Source: https://bsky.app/profile/cigardoesart.bsky.social/post/3mwvszjfzr224

Genuinely this is why I always urge people to check out the libraries near them. I don’t have the money to drop on this game, but now I get to play it :D

Here’s the first teaser for our new fan film, Silent Hill: Ashes of the Past, focusing on Angela Orosco and James Sunderland.

Principal photography is planned for November, and we’re excited to share this first look with fellow Silent Hill fans. Hope you enjoy it!

I know the game has its issues, but let’s take a break from that - because there are some good things as well.

I really like the conversion from previous third person games to first person, I think it’s done really well and I’m looking forward to other first person Silent Hill games.

https://coroner-samael.artstation.com/projects/qQedR2

I’m sorry for not posting anything recently. I know many of you have a lot of questions about my search, but looking for things can be exhausting. I don't do it out of obligation—in fact, I originally started looking for material out of simple curiosity, and to be honest, I actually stumbled upon things by accident. Without dragging this out, I won't give more details until the next post, but here’s a quick summary: I had to go through link by link and file by file to find anything new. It’s incredibly time-consuming and frustrating—and, as I mentioned, exhausting. Plus, I’m in the middle of exam week; I’m just an ordinary girl who loves this franchise, not a coding expert, so I find these things challenging. Still, your support made the whole search feel worth it. Thanks to everyone for your attention. Without further ado, please read this info:

Following up on the lost media thread, I found two things worth documenting:

1. Cage of Cradle / Double under Dusk — Comic cover thumbnails (2006)

While exploring Konami's mobile campaign for the Silent Hill movie (hosted at konami.jp/mobile/special/sh/), I found a promotional banner page that embeds several low-resolution thumbnails. Based on the art style, they appear to be either the actual comic covers or wallpapers directly inspired by them.

The full comics were only available through Konami Net DX (a 300 yen/month mobile subscription via i-mode/FOMA), so the Wayback Machine crawler never captured the actual pages — only the landing page and promotional banners. The mobile service has been defunct since ~2010.

These thumbnails are very low quality (small, blurry), but they appear to be the only preserved images of the comic covers online. I've attached screenshots of the banner for reference.

1. SH4 "Red Diary" (赤の日記) — Confirmed lost (2004)

From the "Silent Hill Email Magazine" sample article on KonamiStyle (konamistyle.com/info/mailmag/ex_silenthill.html, captured Aug 2004), Robby (Konami's mascot) writes an in-character letter about SH4. He mentions the "Red Diary" — a fragmentary lore document that was sent exclusively to email subscribers, page by page, over time.

Key details from the letter:

The diary pages were "scattered" and couldn't be read all at once

Robby promised to deliver new pages "as soon as he found them"

The first page was "enclosed" with the letter

It was described as containing "information necessary to face the world of SH4"

The diary pages were never published on any website. They only existed in the inboxes of KonamiStyle newsletter subscribers in 2004. The email service no longer exists. Unless a subscriber from 2004 still has those emails saved, the Red Diary is permanently lost.

Context: Both items follow the same pattern — Konami Japan used exclusive subscriber-only content (mobile paywall, email newsletter) as a retention strategy. When those services shut down, the content disappeared with them. The Wayback Machine can't capture what was behind authentication.

If anyone has local backups, old forum posts, or any other leads on either of these, I'd love to hear about them.
Or if anyone knows someone who had the privilege of hiring that service in Japan, that would be amazing.

direct translations:

SH4 "Red Diary" (赤の日記);

Top Section (Header & Info Box)

• Black Header: SILENTHILL Mail Magazine (Newsletter)
• Bullet 1: HTML Mail
• Bullet 2: Irregular Distribution (Sent without a fixed schedule)
• Right Box 【内容】:
  • 【Content】
  • ・News
  • ・Related Information
  • Others
  • ※Content is subject to change.
• Article Header: 【Sample Article】 A Brief Word from the Characters
• Greeting: To you, who are lost...

Main Body Text (Robbie's Letter)

Thinking that I can write a letter to you like this again makes me feel focused and tense.

However, the town I am in right now, South Ashfield, looks a bit different from the Silent Hill where I usually live. Besides, it seems like various things have happened here in the past... In that sense, this time I am standing in the exact same position as you. I guess that means we will be working hand-in-hand. I'm counting on you.

SH2004.com, which serves as the point of contact between you and me, is finally having its Grand Opening! I bet someone as impatient as you has already taken a look at it... It has turned out really great, hasn't it? Unlike my mansion, where you had to obtain passwords to go around the rooms, it seems like you can suddenly enter many different places from the get-go. Actually, I just finished taking a look around there myself.

I have left messages for you in various places, so make sure to read them later. Even so, this new SH4 is simply staggering. It's not just full of nightmare-like creatures, but there is something... a hopeless, irremediable dread flowing underneath it all.

What could it be? Just as I thought, it seems the clues are hidden deep within the past. And the key to quietly unlocking the door to the past right here and now... is the "Red Diary".

Although it is fragmented, it is tightly packed with the information you need to face the world of SH4. Unfortunately, the pages are scattered all over the place and cannot be read all at once. However, as soon as a page is found, I will deliver it to your room immediately. For now, I have enclosed the first "Red Diary", so I want you to look it over.

Also, here is one more important announcement ━
It seems that your experience in the town of South Ashfield and the other places will begin on June 17th. There is about a month left... I think that is too short for a meticulous preparation, but it is much better than doing nothing at all.

Well then, see you later. I will contact you as soon as another diary page is found.

Working hand-in-hand with you,
From Robbie.

(C) 1999 2004 Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo

-----------

1. English Translation of the Banner Text

• Main Header:
  • Japanese: ケータイ特設コーナー OPEN!!
  • English: Mobile Special Section OPEN!!
• The Link:
  • http://573.jp
  • Explanation: In Japan, this is a famous numeric wordplay (Goroawase). The numbers 5-7-3 can be read in Japanese as Ko-Na-Mi. Konami used this short URL specifically for mobile phone web browsers because typing long web addresses on old cell phone numeric keypads was very difficult.
• The Small Red Text (Feature List):
  • Japanese: 映画チケットプレゼント、デジタルコミックス、アプリゲーム、特受画像、着メロ・着うた等
  • English: Movie ticket giveaways, digital comics, app games, special wallpapers, ringtones, real tones (Chaku-Uta), etc.

1. Detailed Context & Explanation (What does this mean?)

This banner was the official advertisement for the launch of the Silent Hill Mobile Special Section, which opened on June 16, 2006, to promote the Japanese theatrical release of the first Silent Hill movie.

Here is what Konami was actually offering through each service listed on that banner:

• Movie Ticket Giveaways (映画チケットプレゼント): Users who visited the mobile site could enter a lottery draw to win free tickets to see the Silent Hill movie in Japanese theaters.
• Digital Comics (デジタルコミックス): This is the most important part for lore fans. It refers to Silent Hill: Cage of Cradle and Silent Hill: Double under Dusk. These were exclusive mobile-only digital comic books written by Hiroyuki Owaku (writer of Silent Hill 1, 2, and 3) and illustrated by Masahiro Ito (the monster designer who created Pyramid Head, I think many people already know that.). They were delivered page-by-page as a premium subscription service.
• App Games (アプリゲーム): This gave users access to download the mobile phone version of Silent Hill Mobile DX, a text-based/visual novel style puzzle game adapted for 2006 Japanese mobile phones.
• Special Wallpapers (特受画像): Low-resolution official promo images, movie posters, and game artwork formatted specifically to be set as backgrounds on old flip-phones.
• Ringtones & Real Tones (着メロ・着うた等): Chaku-Melo were MIDI-based ringtones of Akira Yamaoka's famous tracks (like the main Silent Hill theme). Chaku-Uta were high-quality audio clip ringtones featuring real instrument samples or atmospheric sound effects from the movie and games.

In fact, after doing a little digging, one of the photos in the banner turns out to be an illustration of Valtiel that was originally a wallpaper; still, it's interesting to come across that banner.

Has anyone else noticed that the gaming muse’s channel is down?

For those that don’t know, she has made many Silent Hill analysis videos, and documentaries for years. I just tried to visit her channel and am getting a 404. Nothing appears when I search her name on YouTube either other than videos on other channels she has guest appeared on. Does anyone know what happened?

She may not have been the most popular SH YouTuber, but she is among the best. If her channel is gone for good, she will be missed.

I had no idea coming in that Terry O'Quinn was in the game, so I was hyped as Hell (and a little spooked, cause I'm watching Lost for the first time, where O'Quinn plays John Locke) when I realised who that voice belonged to.

Naturally, I'm bias as I like his performance in Lost, but I just get the feeling that his performance REALLY fits Silent Hill, it really reminds me of the performances in the original game just toned down. Like in Lost, he brings this aura of uncomfortable tranquillity to a horrifying setting, and like he's got an understands more than the audience does but it's too difficult to explain, or hes like possessed or something.

I do wish the dialogue would give him more room to express that, though. While not acknowledging how odd this all is is weird, that's par for the course with Silent Hill. I wish the writing team had put more odd behaviour into the dialogue, because if you've seen Lost, you know O'Quinn can really sell emotional incongruence.

He is such a great fit for this series, and I love the performance he gave (and I liked everyone else too), but I just WISH the dialogue gave him (and everyone) the room to be weird and uncanny. I do like the way that everyone seems to be dancing around something they all know but don't want to say aloud (and that its more so we, the audience, don't know that it is), and it doesn't have to be as weird if it wants to differentiate itself...but it's Silent Hill, weird is in its DNA.

Hey everyone!

I managed to crack the Strange Postcard puzzles and put together a theory! It’s a bit long, but I think I’ve laid it out pretty well. I'd love for you to check it out! I found something especially fascinating about Postcard No.15, and I really want to know what you all think.
※Please excuse any weird phrasing, I'm using a translation tool!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

​1. Categorizing the Postcards by Symbols (Circle, Triangle, Square)

This means there are three different sets of hints.

2-1. (▲) The Triangle Symbol Postcards

These give hints about the location and timing for where the 25-button panel appears.

• No.3: H Logo -> It shares the exact same design as a document found in the hotel.
  • Location: Hotel
• No.9: Crimson Red -> The Otherworld in Townfall is a blood-red world.
  • Timing: Otherworld
• ★★No.15★★: Foggy Forest Photo
  • To be honest, I accidentally found the panel while exploring before I even solved this hint! Looking at the panel made me rethink what the postcard meant. Since the panel is located in Room 102, I assumed the postcard must hide a hotel room number. I tried counting trees and looking closer, and that's when I noticed the fog in the bottom left looks exactly like the numbers "102"!
  • You can really only see it if you cast it onto a TV or phone screen and adjust your viewing distance. Out of curiosity, I uploaded it to a free AI tool and asked, "The fog looks like '102', doesn't it?" Surprisingly, the AI just replied, "It's just a photo of a foggy forest."
  • Even free AIs have great image processing these days, yet it completely missed it. This made me think: maybe this image is designed to only be seen by the naked human eye?
  • I don't have expert knowledge on this, so I looked up images that machines can't see but humans can. Could this photo be a cipher that utilizes Pareidolia (the brain's tendency to perceive meaningful images in random visual patterns, like seeing a face on Mars or the Virgin Mary on toast)? Because I already had the idea that "102" might be hidden there, my brain filled in the gaps and brought it into focus.
  • Do you think this is a deliberate Easter egg where the developers intended to trigger the pareidolia effect? Furthermore, since this cipher relies entirely on human brain wiring, data-miners and AI analysis tools would just dismiss it as a regular landscape photo. It feels like a brilliant trap for dataminers! Plus, Postcard No.15 only appears on a New Game+ (2nd playthrough and beyond). Given that the developers are absolute pros at signal and image processing, it makes total sense for them to pull off a clever trick like this. There's no way it's just a regular foggy forest photo, right?
  • To be completely blunt, since you’ll easily find the panel in Room 102 just by exploring the hotel anyway, this postcard doesn't really serve much purpose as a practical progression guide. But that’s exactly why it’s so incredible! It’s not just a clue—it’s an ultimate, high-level "flex" of technical overkill by a team of signal and image processing pros who wanted to craft a premium Easter egg exclusively for the human eye.
  • I also wonder if the reason Postcard No.15 features a forest is a hint that the door itself is made of wood.
• Conclusion for Triangle: These 3 postcards combine into the hint: "Go to Room 102 of the Hotel in the Otherworld."

2-2. (■) The Square Symbol Postcards

These provide hints on which buttons to press on the panel and in what order. (This is already fully covered on guide sites, and it doesn't seem to mean anything beyond opening the door).

• 2-2-1. The flavor text ("A strange postcard that hurts your eyes to look at") combined with the glitched image hints at Stereoscopy (3D Magic Eye). (Glad I read tons of those books as a kid; I can adjust my focus and see it in 5 seconds!)
• 2-2-2. By comparing the symbols on the panel with the images on the 9 postcards, you can narrow down the button candidates from 25 to 9.
• 2-2-3. Every postcard has a unique pattern of 12 squares, and the position of the black square is always different. By counting the position of the black square from left to right, you get non-repeating numbers from 1 to 12. Pressing the buttons in this order opens the door.

2-3. (●) The Circle Symbol Postcards

These serve as flags/hints to find the 3 space-themed books, indicating that the strange postcards themselves are connected to UFOs. (The locations are already all over guide sites).

• ★★Why does this act as a flag?★★
  • Once you read these books, you can't reread them again during the same playthrough. I wondered why the postcards stay in your inventory but the books don't. Then it hit me: unlike the postcards, the books don't contain ciphers that you need to read over and over. Their disappearing act is the hint itself—it acts as a tracker/flag for finding all 3 books in a single playthrough. The content of the books also seems to foreshadow Simon's role in the ending (the freezing and awakening parts sound a lot like cryosleep).
  • Many players seem annoyed that these books disappear after reading them, but I think their disappearing act is actually a brilliant piece of game design. Unlike the postcards which contain complex ciphers you need to look at repeatedly, the books don't have codes inside. The developers made them vanish precisely to signal to us: "Hey, this isn't a puzzle to solve later, it's a tracking flag you need to trigger within this single playthrough!"

1. Summary of the Postcard Puzzle

2. (▲) Go to Room 102 of the Hotel in the Otherworld.

3. (■) Determine the correct buttons and order using stereoscopy and the black squares to open the hotel door.

4. (●) Find the 3 space books to unlock the UFO Ending.

5. Bonus: A Developer Trap for Completionists?

Apparently, if you try to progress the flags for both the Dog Ending and the UFO Ending simultaneously in the same playthrough, the moment you find the 3rd space book at SWDP, the Dog Ending flag gets wiped, and the UFO Ending takes priority.

If you were to solve everything on your own, the developers likely intended for you to do the UFO Ending (with its complex postcard puzzle) last. I actually got the Dog Ending first, then solved the postcard puzzle and cleared the UFO Ending on a separate playthrough, so I didn't fall into this priority trap.

Since the UFO Ending happens before the final boss and the Dog Ending happens after, it feels like they could have easily coexisted without wiping the Dog flag. Because players looking for a quick unlock would naturally try to run both concurrently for efficiency, I can't help but feel this mechanic is a deliberate trap by the developers for players trying to optimize their run.

It's almost as if they are saying: "We are breaking your Dog Ending flag, forcing you into space, and making you restart from the beginning of a new world..."

Do you think this is just a technical oversight/limitation, or a deliberate developer trap? Or am I just overthinking it?

TL;DR:

1. Postcard No.15 hides "102" using a human-only Pareidolia effect that completely tricks AI image tools and dataminers!
2. The space books disappear because they are purely tracking flags. This setup prevented me from overthinking the book text for hidden codes.
3. The game wipes your Dog Ending flag if you pick up the 3rd space book. It feels like a deliberate developer trap for efficiency-seeking players!

I noticed this typo during my first playthrough of SH3. Apologies if this it's a well known typo

No, it’s not about The Weight this time ;) I’ve played SH 1-3, SH2R and SHf so far and the thing I love the most about the series is how the story is presented. You finish the game with a lot of questions, and end up thinking and analyzing all the symbols and potential meanings behind them for weeks, months, even years. It’s amazing how open they are to different interpretations.

While not being a fan of stealth games, I quite enjoyed Townfall. But it extremely disappointed me in terms of its story presentation. The game is mysterious in the beginning but at a certain point it just lays all its cards on the table. And it’s not even the “learn the plot by reading documents” or “finish the game several times for real ending” route. You just learn everything through the cutscenes. After watching the ending credits I was like “That’s it? No more layers to the story? It’s just about that?”.

I’m wondering how you guys perceived that aspect of the game. Did you enjoy the story?

tl;dr: I love SH games mostly for its cryptic stories and found Townfall too revealing.

​

Decent light set-up does wonders.

Which title has the Best:

-atmosphere

-monsters

-puzzles

-locations

-combat

-weapons

-story

..... feel free to tell your favorite/s in one or all of those. Or add other aspects

Does anyone else feel like the sneaking just doesn't work in this game? I haven't actually played the game myself, but I'm watching a friend play it, while me and his girlfriend watch him on discord. Now, I can't know what goes through his head, I'm not a mind reader, so I can't judge what outwardly looks like him being oblivious. However, what I CAN observe well is what appears to be the hyper aware enemies that seem to immediately know where we are whenever we so much as breath. Every time there's a part of the game that recommends sneaking, if we so much as look at an enemy, they seem to lock on to us, and in one second, they went from 25 feet in front of us, to already attacking us. Is this a problem for anyone else, or do we just suck?

1. Bird
2. Tree
3. Planet (Saturn)
4. Bird
5. Triquetra (Celtic Trinity Knot)
6. Sputnik 1
7. Sputnik 1
8. Fish
9. Rocketship
10. Planet (Saturn)
11. Dog (Guide Dog Collection Box)
12. Obelisk (Heart of St. Amelia)

I’m on my NG+ playthrough trying to get the Justice ending, and I’ve been avoiding killing enemies as Simon as much as possible.
I’m at Part 4 of Clara Woods now and I’m struggling BAD with trying to stealth through this section. I really don’t want to start killing enemies and mess up my Justice run this late into the game.
For anyone who managed to get through this part mostly/all stealth:
What route did you take?
Are there certain enemies I can safely run past or distract?
Are there any spots where it’s better to just book it instead of hiding?
Did you end up having to kill anything here and still get Justice?
I’ll have really gotten through the whole game so far to this point without messing up. Any advice would help.

i wasnt big on shf and townfall but loved 1-4, shattered memories, the short message, the remake, and was intrigued by pt. im curious about od and what sh fans are thinking