Japanese are well known for their top-notch instinct when it comes to making horror movies and video games.

They have mastered the art of the scare – they are able to produce terrifying content without relying entirely on some cheap tricks, such as jump scares or screamers, although they still like to use them now and then.

Silent Hill is a classic example of a Japanese game that followed this formula, making the title stand out from the crowd of countless other horror games. It’s more than likely that you’ve already heard of it before, and today we’ll check out some games that are more or less similar to it.

Games Like Silent Hill – General Selection Criteria

The games on the list were chosen based on certain similarities to Silent Hill games, be it the atmosphere, the genre, the gameplay, the story, the sound design, and so on. The more similarities between the two games there are, the more likely the game is to appear on the list.

With that being said, you may find here games that are vastly different when compared to each other; we were not exactly looking for the most accurate Silent Hill clones, but rather games that provide a similar kind of fright and tension, which is the essence of every horror game.

Silent Hill 2 Remake

It’s also worth mentioning that Silent Hill 2 Remake came out recently, and what other game would be better to mimic the Silent Hill experience than a different game from the same franchise?

It’s definitely worth giving a shot, as it not only perfectly captures the spirit of the original, but also manages to improve it and bring it up to speed with other modern productions. It’s a great introduction to the Silent Hill series for newcomers and a true nostalgia trip for devoted fans.

On the list down below, you will find 12 amazing games like Silent Hill – do you know them all?

GameReleasedDeveloperTrailer
The Medium 2021-01-28 Bloober Team
RESIDENT EVIL 2 / BIOHAZARD RE:2 2019-01-25 CAPCOM
The Evil Within 2 2017-10-13 Tango Gameworks
The Evil Within 2014-10-14 Tango Gameworks
Detention 2017-01-12 Red Candle Games
Layers of Fear 2016-02-15 Bloober Team
Layers of Fear 2 2019-05-28 Bloober Team
Deadly Premonition: Director's Cut 2013-10-29 Access Games
Condemned: Criminal Origins 2006-04-11 Monolith Productions
SOMA 2015-09-21 Frictional Games
Outlast 2013-09-04 Red Barrels
Outlast 2 2017-04-25 Red Barrels
Golden Light 2020-07-10 Mr. Pink
Alan Wake 2012-02-16 Remedy Entertainment
Darkwood 2017-07-17 Acid Wizard Studio
Alien: Isolation Collection 2014-10-06 The Creative Assembly
Dead Space 2008-10-20 EA Redwood Shores
Alone in the Dark Anthology 2016-12-14 Eden Games, Hydravision Entertainment, Infogrames
The Sinking City 2019-06-27 Frogwares
Blair Witch 2019-08-30 Bloober Team
>observer_ 2017-08-15 Bloober Team
The Dark Pictures Anthology - Man of Medan 2019-08-30 Supermassive Games
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope 2020-10-30 Supermassive Games
RESIDENT EVIL 7 biohazard / BIOHAZARD 7 resident evil 2017-01-23 CAPCOM

Hollowbody

Released2024
GenrePsychological horror
DeveloperHeadware Games

If you’re looking for something similar to old Silent Hill games, or classic horrors in general, this one will easily scratch that itch.

Whether you liked the infamous tank controls in the original Silent Hill games or not, they undoubtedly added another layer of fear to the game. They made us feel like we didn’t have full control over our character. In a moment of panic, it was easy to make a mistake or miss the shot, which further contributed to our panic and frustration, creating an unforgettable experience. And, would you look like that, tank controls are not dead; Hollowbody fully embraces the classic retro horror approach, allowing us to play the game like we did during the good old PS2 era.

Key features
  • Gameplay that combines puzzle-solving and limited combat encounters
  • Limited resources that make you realize how dire your situation is
  • Terrifying atmosphere with great sound design and gloomy environments
  • Captures the spirit of retro horror with fixed camera angles and tank controls

The Mortuary Assistant

Released2022
GenrePsychological horror
DeveloperDarkStone Digital

Preparing dead bodies for their final rest is not everyone’s cup of tea, but now at least we can try it in a virtual environment.

The Mortuary Assistant is a surprisingly realistic game focused on the work of a mortician. It’s far from being a simulation though, so don’t expect it to teach you all the intricacies of this job. It is first and foremost a horror game, and preparing the bodies has a higher purpose: to find the ones that are possessed, so they can be properly disposed of. Identifying the demon and performing the right exorcism ritual are essential for your safety and survival.

Key features
  • A horror game that revolves around working at a haunted mortuary
  • Non-linear gameplay with a number of different endings
  • Tons of random scary events that greatly improve replayability
  • Great atmosphere that keeps you on your toes

The Medium

Released2021-01-28
GenrePsychological horror
DeveloperBloober Team

Let’s start with one of the newer releases on the list. If you ever wanted to become a medium that’s able to explore the astral plane of existence, this one is for you.

The Medium is an amazing Silent Hill inspired game, where you will be given a unique opportunity to play as the titular medium – a person who’s usually tasked with diving into the mystical spirit realm inhabited by trapped supernatural beings in order to free them from their burden and help them reach their final destination. The game focuses on a story related to two certain spirits, of which at least one is a malevolent troublemaker that urgently needs to be dealt with due to its ability to partially exist in both astral and real worlds, where it could cause chaos if left unattended.

Key features
  • Great psychological horror played from a third-person perspective
  • Interesting gameplay that allows players to explore physical and astral realms
  • Intriguing story with a tense atmosphere and polished surroundings
  • Numerous puzzles to be solved

Siren: Blood Curse

Released2008-07-24
GenreSurvival horror, stealth
DeveloperJapan Studio

Despite being over a decade old, Siren: Blood Curse still manages to catch players off guard due to its tense atmosphere and dark, foggy locations that are as much mysterious as they are terrifying.

siren blood curse

 

Siren: Blood Curse is a reimagined version of the original Siren with several gameplay improvements and quality of life additions being implemented to make the experience much more enjoyable. The game revolves around supernatural phenomena and will often leave you with a feeling of helplessness – after all, what a mere mortal could do in a struggle against the otherworldly beings’ influence? If you have PS3 and you loved Silent Hill, you should definitely give this one a chance.

Key features
  • Survival horror with unnatural phenomena and dark, scary locations
  • Storyline presented from a perspective of several different characters
  • Tense gameplay with constant action and lots of stealth elements
  • The Sight Jack ability that allows players to see what their enemies are seeing in a split-screen mode

Resident Evil 2 & Remake

Released1998-01-21 & 2019-01-25
GenreAction
DeveloperCapcom

Together with Silent Hill, the Resident Evil series is arguably one of the most popular horror video game franchises ever made, so it shouldn’t be surprising that we’re including it on the list.

Resident Evil 2 was originally released in 1998 and it took the development team almost 20 years to come up with an idea for a fresh remake of the iconic horror game. However, it’s not just a remake, it’s a complete overhaul, which means no more clunky and unintuitive controls – one of the most important changes is the removal of the so-called “tank controls” in favor of a more modern over-the-shoulder camera. Some could argue that this killed the original game’s spirit, but it still was a welcomed change – the fact that the remake outsold the original and still managed to receive overwhelmingly positive reviews on the Steam platform speaks for itself.

Key features
  • Complete remake of one of the most iconic horror video games
  • Tense gameplay emphasized by the relentless Tyrant who chases the player
  • Excellent visuals with some gore elements – not a game for the faint of heart
  • Major improvements over the original game

The Evil Within 2

Released2017-10-13
GenreAdventure
DeveloperTango Gameworks

A sequel to the widely acclaimed survival horror could also be a great Silent Hill alternative, especially if you value visuals, atmosphere, and gameplay, over anything else.

At first sight, the game doesn’t look too different from other survival horrors, but the more you play, the more you start to admire the game’s carefully crafted content, from beautiful, yet dark and unwelcoming locations, to horrifying creatures that would happily eat you alive if you only let them. The Evil Within 2 received a lot of praise from critics for its graphics and atmosphere, as well as the gameplay that can easily catch the player’s attention from the very beginning. If you loved Silent Hill, you can’t go wrong with this one.

Key features
  • Addictive survival horror experience with an intriguing story
  • Various grotesque monsters waiting for fresh blood
  • Crafting, weapon customization, and skill trees that introduce some diversity to the gameplay
  • Optional high difficulty modes for those who are up to some extra challenge

Cry of Fear

Released2012-02-22
GenreSurvival horror
DeveloperTeam Psykskallar

There are several good examples of games that started as simple mods but were later turned into standalone releases, including Counter-Strike, DayZ, PUBG, and Dota 2. Cry of Fear happens to be one of such games.

Cry of Fear
Image credit: Team Psykskallar

Cry of Fear started as a Half-Life mod but due to the popular demand and positive response from the community, it quickly turned into a standalone title. What makes the game quite unique when it comes to survival horrors is the fact, that here you’re not entirely defenseless – you will have some basic weaponry at your disposal, so you’re not forced to always run, as you can just face the horrors head-on. It’s worth noting that the game has multiplayer, but due to the game’s age it may be difficult to find a random group to play with. However, if you have some friends who would be willing to join you, then you won’t be disappointed.

Key features
  • Well-executed combination of survival horror and first-person shooter
  • A wide array of weapons to use during play
  • Multiple endings and unlockables for increased replayability
  • Multiplayer co-op campaign for up to 4 players

Detention

Released2017-01-12
GenreAdventure
DeveloperRed Candle Games

Indie developers are the ones who can often surprise the gaming community with uncommon gameplay choices and unique visual presentation – and that’s how it was with Detention.

Detention is a classic point-and-click adventure game, which means that you will have to explore various locations in order to find necessary items and use them in a creative way to be able to push the story further. In this regard, it’s a bit similar to the original Silent Hill, but the presentation is entirely different. Also, the game’s protagonists aren’t soldiers but just common folk, so don’t expect too much fighting during the play – using your wits to solve numerous riddles is the key to success.

Key features
  • Horror side-scroller inspired by Taiwanese culture and mythology
  • The gameplay focused on solving simple puzzles and exploring scary locations
  • Great, tense atmosphere that doesn’t give much time for taking a breath
  • Unique stylized art and well-designed locations

Layers of Fear

Released2016-02-15
GenreAdventure
DeveloperBloober Team

There are not too many horror games, where the actual art plays the main role in the story. Become a mentally ill painter and explore the mansion to learn more about both your paintings and your own past.

Layers of Fear tells the story of a certain painter and his struggles against his own mind. In order to piece his past together and find important clues and details that could hold the key to breaking the cycle of madness, he has to explore his ever-changing mansion and investigate his previous works and relive his memories. The game is a psychological horror, where the main source of fear is undoubtedly the game’s unique atmosphere, but it doesn’t mean that it won’t use an occasional jump scare to play with your basic survival instincts.

Key features
  • Psychological horror focused on famous artist’s inner struggles
  • Believable Victorian setting
  • Tense gameplay that is far from being boring or repetitive
  • Stunning visuals and pieces of both original and classic art of amazing quality

Deadly Premonition: Director's Cut

Released2013-10-29
GenreAdventure
DeveloperAccess Games

Deadly Premonition is an odd one. It somehow managed to combine horror with a rather ridiculous atmosphere and music that doesn’t always fit the scary theme. Due to its uniqueness, the game is surely an interesting choice.

Deadly Premonition is not your typical dark and heavy survival horror with tense gameplay that requires constant focus. No, it’s much more casual and takes a rather uncommon, light approach to the horror genre. The game’s soundtrack is probably what makes it not as scary as one could have wished for – let’s be honest, chill saxophone jazz music is the last thing you expect to hear in survival horror, and that’s exactly what you’ll be hearing for the most of the time. If you’re looking for something that would remind you of Twin Peaks, this could be the game for you.

Key features
  • The addictive story focused on the FBI special agent’s investigation
  • An open-world environment that can be freely roamed
  • The rather relaxing and lighthearted atmosphere for a horror game
  • An interesting choice of music, most notably jazz

Condemned: Criminal Origins

Released2006-04-11
GenreAction & Shooter
DeveloperMonolith Productions

There are also some cool old classics similar to Silent Hill to check out if you didn’t play them already. One of such games is Condemned – arguably one of the scariest video games ever made.

Condemned: Criminal Origins is one of these good old games that we’re happily returning to from time to time because it doesn’t seem to age too much. Despite the fact that the game was released back in 2005, it still holds the title of one of the best survival horrors of all time, and not without a reason. It has everything you’d expect from a good horror – an interesting story, dark locations, heavy atmosphere, and even gun-wielding enemies that will surprise you on numerous occasions. Although the game gives you access to some deadly weapons to not leave you entirely defenseless, it encourages melee combat due to scarce ammo and the fact that guns can’t be reloaded.

Key features
  • An intriguing story that revolves around certain FBI investigation
  • Intense gameplay, where dangers can lurk around every corner
  • Dark, claustrophobic, and fear-inducing locations
  • Simple combat with the emphasis being put on melee, but gunplay is available too

Soma

Released2015-09-21
GenreAdventure
DeveloperFrictional Games

For the last game on the list, we’ve got SOMA – an indie title that could easily overshadow even some more ambitious AAA horror games.

SOMA is a game from the creators of Amnesia: The Dark Descent, which should already give you a slight idea about its quality, but if that’s not enough to convince you to try it, maybe Steam’s overwhelmingly positive reviews will do the trick. The game takes place underwater, which is a fantastic choice of setting for a horror game – there’s nowhere to run from dangers, no safe haven in this hostile, isolated environment, which forces you to directly face whatever horrors you may find in the forgotten research facility.

Key features
  • An interesting story with surprising twists
  • Great choice of the game’s setting – isolated underwater facility gives a feeling of uncertainty and helplessness
  • Various dangers, from corrupted people to relentless A.I.
  • Great visuals combined with fitting, terrifying sound effects

The Best Games Like Silent Hill

Silent Hill is undoubtedly one of the most popular survival horror video game franchises ever made. The series started back in 1999 and it was available exclusively on the first generation of PlayStation consoles at the beginning. Due to the game’s success, however, later releases were also made available for PC users, reaching a much bigger audience than it probably would be ever possible on consoles alone.