Among the best horror games in video game history, the Silent Hill franchise might be the most iconic. Starting back on the PS1, this claustrophobic and psychological horror series stood apart from the rest with its dense fog and otherworldly monsters. Sadly, the franchise has had more lows than highs after the third entry, but it is making a strong comeback as of late. Now is the best time to immerse yourself in the dark world of Silent Hill, but where should you start? Unlike the Resident Evil games, which are very tied together, the lore and canon of Silent Hill is much harder to track. Make sure your radio is turned on and grab a pipe as I walk you through the entire Silent Hill series in release order and chronologically.
All Silent Hill games in release order
Silent Hill is a series that builds upon itself with each entry. The world and lore of that cursed town only get deeper and more complex, while the technology and gameplay attempt to evolve with the times. Because the games range from the PS1 all the way up to current consoles and PCs, it could be more than a little jarring if you played the most recent game followed by the earliest. Release order is always a safe bet for playing a big franchise in order, like Metal Gear games, even if it isn’t the chronological order. This is the way those of us who have been following the series from the start experienced Silent Hill.
- Silent Hill (1999)
- Silent Hill 2 (2001)
- Silent Hill 3 (2003)
- Silent Hill 4: The Room (2004)
- Silent Hill: Origins (2007)
- Silent Hill: Homecoming (2008)
- Silent Hill: Shattered Memories (2009)
- Silent Hill: Downpour (2012)
- Silent Hill: Book of Memories (2012)
- Silent Hill: Ascension (2023)
- Silent Hill: The Short Message (2024)
- Silent Hill 2 Remake (2024)
- Silent Hill f (2025)
All Silent Hill games in chronological order
This is where things get a little foggy (pun intended). There are a few Silent Hill games that give firm dates as to when they take place, but most do not. In fact, some even seem to contradict their time period intentionally, making it even harder to build a definitive timeline. That said, I have sifted through every note and connected every dot I could to give the most educated guess on the complete Silent Hill chronology. That said, part of the fun of these games is figuring it all out for yourself, so feel free to disagree and make your own theories. I can safely say that playing the series chronologically is not necessary at all. The only games that do need to be played in a specific order is 1 before 3 and Shattered Memories, and the original 2 before the remake if you plan on playing both.
- Silent Hill Ascension (Unknown, thought to be the beginning of the timeline)
- Silent Hill f (1960s)
- Silent Hill Origins (1976)
- Silent Hill (1980s)
- Silent Hill 2 (either 2001 or early 1990s)
- Silent Hill 3 (around 2000)
- Silent Hill 4: The Room (most likely early 2000s)
- Silent Hill: Downpour (mid 2000s)
- Silent Hill: Homecoming (2007)
- Silent Hill: Shattered Memories (2008)
