Silent Hill f owes its popularity to fan art, theories, memes, and more, say leads: "Games that do get talked about even months after release are the ones that are fun to theorize about"

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Silent Hill f owes its popularity to fan art, theories, memes, and more, say leads: "Games that do get talked about even months after release are the ones that are fun to theorize about" News By Anna Koselke published 28 November 2025

Such "hype" results in titles that "tend to live on for longer"

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(Image credit: Konami)

Silent Hill f saw a stellar start after Konami's release, between its "Very Positive" beginnings on Steam and over one million sales in just four days – but according to its developers, a big reason why the new horror game is so successful is its community.

Speaking in a recent interview with Dengeki Online (as translated by Automaton), director Motoi Okamoto and writer Ryukishi07 both explain that Silent Hill f attracted more players worldwide than the Silent Hill 2 remake – and this phenomenon is especially apparent in Japan, where people have circulated everything from fan theories about the game to memes online, perhaps contributing to the greater popularity.

Okamoto sees this – the community rallying around a title – as a potential key to long-term success, especially when hype tends to die down far more quickly now than ever before. "Recently, discourse about games has been consumed at a rapid pace," describes the director. "But games that do get talked about even months after release are the ones that are fun to theorize about and analyze, and they usually get a lot of character fan art."

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He continues: "From my experience, titles which are able to show us that kind of hype tend to live on for longer." Silent Hill f, with its ability to stand apart from Konami's series thanks to its unique premise and setting, is one such example. Ryukishi07 agrees, saying games like the new horror gem "ultimately boil down to how much the player resonates with them." He says that's why protagonists in such games are less talkative – to allow for immersion.

Although these kinds of characters have a "dark kind of appeal," they're not as marketable, so to speak. Silent Hill f stands apart because its protagonist, Hinako Shimizu, doesn't follow this formula, making room for fan art, memes, and you name it. That doesn't, however, mean that Ryukishi07 wants every Silent Hill to make rounds on the web like Silent Hill f – it's not necessarily the "way the series should follow" forever.

The writer hopes it just shows there's more than one way to go about things. "If the direction we took with f is well-received, hopefully it could become one of the examples of the Silent Hill series' expressive range," as he concludes.

Silent Hill f's lead actor can't catch a break: As Konami announces new "casual mode," fans are naming it after Hinako's VO after she went viral for streaming the game in terror.

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Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. TOPICS Konami CATEGORIES PC Gaming Xbox Series X PS5 Platforms Xbox PlayStation Anna KoselkeSocial Links NavigationStaff Writer

After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.

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Logout Read more Silent Hill f sells over 1 million copies in just 4 days as Konami confirms the new horror game is already "exceeding" the success the Silent Hill 2 remake saw last year    Silent Hill f producer praises its 86 Metacritic score, says he expected the challenge to be divisive, and the story reception is proof the Higurashi When They Cry writer was the right man for the job    Silent Hill f gets off to a "Very Positive" start on Steam, with 88% favorable reviews from horror fans: "It's not your classic SH experience, but it's a damn good one"    Silent Hill f's Metacritic score pairs it with Silent Hill 3, but doesn't quite hit the highs of the original two games or 2024's Silent Hill 2 remake    As Silent Hill f's combat divides fans, series producer stresses the new horror game isn't the blueprint for future titles: "We want to keep experimenting and be ambitious"    Silent Hill f actor didn't just feel her "sanity slipping" while recording for the horror game, "there were times when I would burst into tears" during production: "I felt like I was going crazy"    Latest in Silent Hill Silent Hill f's lead actor can't catch a break: As Konami announces new "casual mode," fans are naming it after Hinako's VO after she went viral for streaming the game in terror    Silent Hill 2 Remake's Xbox port release date leaked by Microsoft itself, and its imminent launch might be good news for the game's rumored Born From a Wish DLC    Silent Hill 2 remake Born from a Wish DLC copium grows even stronger as Bloober Team writer acknowledges the expansion along with a potential Xbox release: "Born from a what?"    Silent Hill f's Hinako actor is playing her own game on stream and I feel bad for how hard I'm laughing at her terror    One Japanese school is using Hideo Kojima's unfinished Silent Hill game PT to teach students English, and it sounds like a great way to memorize the words "murder his entire family"    Konami dev responds to Hideo Kojima's thoughts on AI, claiming that Silent Hill f contains "the kind of bold choices AI would never be able to make"    Latest in News Silent Hill f owes its popularity to fan art, theories, memes, and more, say leads: "Games that do get talked about even months after release are the ones that are fun to theorize about"    Old copy of Fortnite from before it went free-to-play sells for $42,500, and while you might think that's weird, remember that the person who bought it probably won't play it anyway    Stranger Things creator reveals exactly when we'll finally learn the truth about the Upside Down: "This is something that has been planned for 10 years now"    Palworld dev isn’t impressed by "so-called" AAA, prefers indies since they "include the kind of systems you can’t find in other games": "AAA titles are overwhelmingly about graphic quality and fidelity"    Demon Slayer's Tanjiro actor and manga diehard says Infinity Castle sequel fights could surpass the Akaza showdown: "It's gonna blow some minds, for sure"    GTA 6 might've won the "Most Wanted Game" award at the Golden Joysticks, but The Witcher 4 wasn't far behind    GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

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