TL;DR
- Silent Hill Townfall is a first-person horror game released on September 24, 2026 for PS5 and PC.
- Set in a fog-covered Scottish island town called St. Amelia, set in 1996.
- Developed by Screen Burn Interactive (formerly No Code), published by Konami and Annapurna Interactive.
- Metacritic score: 81 on PS5. OpenCritic sits around 82 with 92% of critics recommending it.
- Biggest praise: atmosphere, sound design, setting, and puzzles.
- Biggest complaints: stealth sections, a frustrating instakill enemy, and some technical bugs on PC at launch.
- Game length: roughly 10–13 hours. Priced at $49.99 (Standard) and $59.99 (Deluxe).
What Is Silent Hill Townfall?
Silent Hill Townfall is the latest entry in Konami’s legendary survival horror series. It was released on September 24, 2026 for PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. No Xbox version is available at launch.
The game is developed by Screen Burn Interactive, a Glasgow-based studio formerly known as No Code. They are known for narrative-driven titles like Stories Untold and Observation. Konami paired them with co-publisher Annapurna Interactive to bring a fresh voice into the Silent Hill universe.
It is a standalone game. You do not need to have played any other Silent Hill title to enjoy it. Whether you are new to the series or a longtime fan, Townfall is built to work on its own.
Also Check: How Long Is Silent Hill: Townfall? Game Length Explained
Silent Hill Townfall Story – Who Is Simon Ordell?
The game follows Simon Ordell, an American man who wakes up in the cold waters near a dock. He has no memory of why he is there. The only thing he has is a medical bracelet with his name, date of birth, and blood type on it.
He drags himself ashore in the fictional Scottish town of St. Amelia, set in 1996. The town appears abandoned. But it is not empty — twisted, mutated creatures stalk its streets. Simon is told he has been brought back to “put things right.” What that means becomes the central mystery of the game.
Throughout the story, Simon communicates with two key characters. Zoe, voiced by Kezia Burrows, is a nurse he reaches through his CRTV device. Richard, played by Terry O’Quinn, is an enigmatic man who claims he summoned Simon back to St. Amelia. Jovan Adepo plays Simon Ordell.
The story is a slow burn. It is dark, emotional, and disturbing. It deals with themes of guilt, remorse, and penance. Multiple endings are available, and critics note that a full understanding of the plot may require a second playthrough or a breakdown video.
Reviewers have called it one of the most emotionally difficult Silent Hill stories in years. GamesRadar said the game left them with things in their head they did not entirely want to think about — which, for a Silent Hill game, is high praise.
Silent Hill Townfall Gameplay – How Does It Play?
Townfall makes one big, bold change right from the start: it is played in first-person. This is the first major Silent Hill entry to take this approach. Most previous games, including the Silent Hill 2 remake and Silent Hill f, used a third-person camera.
The switch works. First-person makes the horror feel more personal. You cannot see around corners. You cannot get a bird’s-eye read on the situation. That uncertainty adds real dread.
The CRTV Device
Simon’s main tool is the CRTV — a small handheld CRT television device. It replaces the famous radio from older Silent Hill games. The CRTV does several things:
- It detects nearby enemies, showing their location on a circular gauge as black dots.
- It picks up cryptic looping video signals that reveal story clues and point you to your next objective.
- It is used in mini-games to calibrate signals, which ties into puzzle-solving.
The CRTV is clever and atmospheric. However, some reviewers found the controls slightly awkward — you have to hold a shoulder button to bring it up while using the triggers for movement and actions at the same time.
One of the most chilling sequences in the game removes the CRTV entirely. Without it, you navigate an office block full of enemies that stand completely still in the shadows — until the moment you look away. Critics called this one of the best horror sections in recent memory.
Combat and Stealth
Townfall is primarily a stealth game. Simon can pick up melee weapons like planks and pipes, but they break after only one or two uses. This means you cannot fight your way through the game. Hiding and sneaking are your main survival tools.
Enemies are sound-sensitive. You can peek around corners using a dedicated mechanic to check if the coast is clear. The CRTV helps you track enemy positions before committing to a path.
The problem is that the stealth does not always hold up. The most common complaint from critics is the instakill enemy known as “the Weight.” This creature cannot be killed. It stalks the alternate version of St. Amelia and will camp in spots for long periods. If you run out of throwables or IV fluid to revive yourself, you might be stuck waiting for several minutes with very little to do.
You can only carry one throwable item and one brick at a time. This makes some encounters feel more like exercises in patience than tension.
Puzzles
Puzzle design is one of the game’s strongest areas. The puzzles are woven naturally into the world. You find floppy disks with locked boxes that require keys. You decode signals on the CRTV. You piece together fragments of the town’s tragic history to unlock paths forward.
The game offers two puzzle difficulty settings: Hinted and Normal. There is also Story, Normal, and Nightmare for overall difficulty.
Most reviewers praised the puzzles highly. A few late-game puzzles drew frustration, but the satisfaction when something clicks was described as genuinely rewarding.
Silent Hill Townfall Setting – St. Amelia, Scotland
St. Amelia is a fictional Scottish coastal island. It is set in 1996, just before the internet age fully arrived. No smartphones, no social media — just hand-written notes, floppy disks, and analogue technology.
The town is based loosely on real Scottish fishing villages. One reviewer from VGC, who grew up visiting those villages, called the authenticity stunning. The post office has period-correct promotional posters. Residents have floppy disk boxes with clear lids. The photos of locals on the walls look genuinely Scottish.
The fog is thick and oppressive. The streets feel both familiar and deeply wrong. GameSpot described an “unsettling stillness” and a “sense of sadness lurking in every shop and down every alleyway.” Critics consistently ranked St. Amelia among the best Silent Hill locations ever created in the series.
The retro-tech aesthetic of the mid-1990s adds to the atmosphere in a way that feels earned. Things done the old way — hand-drawn signs, written notes, analogue signals — make the supernatural horror feel grounded. There was no Google to look things up. No GPS to find your way. You are truly alone.
Silent Hill Townfall Sound Design and Atmosphere
Critics across the board agree on one thing: the sound design is exceptional.
Silence is used as a weapon. St. Amelia is so quiet that every small sound suddenly matters. Footsteps echo differently on different surfaces. A faint noise from behind you is enough to freeze you in place.
The soundtrack builds tension with low horror undertones before anything dangerous has even appeared. When enemies are nearby, the music shifts and intensifies. Directional audio is smartly implemented — if you play with headphones, the experience becomes significantly more frightening.
Insider Gaming described Townfall at its best as “walking through the fog with headphones on, a faint sound comes from somewhere behind you, the CRT begins reacting, and you discover a clue that initially makes no sense.” That loop of discovery and creeping dread is where the game truly shines.
Silent Hill Townfall vs Silent Hill f and Silent Hill 2 Remake
Konami has now released three major Silent Hill entries in quick succession:
- Silent Hill 2 Remake (2024) — Metacritic: ~89
- Silent Hill f (2025) — Metacritic: ~86. Japan Horror Game Awards 2026 Grand Prize winner.
- Silent Hill Townfall (2026) — Metacritic: 81
Townfall sits at the bottom of the three, but that does not make it bad. It is a different kind of game. It is more indie in scope, more focused on atmosphere than action, and shorter in length. Some critics argued Townfall is scarier on a moment-to-moment basis than Silent Hill f, even if it is not as polished overall.
The franchise as a whole is clearly in a strong place. Each entry has been well-received, and each has tried something different. Townfall’s contribution is the first-person perspective, the Scottish setting, and a deeply personal story.
Silent Hill Townfall Review Scores
Here is where critics landed as of launch day:
- Metacritic (PS5): 81
- OpenCritic: ~82, 92% of critics recommend it
- Digital Spy: 5/5
- DualShockers: 9/10
- Press Start: 8.5/10
- GamesRadar: Strong recommendation
- GameSpot: Positive
- Push Square: 7/10
- Metro: 7/10
- The Outerhaven: Mixed due to stealth issues
The spread is notable. Horror genre specialists gave it higher marks. Generalist outlets were more reserved, mostly citing the stealth frustrations and technical issues.
Silent Hill Townfall Technical Issues and Bugs
One area of real concern at launch was stability, especially on PC. Multiple reports emerged ahead of release about crashes, black screens, and freezing — particularly during cutscenes. Insider Gaming flagged these directly in their review, calling them “difficult to ignore.”
For a game built on sustained, unbroken atmosphere, a crash mid-cutscene is especially damaging. Neither Konami nor Annapurna Interactive had confirmed an official patch for these issues as of the day of release.
On PS5, performance was more stable, with load times coming in at around 7 seconds from the main menu. The game takes up 51.18 GB on PlayStation 5.
Who Is Silent Hill Townfall For?
Townfall is a great fit for you if:
- You enjoy slow-burn psychological horror over action.
- You love atmosphere-first games where the world itself is the experience.
- You are a Silent Hill fan who wants something fresh within the series.
- You play with headphones and enjoy audio-driven horror.
- You do not mind stealth as a core mechanic.
Townfall may frustrate you if:
- You get annoyed by instakill enemies and limited inventory.
- You prefer action-heavy survival horror.
- You are sensitive to technical bugs on PC.
- You want a longer, more expansive game (this runs 10–13 hours).
Silent Hill Townfall Price and Editions
- Standard Edition: $49.99 / £44.99 / €49.99
- Deluxe Edition: $59.99 / €59.99 — Includes cosmetic content, the official soundtrack, and 48-hour early access.
Available on PS5 and PC (Steam and Epic Games Store). No physical edition confirmed at launch for most regions. No Xbox release at this time.
Silent Hill Townfall Review – Final Verdict
Silent Hill Townfall is not a perfect game. The stealth sections wear out their welcome. The instakill enemy design feels dated. Some PC players faced real technical issues at launch.
But when everything works — and it does work, for most of the experience — Townfall is genuinely special. St. Amelia is one of the most well-built horror environments in years. The sound design alone puts it ahead of many competitors. The story is dark, emotional, and the kind that stays with you long after the credits roll.
Konami’s Silent Hill revival has now given us three excellent, distinct entries in three years. Townfall is the most experimental of the three. It does not always succeed, but it tries things that no Silent Hill game has tried before — and that bravery mostly pays off.
If you are a horror fan who can tolerate frustrating stealth in exchange for an atmosphere unlike almost anything else available right now, Silent Hill Townfall is absolutely worth your time and money.
Score: 8/10 — A hauntingly atmospheric horror experience that stumbles on stealth but never loses its grip on your nerves.
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