival horror classics on its sleeve, while also making its own footprint in gorgeous, colourful visuals and lonely atmosphere.”
Heartworm is available on PC, Linux, and MacOS.
If You Like the Mind-Bending Narratives of Silent Hill
Higurashi: When They Cry Hou
If you’re into anime at all, it’s pretty likely you’ve at least heard of the show Higurashi no Nako Koro ni. That popular horror anime was actually based on this visual novel, which follows a 15 year old boy as he moves into the quiet rural town of Hinamizawa in 1983. Each chapter is divided into a Question Arc and Answer Arc, in which the player experiences a scenario where the demon Oyashiro interferes with the perception of events and then reveals what actually happened. It’s pretty twisty the whole way through, and there are some arcs that are so haunting they stay with you forever (fingernails!). Just like Silent Hill, Higuarshi constantly has the player asking what is real and what is fiction. If you are not a visual novel kind of person, I still highly recommend you watch the acclaimed anime adaptation! It’s one of my all time favorites.
Higurashi has had a very complicated release history. You’re looking for Higurashi When They Cry Hou on PC, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4 to get the remastered version with all the chapters and full voice acting.
Corpse Party
And now, a different Japanese horror game with an even more complicated release history! Corpse Party has a reputation as one of the best games originally developed on RPG Maker software, originally dropping in 1998 for the PC-9801. Thankfully, since then the solo-developed game has been remastered and remade a half-dozen times and is now available with full professional voice acting and HD visuals. Corpse Party follows a group of high school students that find themselves trapped in a decaying, demon-riddled parallel universe of their own school with no way out. There’s tons of blood and gore and guts galore, but the main draw of Corpse Party is its mind-breaking narrative structure, jumping from reality to dreams and between timelines in a pleasantly confusing way. Be warned, this game is terrifying – I wasn’t able to make it to the finish line, but perhaps you can rescue Satoshi and his friends from their demonic new reality!
There’s literally over a dozen versions and editions of Corpse Party, and all of them are different (not to mention the two sequels). However, thankfully, the version on Steam simply titled Corpse Party (2021) is the definitive edition with the most updated visuals and audio. A similar console edition titled Corpse Party: Blood Covered… Repeated Fear is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
If You Like the Asian Horror Aspects of Silent Hill
World of Horror
There is simply no one to challenge author and artist Junji Ito for the title of Master of Modern Japanese Horror. Drawing inspiration from the full collection of Ito’s works, World of Horror places the player into a cursed Japanese Town in the 1980s, attempting through turn-based combat to escape before the Lovecraftian Old Gods descend and end existence. Despite being from a Polish developer, fans and critics alike have praised the game’s mastery of J-Horror themes and aesthetics. In our 8/10 review, Nairon writes “Despite the somewhat cluttered UI, the game is beautiful to look at. It’s here where the Junji Ito influence becomes most obvious with illustrations that could be from the master himself, displayed in a 1-bit aesthetic that works with black and white contrasts in a striking way. World of Horror is a deeply layered horror RPG with so many different stories to explore you won’t get bored for a long time. But this isn’t a case of quantity over quality, as what the game offers isn’t just plentiful but also outstanding.”
World of Horror is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4 & 5.
Detention
Despite playing it 7 years ago, Detention really struck a chord with me in a way I still haven’t forgotten. This horror adventure game from Taiwanese developer Red Candle Games (who would later go on to make Nine Sols) is set in 1960s Taiwan under Chinese Martial Law, a period known as The White Terror. Two high school students find themselves trapped in their high school one night in the mountains, surrounded by terrible creatures called “The Lingered”. While attempting to escape the school, they must unravel the bloody history of Taiwan to find the way. In our glowing review, Simon writes “The real horror from Detention stems from its visuals and sound design. The game never relies on cheap jump scares to send a shiver down your spine. While the puzzle design is initially simple, Detention improves with some brain teasers down the line giving you time to get invested. Detention is a really interesting survival horror game that more people should play even if only to explore its tense story and harsh realities.”
Detention is available on PC, Linux, MacOS, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Android.
If You Like the Body Horror Aspects of Silent Hill
Dead of Darkness
Personally, I’ve got a squeamish little tummy – the Silent Hill games are already a bit too much to handle. Regardless, I know some of you sickos out there are just craving more of that good Cronenberg body horror to whet your beaks. This 2D survival horror game is heavy on action and grotesque mutilation in equal amounts, sending players to 1985 England to aid a private investigator in finding his daughter’s killer. On the surreal Velvet Island, Miles finds himself surrounded by traitors, trapped in a twisting narrative, and under siege by relentless enemies. If you are looking for something a little more intense than Silent Hill and absolutely do not want to sleep tonight, look no further than Dead of Darkness.
Dead of Darkness is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 & 5, and Xbox One & Series X/S.
Look Outside
I did a lot of searching, and I believe Look Outside is the absolute grossest game I can recommend to you without someone calling the FBI. Despite being published by Devolver Digital, this survival horror game completely flew under the radar when it launched despite glowing reviews from fans and critics. A man named Sam wakes up and feels a strange urge to… look outside. Sam soon finds that any of his neighbors that have looked outside have undergone horrible transformations, turning into terrifying and stomach-churning mutilated monsters. Sam is soon sent on a quest across this disgusting town that might make Cronenberg himself wince. Gameplay features turn-based RPG mechanics and resource management. While combat is pretty different from Silent Hill, Look Outside gives the Bubble Head Nurses and Flesh Lips a run for their money.
Look Outside is available only on PC.
As you can see, there are plenty of indie horror treats to satisfy your itch for more Silent Hill, no matter what the reason. Did we miss one? Comment below to let us know!
