Playing Silver Pines feels like stepping into an animated horror graphic novel. The ink-scratched art direction and the town's secrets hidden piece by piece make for a uniquely chilling experience. The game combines the paranoia of Silent Hill, the item-juggling of Resident Evil, and the map design of Metroidvania, creating a distinctive and interesting gameplay experience.

The art sells the game, making it genuinely unsettling in places. The town is fully formed, slowly revealing its secrets with the same teasing paranoia as Silent Hill. You play as private investigator Red Walker, sent to a half-abandoned town to find a missing musician. The trail takes you through various locations, each with its own set of puzzles and secrets. The side-scrolling design feels layered and dense, with challenges hinted at from a distance.

The puzzles are generally logical and satisfying, leaning towards Resident Evil’s item management and lock gizmos. The map does much of the heavy lifting, helping you navigate back and forth between locations. The story arrives in pieces, found in drawers, on notice boards, and through phone lines. This adds to the world-building, making puzzle-solving feel earned rather than arbitrary. Combat is snappy and surprisingly aggressive, with the shotgun being a key weapon that rips apart enemies and scenery.

The game is a debut for Wych Elm Games, a five-person studio with a clear passion for its inspirations. The blend of Silent Hill, Twin Peaks, and X-Files investigations creates a unique experience. The back-and-forth of a Metroidvania is present, with each new tool and solved puzzle opening up another corner of town. The town is full of wrong turns, with areas that are memorable enough to make you race to put the solution into practice.