SILENT HILL f Wins Top Prize at Japan Horror Game Awards 2026
On September 11, 2026, the opening day of the Tokyo Horror Special Zone!! 2026 event at Tokyo Dome City’s Prism Hall, the winners of the Japan Horror Game Awards 2026 produced by Hyakumuro were announced. The grand prize went to SILENT HILL f. The awards were established as the event’s main project, produced by the horror game information brand Hyakumuro (Zenkaiiki Hyakki Yagyo Observation Lab), with horror fans and various experts casting votes and serving as judges. The three-day event runs from September 11 to 13 under the theme “Dive into Horror.”
SILENT HILL f is a psychological horror title set in Ebisugaoka in Showa-era Japan, following schoolgirl Hinako as she explores a nightmarish world invaded by fog and flowers. The scenario was written by Ryukishi07, known for Higurashi When They Cry. Through motifs including local beliefs, family, marriage, foxes, and bodily transformation, the story depicts reality and hallucination, custom and individual identity collapsing, unfolding through layered multiple endings. Judges praised its storytelling craft, memorable dialogue, the madness of bludgeoning combat without firearms, and a narrative structure that shifts across repeated playthroughs.
Beyond the grand prize, several category awards were presented. The Horror Narrative and Direction Award went to REANIMAL, while the Horror Art and Visual Expression Award went to Fatal Frame: Crimson Butterfly REMAKE. Best Horror Creature went to “The Visitor” in No, I’m not a Human, the Psychological Horror Award to SILENT HILL f, and the Survival Horror Award to Resident Evil Requiem. Other honorees included MIMESIS for multiplayer horror and Paranormasight FILE38: The Mermaid’s Curse of Ise in the reality-versus-unreality category.
The awards accepted games released between March 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026, with public voting held from July 14 to August 4, 2026, combining online user, creator, and media votes with Hyakumuro judging. The Tokyo Horror Special Zone!! 2026 event runs September 11 to 13 at Prism Hall, with admission priced at 4,300 yen (~$29) for general visitors and 2,700 yen (~$18) for middle and high school students. It also features horror merchandise, experience booths, stage talks, photo sessions, and autograph events. Given the record number of votes, this first-ever ceremony reads as a meaningful step for the genre.
