Silent Hill f[a] is an upcoming 2025 survival horror game developed by NeoBards Entertainment and published by Konami Digital Entertainment. It is a standalone spin-off game in the Silent Hill franchise.[1] Set during the 1960s in the fictional town of Ebisugaoka, Japan, it follows Hinako Shimizu, a high school student who navigates the town, now consumed by fog, while solving puzzles and fighting grotesque monsters to survive.[2]
As Konami felt the series had become overly westernized, the developers moved away from the titular Maine town, where most previous entries took place, and instead set the game in Japan to reinforce a stronger Japanese identity. The company invited Ryukishi07 to write the story and brought back composer Akira Yamaoka, who had worked on the music for multiple previous Silent Hill games.
Silent Hill f was built around the Japanese horror concept of "find[ing] the terror in beauty", suggesting that "when something becomes too immensely beautiful and perfect, it becomes deeply unsettling".[3]Konami enlisted writer Ryukishi07, known for his visual novel Higurashi When They Cry, as they believed they needed someone who could "really understand the essence of Japanese horror".[4] Even though the game was conceived as a standalone story, the developers included references to previous Silent Hill games.[5]
While the series originally blended Japanese and Western horror elements, Konami felt it had become overly westernized, diminishing its Japanese influence. Consequently, the team decided to create Silent Hill f as a "100% Japanese horror", emphasizing its Japanese "essence", which they regarded as central to the series despite the story usually taking place in the United States.[6][7] Shifting the setting from the titular town to Japan posed a challenge, as the developers aimed to maintain the series' core themes of "portraying characters' struggles with the evil within themselves—sin, discontent, and conflict".[8][9]
The game's primary setting, the town of Ebisugaoka, was inspired by Kanayama, Gero, in Gifu Prefecture.[10] Ryukishi07 suggested Kanayama after comparing various locations, saying that its "extremely unique townscape" reflected the passage of time and the way its structures had evolved alongside residents' lifestyles. The team visited Kanayama to photograph modern sites and used reference materials to authentically recreate the 1960s setting.[11] Ryukishi07 noted that female characters in the previous Silent Hill games endured significant suffering. With Silent Hill f, he sought to create a protagonist, Hinako Shimizu, who actively makes her own choices rather than being "pulled along by the story".[12] Hinako is portrayed by Konatsu Kato in Japanese[13] and Suzie Yeung in English.[14]
To further highlight the creative process behind the project, Konami and NeoBards released a behind-the-scenes featurette during the Konami Press Start stream, offering insights from key staff such as director Al Yang and senior producer Albert Lee on the game's themes, visual design, and development challenges.[15][16] The video emphasized NeoBards' focus on blending traditional Japanese horror aesthetics with modern game design, as well as their collaboration with Ryukishi07 and artist kera to realize the world of Silent Hill f.[17][18]
Artist Kera aimed for a visual style distinct from the "blood-smeared, rusting scenery" of previous installments while retaining a sense of familiarity. She remarked that the most challenging aspect was monster creation,[10] as the team wanted to combine Ryukishi07's vision with Kera's design, creating monsters that would "really infiltrate players' psyches".[9][19]
Akira Yamaoka and Kensuke Inage composed the music for the game's Fog World and Otherworld, respectively.[20] Additionally, composers Dai and Xaki, who previously collaborated with Ryukishi07, contributed to the project.[21][22] Yamaoka focused on infusing the music with the series' Japanese "essence", reflecting his own cultural identity "as much as possible in my own way".[23] Inage stated that he "blend[ed] ancient Japanese court music with ambient echoes", using various techniques to convey "agony, internal conflict, fear, and other emotions".[10] The developers also traveled to Kanayama to record its soundscape.[24]
Media preview and developer insights
In August 2025, Silent Hill f was featured in an extended hands-on preview event for media in Tokyo, where journalists from major media outlets such as IGN, Polygon, and GameSpot were invited to play approximately five hours of the game.[25][26][27] This marked the first in-depth public showcase of the title’s gameplay, atmosphere, and narrative structure.
At the event, representatives from the game’s Taiwan-based developer, NeoBards Entertainment, including director Al Yang and producer Albert Lee, provided context on the design direction. Yang emphasized the team’s goal of introducing “a different kind of action emphasis” compared to previous entries in the series, aiming for a balance between traditional psychological horror and more tactile, strategic combat.[28] He also noted that the game avoids relying on ranged weapons entirely, instead centering gameplay around close-quarters encounters.[29]
Writer Ryukishi07, known for his work on the Higurashi and Umineko visual novel series, commented that Silent Hill f explores themes meant to provoke discomfort rooted in emotional and personal trauma. Silent Hill series producer Motoi Okamoto spoke briefly about the game's art direction, one of the core pillars of the new entry. Okamoto said that the team set out to merge grotesque horror with natural beauty to deliver a powerful tonal contrast. The team also spoke briefly about the visual inspirations behind the game’s protagonist and creature design, describing the aesthetic as a fusion of delicate beauty and rot.[29]
The hands-on reports noted the game’s distinct tone and mechanics, with IGN describing it as “a horror game that gets everything right”, and Polygon highlighting the tension of resource scarcity and player choice.[25][26]
Release
In February 2021, it was reported that Konami was planning to revive the Silent Hill franchise with multiple third-party studios developing new games.[30]Silent Hill f was officially announced during a livestream in October 2022, alongside other titles.[31] Its reveal trailer debuted at another livestream in March 2025.[32] Konami announced a special edition, which includes cosmetics and digital items such as an artbook and soundtrack. Pre-ordering either the base version or special edition grants bonus cosmetics and in-game items. Additionally, the special edition offers early access to the game two days before its official release.[33] The game is scheduled to release for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on September 25, 2025.[34]
On March 14, 2025, the game was given a "Refused Classification" rating by the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) Global Rating Tool, which does not allow it to be sold in Australia.[35] The IARC did not provide a clear reason for the ban.[36] The Australian Classification Board would later clarify that Silent Hill f had not been given a "Refused Classification" rating by the organization and the game's entry on Australia's National Classification Database was removed.[36][37][38] A new MA 15+ rating was given on March 25, 2025.[39]
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