The Silent Hill series is making its long-awaited comeback into the genre of survival horror, with several new games on the way and a new movie. If successful, the upcoming titles will usher in a new era of Silent Hill that many players have been asking for.
With the Silent Hill 2 Remake set to release this year, according to PlayStation, there has never been a better time for both fans and new players of the franchise to jump into Konami’s realm of horror.
1. How to play the Silent Hill series in order?
The easiest order to play the Silent Hill series is in the release order:
- Silent Hill (1999)
- Silent Hill 2 (2001)
- Silent Hill 3 (2002)
- Silent Hill 4: The Room (2004)
- Silent Hill: The Arcade (2007)
- Silent Hill: Origins (2007)
- Silent Hill: Orphan (2007) [Mobile]
- Silent Hill: The Escape (2007) [Mobile]
- Silent Hill: Homecoming (2008)
- Silent Hill: Orphan 2 (2008) [Mobile]
- Silent Hill: Shattered Memories (2009)
- Silent Hill: Orphan 3 (2010) [Mobile]
- Silent Hill: Downpour (2012)
- Silent Hill HD Collection (2012)
- Silent Hill: Book of Memories (2012)
- P.T (Silent Hills Playable Teaser) [2014]
- Silent Hill: Ascension (2023)
- Silent Hill: The Short Message (2024)
This is the order that we recommend you play it in, as it’s the simplest to follow.The timeline of the games is vague, as some of them don’t have dates to pinpoint when the events are exactly happening.
But that didn’t stop fans of the series from piecing together the chronological timeline of the games. Regardless of the lack of dates, some players have still managed to fish out details that might give us an idea of the timeline of the series.
2. The Chronological Order to Play the Silent Hill Series
The chronological order to play the Silent Hill series goes as follows:
- Silent Hill: Ascension (presumably before the original games)
- Silent Hill: Origins (1976)
- Silent Hill 2 (presumably late 70s, early 80s or 1993)
- Silent Hill (1983)
- Silent Hill: The Arcade (1993)
- Silent Hill 3 (2000)
- Silent Hill 4: The Room (2001)
- Silent Hill: Downpour (early 2000s or 2004)
- Silent Hill: Homecoming (2007)
- Silent Hill: Shattered Memories (2008)
- Silent Hill: Book of Memories (2010)
- PT (Silent Hills Playable Teaser) [presumably 2014]
- Silent Hill: The Short Message (2024)
- Silent Hill: Orphan 1-3 (NA)
- Silent Hill: The Escape (NA)
The vagueness of the timeline makes the series hard to follow chronologically, which is why playing it in the release order is the better alternative. We’ll keep updating the list as newer titles come out.
3. Which Silent Hill should you play first?
Players wanting to jump into Konami’s nightmare inducing series should begin their journey with Silent Hill (1999). Developed by Team Silent and published by Konami, it was the first installment in the series.
The game puts you in the shoes of Harry Mason, who’s searching for his missing adopted daughter in the town of Silent Hill, as he soon stumbles upon a cult conducting a ritual to resurrect a deity, leading him to uncover her true origin.
4. Do you need to play the Silent Hill series in order?
The Silent Hill series should be played in order to fully understand the lore, characters, and narrative of the games. It’s up to the players if they want to play it in a chronological order or the release order.
There’s no official timeline, nor have any of the teams behind the games confirmed the dates of the events that take place in some of the games. But following a specific order is always easier when you’re jumping into a series that you’re not familiar with.
5. Are the Silent Hill games connected?
Not all of the Silent Hill games are connected. Silent Hill Origins, 1 and 3 are connected, while 2 and 4 share a slight connection as they do their own thing for the most part. Other games are not connected to each other.
Since the timeline of the games is a bit of a mess, the connections only go to the extent of Silent Hill 4. They may be part of the same series, but the entries in the series after Silent Hill 4 are standalone.
6. Which is the scariest Silent Hill game?
Silent Hill 2 is undoubtedly the scariest game in the series. It’s a masterpiece that not only improves upon every aspect of the previous game but also subtly uses subtext to dive deep into James Sunderland’s psychology as he searches for his wife.
It’s a disturbing experience that leaves a mark on players’ minds. The game also introduced one of the series’ most iconic antagonists: Pyramid Head. The narrative wraps up in an unforgettable way that’s sure to linger in your head long after you’ve completed it.
7. Are any Silent Hill games free?
The recently released Silent Hill: The Short Message is a completely free game available to download for the PlayStation 5. First revealed during a State of Play event, it was immediately dropped after the event concluded without prior announcements.
The game follows Anita as she tries to find her way out of a crumbling apartment block, which sets the stage for the scares. It’s a roughly 90-minute or 2 hour experience, but you can’t really complain about it considering it was absolutely free of charge.
8. What’s next for Silent Hill after The Short Message?
Silent Hill: The Short Message marked the return of the dormant franchise, but that isn’t the end as more games are on the way:
- Silent Hill 2 (Remake) [2004]
- Silent Hill f
- Silent Hill: Townfall
Silent Hill 2 Remake is confirmed to release later this year for the PS5, while the others are still TBA. Regardless of that, the future of the series is brighter than ever. Hopefully, the future installments will be nothing like Silent Hill: Ascension.
9. About Silent Hill 2 Remake
Silent Hill 2 Remake is an upcoming survival horror video game developed by Bloober Team and published by Konami. The game is set to be released on PlayStation 5 and Windows.
It is a remake of the 2001 video game of the same name and will be the first major installment in the Silent Hill franchise since Silent Hill: Downpour in 2012.
No Comments on Easy Guide to Play the Silent Hill Series in Order – What to play first?