Silent Hill ƒ is a psychological action horror game developed by NeoBards Entertainment and published by Konami. It is a spin-off of the Silent Hill video game series[3][4][5] directed by Al Yang and written by Ryukishi07. kera served as the creature and character designer.
Plot[]
High school student Hinako Shimizu lives in the rural Japanese town of Ebisugaoka during the 1960s. She resents her parents as her mother is subservient to her abusive father, while her older sister Junko has left home after getting married. After an argument with her parents, Hinako meets up with her friends Shu, Rinko, and Sakuko, to which Shu gives Hinako red capsules to help with her intense tension headaches. A monster appears, engulfing Ebisugaoka in fog and red spider lilies, which seemingly kills Sakuko. Hinako escapes but Ebisugaoka has become overrun by monsters. While avenging Sakuko's death, Hinako loses consciousness and awakens in an otherworld environment known as the Dark Shrine, where she encounters a man called Fox Mask. Despite Fox Mask guiding and caring for her, she is continuously warned not to trust him.
After awakening in Ebisugaoka, which has become almost entirely deserted, Hinako reunites with Shu and Rinko. As the bridge leading out of town is broken, the three plan to escape through a mountain path behind Shu's house. Throughout their journey, Hinako travels back to the Dark Shrine whenever she loses consciousness or sleeps, and continues to follow Fox Mask while there. Fox Mask convinces Hinako to kill Shu, Rinko, and Sakuko to let go of her childhood. Additionally, Hinako participates in three rituals: her right arm is severed and replaced with a fox arm, her back is branded with a hot iron, and the top half of her face is sliced off and replaced with a fox mask.
When Hinako awakens in Ebisugaoka, she eventually reaches Shu's home alone. Her mother phones her to come home for dinner, while Junko asks her to make a decision soon. When Hinako returns home, she faces multiple memories of her past, including her relationships with her friends and family, as well as her fear of growing up and getting married. In addition, multiple playthroughs of the game reveal that she is in an arranged marriage with Fox Mask's true identity, Tsuneki Kotoyuki. Hinako's identities in Ebisugaoka and the Dark Shrine soon converge when her fox self kills her parents, while her human self seeks revenge. Her fox self kills her human self under Junko's orders. As Hinako's marriage ceremony begins in the Dark Shrine, her human self awakens and confronts her fox self.
Endings[]
The five emblems of the Silent Hill ƒ endings.
- Coming Home to Roost: The only ending available on the first playthrough, Hinako's human self defeats her fox self and she rejects the marriage, but she begins panicking and overdosing on the red capsules. It is later revealed that the events of the game were a psychotic episode induced by the red capsules, and Hinako is a woman in her 20s who is on the run for killing several people at her wedding ceremony.
- Fox's Wedding: Hinako's human self is destroyed by Fox Mask and Shu tries to stop her wedding to Kotoyuki, confessing to Hinako that he gave her the red capsules to bring her to her senses. Hinako beats Shu in battle, causing Shu to relent and become friends with Kotoyuki. Hinako marries Kotoyuki at the cost of her freedom.
- The Fox Wets its Tail: Hinako's human self defeats her fox self and she rejects Kotoyuki, who becomes enraged; Hinako defeats him and returns to Ebisugaoka with Shu. A radio broadcast later reveals the whole town was evacuated due to volcanic activity.
- Ebisugaoka in Silence: Available after completing at least two endings above, Hinako's human and fox selves reconcile. His ancestor appears, revealing that Kotoyuki was forced to wed Hinako to preserve the fox clan. Both of Hinako's selves defeat Kotoyuki's ancestor and the spirit possessing her doll (revealed to be a representative of a rival pantheon that wishes Hinako to remain free even if destroys her mind through use of the red capsules), freeing Kotoyuki from his ancestor's possession and lifting the curse on the town. Hinako's selves and Kotoyuki annul their marriage, with both of Hinako's identities returning to Ebisugaoka and Kotoyuki moving away. The two promise that they will meet again in the future to restart their relationship.
- The Great Space Invasion!: Is a humorous "UFO" ending similar to other Silent Hill games, the art style changing to motion manga.
Development[]
The original Silent Hill video games were created by Team Silent, a development team within Konami Computer Entertainment Japan. They were disbanded after the release of Silent Hill 4: The Room in 2004 and new installments were outsourced to third party studios in the west until Silent Hills: Playable Teaser in 2014.[6][7][8] Since the revival of the Silent Hill franchise in 2023, producer Motoi Okamoto has stated his intention to make the brand synonymous with the psychological horror genre rather than a location.[9] Silent Hill: Ascension showrunner Jacob Navok elaborated, "We had a requirement to write a story that went worldwide... Growing the franchise means that you can't set everything in Silent Hill, in the same way that Biohazard broke past Raccoon City."[10]
The original Silent Hill games blended western horror with Japanese elements. Okamoto, composer Akira Yamaoka, and staff within the company felt that later installments leaned too heavily into western horror and strayed from the series' roots. They considered what would happen if they went in the opposite direction and the idea was born to set a game directly in Japan. NeoBards Entertainment was hired to develop the project, which became Silent Hill ƒ.[11]
Cryptic dialogue and obscure storytelling are common traits of the Silent Hill series. As such, Okamoto wanted to leave players with unanswered questions that would require multiple playthroughs to answer. Scenario writer Ryukishi07 was hired because of his work on Higurashi When They Cry, which combined Japanese horror with mystery fiction. As a fan of the earlier games, he was confused to learn that ƒ would not be set in the titular town. This challenged him to reconsider what defines Silent Hill as a series, and after conversations with Okamoto, he concluded that, although it is a physical place with a dark history, it is "also about portraying characters' struggles with the evil within themselves, sin, discontent, and conflict in a visually striking way."[11]
A female protagonist was chosen because Ryukishi07 noticed that women in Silent Hill often endure a significant amount of suffering. He wanted to include a female character that would have agency in her struggles as opposed to "[being] pulled along by the story."[11] The characters and creatures were designed by kera, who took inspiration from Silent Hill 2. She aimed to create something that looked different from previous installments but consistent with their design philosophy.[12][11]
One of the core concepts of ƒ is finding beauty in terror. This contrast informed the designs, music, and story in which the protagonist is faced with making a "beautiful yet terrifying" decision. Okamoto said that this theme stemmed from an idea in Japanese horror that "[w]hen something becomes too immensely beautiful and perfect, it instead becomes deeply unsettling."[11]
A real location, Kanayama, Gero, in the Gifu Prefecture, served as the basis for the game's setting. It was chosen by Ryukishi07 for its architecture and "labyrinthine" alleyways. The development team collected reference materials by photographing the area and recording the sounds of everyday life. For historical accuracy, research went into the 1960s time period and adjustments were made to the environment design to create the in-game town.[11]
Game design[]
ƒ was designed to be more action-oriented than previous installments of the series, with a challenging difficulty and higher focus on melee weapons as opposed to firearms.[4]
Soundtrack[]
Longtime series composer Akira Yamoaka scored the Fog World portions of the game. He created a juxtaposition between beautiful music with horrific moments, and horrific music with beautiful moments, because "if you simply create beautiful or terrifying music, it's not all that effective". To represent the setting, he incorporated elements from Japanese culture into the soundtrack.[11]
Kensuke Inage composed the music for the game's Dark Shrine sections. He used a variety of techniques and sounds, including ancient Japanese court music and ambient echoes, to enhance the setting and portray the protagonist's emotions, which included fear, agony, and internal conflict. dai and xaki, who worked on Higurashi When They Cry, were hired to compose additional music after being suggested by Ryukishi07.[11]
Marketing[]
Announcement[]
| “ | When I heard it was a teaser video for the Silent Hill series, I just had to do it. Based on limited materials, I worked with Okamoto to come up with the scenario and visuals for the trailer. As a result, I think we were able to create an image that makes full use of our technology and specifications.
|
” |
Silent Hill ƒ was announced on October 19, 2022, alongside Return to Silent Hill, Silent Hill: Townfall, Silent Hill: Ascension, and a retelling of Silent Hill 2.[14][15] The trailer was a CG-animated cinematic produced by the company Shirogumi and directed by Yoshihiro Komori, who handled the visual effects.[13] The team aimed for a photorealistic visual style. To create the character model, they used photogrammetry data provided by the 3D scanning studio Iris and incorporated minute details into the body physics. Skeletal distortion was left intact, while adjustments were made based on concept drawings by kera, who gave them detailed instructions on the design.[13]
For historical accuracy, members of the team led by modelling supervisor Taiga Ogura researched 1960s Japan and collected reference material from libraries in Tokyo. Photogrammetry photography took place in older rural and urban landscapes on location, and the textures were upscaled to 4K resolution using an A.I. conversation tool. Matte images for the sky and distant mountains were generated by Unreal Engine 4, while volumes were used to produce the lighting and fog effects. According to lighting supervisor Moritaro Tanaka, "We tried a depth pass, but the colors ended up looking dull and smoky, and the fog wasn't reflected in the reflections."[13]
In January 2023, Okamoto told IGN that he was pleased with the fan response to the trailer, which he said was stronger than he anticipated.[16] The same month, it was recognized for excellence at the VFX-JAPAN Awards.[17][18] In May 2023, it won the merit award at The One Show in the category of "Trailers & Teasers".[19][20][21]
Marketing campaign[]
Game details and a second trailer were released by Konami during a livestream on March 13, 2025,[22][23][24] after which it was made available for preorder.[25][26][27][28] The release date was announced through a third trailer streamed in a PlayStation broadcast on June 4, 2025.[29]
Release[]
Physical release advertisement.
In March 2025, the game was refused classification in Australia via an automated rating tool. No rationale was provided by the IARC. The Australian Classification Board later clarified that it had not been refused classification by the organization and its listing in the National Classification Database was removed.[30][31][32]
It is scheduled for release on PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on September 25, 2025. Two editions will be available at launch: a "standard" edition sold physically and digitally, and a digital "deluxe" edition containing a digital artbook, soundtrack album, and a "pink rabbit costume" cosmetic skin that can be equipped to the player character. Preorder incentives include a "white sailor school uniform" cosmetic skin, digital charm, an item pack containing in-game consumable items and, exclusive to the deluxe edition, early access to the game 48 hours before its release.[33]
A SteelBook case was bundled with the physical release as a preorder incentive through select Europe, the Middle East and Africa retailers.[34][35]
Reception[]
Critical reception[]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | (PS5) 86/100[36] (PC) 86/100[37] (XSXS) 82/100[38] |
| Opencritic | 89% recommend[39] |
| Publisher | Score |
| Game Rant | 10/10[40] |
| Dexerto | 5/5[41] |
| Destructoid | 9.5/10[42] |
| GameSpot | 9/10[43] |
| PC Gamer | 90/100[44] |
| Eurogamer | 4/5[45] |
| Siliconera | 8/10[46] |
| VGC | 4/5[47] |
| Game Informer | 7.5/10[48] |
| IGN | 7/10[49] |
Silent Hill ƒ received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[36][37][38] Opencritic determined that 89% of critics recommended the game.[39]
Sales[]
On September 29, 2025, Konami announced that ƒ sold over 1 million copies in physical and digital sales, as of September 26.[50]
Accolades[]
In November 2025, Silent Hill ƒ was nominated for "Best Narrative"[51] and "Best Audio Design"[52] by The Game Awards.
Silent Hill ƒ was nominated in six categories by The Horror Game Awards and, in December 2025, won "Best Narrative", "Technical Achievement Award", and "Game of the Year".[53] It won the Steam Award for "Outstanding Visual Style".[54]
Gallery[]
Announcement trailer[]
Marketing and promotion[]
![Silent Hill ƒ logo at Tokyo Game Show 2023.[55][56]](/wiki/File:Silent_Hill_f_in_TGS_2023.png "Silent Hill f in TGS 2023.png (1.06 MB)")
![The Silent Hill ƒ booth at Anime Expo 2025.[57][58]](/wiki/File:Silent_Hill_f_-_Anime_Expo_2025.jpg "Silent Hill f - Anime Expo 2025.jpg (619 KB)")
![Panel at Anime Expo 2025.[59]](/wiki/File:Silent_Hill_f_panel_at_Anime_Expo_2025_-5-.jpg "Silent Hill f panel at Anime Expo 2025 -5-.jpg (146 KB)")
.png "SHf - Gamescom 2025 Booth (Outside).png (2.11 MB)")
.png "SHf - Gamescom 2025 Booth (Inside).png (2.23 MB)")
.jpg "SHf - Oxford Circus (Wall).jpg (144 KB)")
.jpg "SHf - Oxford Circus (Path).jpg (53 KB)")
Characters and artwork[]
![A painting by kera for the SteelBook release.[60]](/wiki/File:SHf_-_SteelBook.jpeg "SHf - SteelBook.jpeg (147 KB)")
Stills[]
Retail release[]
Merchandise[]
![A shirt distributed by OKS Gear at Anime Expo 2025.[61]](/wiki/File:SILENT_HILL_f_Button_Up_Shirt_in_Anime_Expo_2025_-2-.jpg "SILENT HILL f Button Up Shirt in Anime Expo 2025 -2-.jpg (384 KB)")
.jpg "SHf - Notebook (TGS2025).jpg (271 KB)")
External links[]
References[]
- ↑ https://www.esrb.org/ratings/40315/silent-hill-f/
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://www.ign.com/articles/silent-hill-f-the-first-in-konamis-horror-series-to-get-an-18-rating-in-japan
- ↑ https://jp.ign.com/silent-hill-f/78678/news/silent-hill-f9
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 https://blog.playstation.com/2025/06/04/silent-hill-f-launches-september-25-ps5-gameplay-revealed/
- ↑ https://www.famitsu.com/article/202507/48146
- ↑ https://www.escapistmagazine.com/Silent-Hill-Artist-Claims-Konami-Disbanded-Team-Silent/
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tmzi0VLlhbI
- ↑ https://www.polygon.com/2015/8/3/9089247/konami-nikkei-report-workplace-culture-metal-gear-solid
- ↑ https://www.ign.com/articles/silent-hill-2-remake-world-exclusive-deep-dive-interview
- ↑ https://www.resetera.com/threads/silent-hill-ascension-official-trailer-interactive-series-2023.724482/page-5?post=106694784#post-106694784
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 11.7 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pPKJevpvZI
- ↑ https://x.com/kera_2/status/1582873175662002183
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Development of the teaser trailer for Silent Hill f: “beauty x horror”
- ↑ https://gamerant.com/silent-hill-transmission-october-2022-f-2-remake-ascension-townfall/
- ↑ https://www.gematsu.com/2022/10/silent-hill-transmission-live-stream-set-for-october-19-featuring-latest-updates-on-the-silent-hill-series
- ↑ https://www.ign.com/articles/silent-hill-2-remake-world-exclusive-deep-dive-interview
- ↑ https://x.com/SHIROGUMI_INC/status/1633408488398553088
- ↑ VFX-JAPAN Award 2023 Excellence Award
- ↑ https://x.com/SHIROGUMI_INC/status/1659499245626613765
- ↑ https://www.oneclub.org/awards/theoneshow/-adtitle/SILENT+HILL+f+Teaser+Trailer/2023/all/all
- ↑ https://x.com/QQBert/status/1660855927191269377
- ↑ https://www.ign.com/articles/silent-hill-transmission-march-2025-everything-announced-and-revealed-including-silent-hill-f
- ↑ https://www.gamesradar.com/games/silent-hill/new-silent-hill-f-reveal-trailer-shows-some-of-the-freakiest-monsters-ive-ever-seen-in-the-25-year-old-survival-horror-series/
- ↑ https://www.fangoria.com/silent-hill-f-new-trailer-game-details/
- ↑ https://www.polygon.com/pre-order/539652/silent-hill-f-pre-order-editions-bonuses
- ↑ https://www.pcgamesn.com/silent-hill-f/steam-mature-content-warning
- ↑ https://www.thegamer.com/silent-hill-f-pre-order-guide-platforms-physical-edition/
- ↑ https://www.ign.com/articles/where-to-buy-silent-hill-f
- ↑ https://www.ign.com/articles/playstation-state-of-play-june-2025-everything-announced
- ↑ https://www.ign.com/articles/silent-hill-f-has-been-refused-classification-in-australia
- ↑ https://www.eurogamer.net/silent-hill-f-has-been-banned-in-australia-and-no-one-knows-why
- ↑ https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/silent-hill-f-is-not-messing-around-now-its-been-banned-in-australia/
- ↑ https://www.konami.com/games/eu/en/topics/18698/
- ↑ https://www.konami.com/games/eu/en/topics/18565/
- ↑ https://gamerant.com/silent-hill-f-steelbook-cover/
- ↑ 36.0 36.1 Silent Hill f reviews for PlayStation 5.
- ↑ 37.0 37.1 Silent Hill f reviews for PC.
- ↑ 38.0 38.1 Silent Hill f reviews for Xbox Series X.
- ↑ 39.0 39.1 Silent Hill f on Opencritic.
- ↑ Game Rant review of the game.
- ↑ Dexerto review of the game.
- ↑ Destructoid review of the game.
- ↑ GameSpot review of the game.
- ↑ PC Gamer review of the game.
- ↑ Eurogamer review of the game.
- ↑ Siliconera review of the game.
- ↑ VGC review of the game.
- ↑ Game Informer review of the game.
- ↑ IGN review of the game.
- ↑ https://www.konami.com/games/corporate/ja/news/topics/20250929/
- ↑ https://thegameawards.com/nominees/best-narrative
- ↑ https://thegameawards.com/nominees/best-audio-design
- ↑ https://bloody-disgusting.com/video-games/3921745/silent-hill-f-wins-big-at-the-horror-game-awards-2025-including-game-of-the-year/
- ↑ https://store.steampowered.com/steamawards/2025
- ↑ https://x.com/QQBert/status/1704882936716419372
- ↑ https://x.com/NeoBards/status/1705372229989736766
- ↑ https://x.com/SilentHill/status/1940860419582971964
- ↑ https://x.com/NeoBards/status/1941166737548087619
- ↑ https://x.com/SilentHill/status/1941280796347978027
- ↑ https://x.com/KONAMIUK/status/1900548389323821424
- ↑ https://x.com/OKSGEAR/status/1941547329938424311
| Silent Hill games v · e · d | |
|---|---|
| Main series | Silent Hill · 2 · 3 · 4: The Room · Origins · Homecoming · Shattered Memories · Downpour · 2 (2024) · Silent Hill (upcoming) |
| Ports / Adaptations | Play Novel · Mobile · HD Collection · Slot machine · Escape · Return |
| Spin-offs | The Arcade · Orphan · Mobile 2 · Mobile 3 · The Escape · Book of Memories · Ascension · The Short Message · ƒ · Townfall |
| Crossovers | Dead by Daylight: Chapter XVI - Silent Hill · Dark Deception: Monsters & Mortals - Silent Hill |
| Cancelled | Silent Hills (P.T.) · Cancelled projects |
| Production | Konami · Team Silent · Climax Studios · Double Helix · Vatra Games · WayForward Technologies · TAKASAGO · Bloober Team · Annapurna Interactive · Screen Burn · HexaDrive · Genvid Technologies · Behaviour Interactive · Bad Robot Games · NeoBards Entertainment |
| Extras | Inspirations · Features · Fonts · Horror Adventure |
| v · e · d Silent Hill ƒ
|
|---|
| Characters |
| Major Characters |
| Hinako Shimizu - Shu Iwai - Rinko Nishida - Sakuko Igarashi - Fox Mask |
| Other Characters |
| Junko Kinuta - Kanta Shimizu - Kimie Shimizu - Mayumi Suzutani - Hidetoshi Tsuneki - Sachie Fujitori |
| Monsters |
| Ara-abare - Ayakakashi - Harai Katashiro - Irohihi - Kashimashi - Kamugara - Kyubi - Oi-omoi - Shichibi - Shiromuku - Tsukumogami |
| Weapons |
| Axe - Baseball Bat - Crowbar - Fox Arm - Kitchen knife - Kaiken - Naginata - Pipe - PP-8001 - Sickle - Sacred Sword - Sledgehammer |
| Locations |
| Chizuruya General Store - Ebisugaoka - Ebisugaoka Middle School - Forgotten Shrine - Tsuneyoshi Shrine - Shimizu Residence - Sennensugi Shrine - Iwai Residence |
| Terms |
| Dark Shrine - Fog World - Monster - Save point - UFO Ending |
| Archives |
| Items - Health Items - Keys - Puzzles - Memos - Journal - Omamori - Offerings - Soundtrack - Secrets and Unlockables |