New Silent Hill game inspired by tiny fishing village in Fife

Source: BBC Technology

Silent Hill: Townfall is the next entry in the long‑running survival‑horror franchise. Developed by Glasgow‑based studio Screen Burn, the game is set in the fictional village of St Amelia, which draws its inspiration from the real‑world fishing village of St Monans on Scotland’s East Neuk coast.

Game Overview

Silent Hill: Townfall will be the studio’s “biggest and most ambitious” title yet. The series, launched by Konami in 1999, has sold millions of copies worldwide. The most recent spin‑off, Silent Hill f, moved a million units on its first day of release in September 2025.

Real‑world Inspiration

St Monans is a small community of just over 1,100 residents, situated along the Fife Coastal Path. Its colourful harbourside houses and narrow, fog‑shrouded alleys form the visual backbone of St Amelia.

Trailer Details

The game’s trailer showcases a deserted fishing village enveloped in haar—the cold sea fog typical of Scotland’s east coast. Viewers see a harbour littered with lobster boxes, bobbing boats, and colourful bunting lining the dark streets of St Amelia. Plaques on a monument read “let the ferries in” and “this town is ours,” underscoring the sense of abandonment.

Developer Insights

Setting and Atmosphere

Screen Burn co‑founder Jon McKellan explained that the team initially considered a vague northern‑European location but chose St Monans to create an authentic, isolated atmosphere. He said:

“It’s the smell, the wind, the sound of the place—everything together is what you’re trying to recreate. The isolation brings an existential dread that fits Silent Hill’s core.”

Recreating the haar accurately was a key technical challenge, as the fog both obscures vision and heightens tension.

Visual Design

Art director Paul Abbott likened the game’s misty environment to early‑morning walks to school in his own small fishing village:

“It’s a beautifully epic, grey, drizzly environment, and we’re bringing that to the game.”

The team painstakingly modeled recognisable features such as winding alleyways and the texture of the piers.

Release Information

Silent Hill: Townfall is slated for release later in 2026. When it launches, up to one million players could be wandering the virtual streets of a village that, in reality, is home to just over a thousand residents.