Key Preview Takeaways:
- The distinctive visible model is immediately interesting.
- The ’90s-style adventure-meets-survival-horror gameplay makes it really feel distinctive in 2026.
- Monster selection is missing in the brief, early-game demo we performed.
I’m regularly impressed with what number of attention-grabbing and distinctive concepts for video video games nonetheless handle to come out, whilst we’ve bought actually hundreds popping out yearly now. If you haven’t heard of Silver Pines but, it’s a pixelated 2D survival horror that solutions the query, “What would possibly Alan Wake be like if it have been made for the PS1 in the ‘90s?”, and it’s one thing I didn’t notice I wanted in my life till now. After taking part in the first hour of this creepy, nerve-racking demon lovechild of Silent Hill and The Secret of Monkey Island, I used to be utterly pulled in by the unusual and unsettling story, the deceptively lovely pixel artwork, and the eerie sounds and music that made every new darkened hallway that a lot more durable to discover. Although, with solely a really small sampling, it stays to be seen in the event that they’ll be capable to proceed the momentum after a really sturdy opening stretch. Both method, that is already fairly simply one in every of the most trendy and distinctive video games of 2026.
Silver Pines appears like an episode of The X-Information or Twin Peaks stuffed into the retro shirt of a point-and-click puzzle sport from the ‘90s, and developer Wych Elm Video games isn’t shy about the place it attracts its inspiration. If you’re a fan of the now decidedly old-school period of the unique Resident Evil or Silent Hill, you’ll most likely really feel proper at dwelling in this survival horror that’s equal elements fleeing from creepy monsters, gathering and rationing provides to maintain your self alive, and combating unspeakable horrors when all else fails. In a single part I investigated a derelict motel full of huge bugs and shadowy humanoids whereas making an attempt to trace down a lacking musician, whereas in one other I spiraled into momentary insanity, as the strains blurred between actuality and I discovered myself phasing into instances and locations I couldn’t probably have been current for. That is a kind of sluggish, creeping mysteries you’ll clear up by means of the eyes of an unreliable narrator, whose survival appears more and more unlikely even when the instant horrors earlier than you don’t get their method.
If you aren’t slowly being pushed to insanity, you’ll decide your method by means of mild puzzles that have you ever trying to find circuit breakers to activate the energy, use numerous keys and playing cards to entry new areas, and even play a carnival sport to win the prize of…a key you could move by means of a motel gate? That’s a fairly bizarre safety system, however okay! These easy point-and-click hurdles largely function one thing so that you can work by means of whereas trying over your shoulder for no matter’s making that sickening groaning noise, however they do a great job at making even easy duties very panic-inducing, as I discovered on a number of events once I fumbled the improper button and opened my stock as a substitute of sprinting away as a result of some ghastly determine snuck up on me once I had my guard down. Making an attempt to work by means of little puzzles whereas understanding in the again of your thoughts that one thing very spooky is sure to occur any second now jogs my memory an entire lot of the early Resident Evil video games that Silver Pines is clearly going for, which is, after all, an excellent signal.
Scare-Metropolis of Sources
One other acquainted method Silver Pines provides to the stress of surviving its ranges is with its deliberately sluggish and imprecise fight. You’ll swing at issues with a field cutter and shoot firearms with the extraordinarily restricted ammo you’re capable of scrounge up, however enemies are oftentimes quicker than you, you’ve bought some fairly beefy cooldowns between issues like swinging your melee weapon, reloading takes method longer than you’d like, and your character is a complete wimp who will get stunned by nearly any assault. Typically this is usually a bit irritating, like throughout the first boss struggle the place you generally really feel such as you’ve bought no shot of outrunning a few of the creepy caterpillar-corpse-thing’s assaults, or once you simply can’t appear to search out time to restore your melee weapon with duct tape earlier than the bug chasing you will get one other hit in. But it surely’s the sort of good frustration that builds rigidity in a horror sport that one thing like Silver Pines simply wouldn’t be the similar with out.
That stated, I do have extra reputable concern about the lack of enemy selection, as apart from the intro boss struggle, I solely encountered two sorts of enemies in my time with this demo. In equity, I solely performed a brief space, and I totally count on there might be many extra baddies to fend off, however it’s value shouting out that this wasn’t showcased very properly in the opening space. And between the two enemies I noticed, humanoids and bugs, they each had extraordinarily predictable motion patterns and a single assault that made them pretty straightforward to take care of as soon as I encountered them a couple of instances. I’ll reserve judgment till I’ve had an opportunity to play a bit a bit farther alongside in the sport, however positively one thing to control.
It simply wouldn’t be a correct survival horror sport if you happen to weren’t spending most of your time obsessing over a definite lack of sources to get you thru ranges, and Silver Pines isn’t any exception. Lots of the rigidity comes from the truth that you simply’ve bought valuable few sources at your disposal. Ammo in your weapons is tough to come back by, melee weapons need to be repaired with a roll of duct tape after just some hits, and you’ll solely discover so many therapeutic objects to restore accidents that make your character even slower. Each as soon as in a whilst you’ll discover a merchandising machine stocked with useful objects that may be purchased with the spare change you discover mendacity round, however horrifyingly this cash can also be used to avoid wasting the sport. That’s proper, in true Resident Evil type, you’ll have to make use of your valuable few cash simply to avoid wasting your progress, which provides much more suspense to a sport that’s already fairly chock filled with dread.
Which means most of the time the greatest answer is to run away, if in any respect attainable, conserving what sources you may have by avoiding fight like the plague. To that finish, you’ve bought a dodge transfer that permits you to move by means of enemies and obstacles to maintain you shifting alongside, plus you possibly can often dash away from enemies if you happen to time it proper, however you’ve additionally bought to fret about a particularly brief stamina meter to take care of, which leaves you fairly defenseless as soon as depleted. Yet one more useful resource you’ll end up in brief provide of as the waking nightmares shut in on you. I imply, that’s just a few basic survival horror stuff proper there.
Heaps to Love
However the major attraction with Silver Pines, as far as I’m involved, is that the complete factor is simply so dang trendy. The pixelated artwork is surprisingly fluid and expressive, the voice performing is offputting and eerie, and each a part of the small city you end up in is simply so ominous and full of little hair-raising particulars throughout. It’s completely Lynchian stuff if I ever noticed it, and regardless of a lot of my time in this ghastly backwater being extremely nerve-racking, it’s a spot I actually sit up for spending extra time in.
I’ve solely gotten a style of this harrowing and distinctive indie sport, however what I performed made me actually desperate to return and dive deeper into the muck of insanity. Right here’s hoping it delivers past this small sampling when it comes out later this 12 months.
When you’re right here, try these previews of different massive upcoming video games we have performed just lately!
Travis Northup is a author for IGN. You may observe him on Twitter @TieGuyTravis and learn his video games protection right here.