Wych Elm’s Silver Pines has been on my radar for a very, very long time. As someone who believes Twin Peaks is the finest piece of television ever created, seeing the reveal for a horror Metroidvania deeply inspired by David Lynch’s iconic television serial instantly had my attention.

There is an oddity about small town America and its peoples, that surfaces a sense of chilling mystery; what really happens beyond the seemingly never ending, off the grid, pine tree forests? Having done the Twin Peaks pilgrimage to Snoqualmie Valley in Washington State, I have seen first-hand how Lynch masterfully tapped into the weirdness and obscurity of these often forgotten places.

Twin Peaks has inspired a breadth of other media, be it television with the likes of True Detective, many movies and even video games with Deadly Premonition and Alan Wake. But, simply referring to Silver Pines as simply being a Twin Peaks inspired game is a massive disservice. Earlier this summer I played the Steam demo, which is still currently available, and walked away confident that Wych Elm were on to something very special and unique. With limited resources, surviving and exploring the opening hour of the game was tough. However, I knew I needed to come back and discover the true fate of Eddie Velvet.

Arriving just in time for the Halloween season, in a year that has been stacked with exceptional horror titles, this 2D survival horror stands incredibly tall. Silver Pines is one of the best games I’ve played this year and a rare game I truly cannot stop thinking about. In this spoiler-lite review, I want to tell you just how good it really is. Strap in, detective.

Is That You, Laura Palmer?

Silver Pines story is of private investigator, Red Walker who is dispatched to Silver Pines to find the illusive guitar player, Eddie Velvet. Walker has been sent to the town by a faceless character, Mr Jackman, who is only encountered in conversations via the game’s numerous bygone era phone boxes. Walker owes an unknown debt to Jackman and is evidently fearful of him, but their relationship is one that it’ll take you the full game to unravel.

Velvet has been accused of various crimes in the town, to which you’ll discover, some believe he is guilty whilst others don’t. Purposefully, the narrative steadily drip feeds you information about his whereabouts and the unsavoury activity of which he is suspected of. Meanwhile, missing in the town is a young lady, Alice whose whereabouts are currently unknown. The Sheriff’s Office – who you will engage with around halfway through the game – have been looking for her but to no avail, thus P.I. Walker gains an adjacent, extracurricular activity.

Like its people, Silver Pines is a place completely lost to time and seemingly the outside world. Whilst not directly related to the core narrative, ambient items help to deepen the sense of physical and metaphorical isolation. Town clocks are all stuck at 10:06 and certain buildings look like they’ve been deserted for over a decade. If you’re playing Silver Pines, may I encourage you to make a call to 911 early in the game, it’ll add an immediate sense of ‘ermmm?’ While the town itself is isolated, Red Walker certainly is too and the result of both combined helps deliver a very engaging detective tale.

The town, which I will discuss in more depth shortly, has been largely abandoned ahead of an impending storm that is due to wreak havoc. Those that remain in town are doing so with their own motives and at their own peril. Everyone in town is peculiar, deeply suspicious of Red and all seemingly hiding something – sometimes even things about Red himself. You’ll want to make sure you Dark Souls-like exhaust all dialogue options with everyone if you want to deepen your understanding of their place in town and what they hide. I must also say that Red and the diverse cast of NPCs in the game are terrifically voice acted, I found one lady who is encountered a handful of times to have a scared, haunted tone which I felt myself strangely warming to.

It’s hard not to delve deeper than this without beginning to spoil Silver Pines. But, it’s not a spoiler to say that there are three endings to this accomplished story. At the time of writing this review I have completed one and I’m unsure which is regarded as the ‘canon’. What I can reassuringly say is, I absolutely cannot wait to turn my console on again this evening to witness the other two.

Silver Fine

Whilst not a hardcore title, survival is tough in Wych Elm’s hand-crafted small town. I played Silver Pines on the standard recommended difficulty and found it be perfectly balanced survival horror. For those new to the genre, or looking to take the game at a more approachable level, there are easier difficulties and one even more challenging, which wouldn’t be advised first time around. Note for Achievement and Trophy chasers, you can unlock everything on any difficulty.

Resources, managed with a Resident Evil-like inventory system, really are at a premium. Ammunition, health items and dollars have to be carefully managed, combined or preserved for enemy encounters that you don’t expect. There are vending machines spread throughout some of the map’s safe zones, but even the items within aren’t cheap and they are finite. In addition, saving your game at the well spread-out payphone costs $1, although you will find $1 in the coin return in each payphone – essentially granting you one free save. During my 15 hours in Silver Pines, I saved the game over fifty times, something that towards the end I began to regret. Before ascending the late-game mountain, I was down to $2 thus having to really roll the dice on when to save.

I’ve heard much chatter online pre-launch about the game being an Alan Wake-like. Aside from the small-town America setting and general tonal vibes, I don’t think there are many parallels, at least not in its combat. Red Walker is a P.I., he is not someone versed in action and that shows in combat, leaving you to have to think methodically to each encounter. There is not enough ammo to blow each demons brains out, and melee weapons have a durability meter and have to be repaired. Walker’s limited stamina bar will deplete after 2 dodges or weapon swings, and he is always a few hits from death. There are enough health items to cope, but I spent the vast majority of my time below full health, scared to use a medkit unless I absolutely had to. Fortunately, later in the game you will gain access to a number of better melee weapons, as well as firearms and upgrades for them – notably the highly useful laser sight for the 1911 pistol.

Combat is rather basic but satisfying, with a variety of enemies and attack patterns for you to learn how to best deal with. I did find that enemy and Red’s hitboxes on occasion were slightly off, with me swinging a sledgehammer at least a foot away and landing a hit, and some enemies irregularly hitting me 2-3 times with the same swipe. And, if I was to be overly critical, I would say that boss battles are one dimensional, with little variance between any of them.

Exploration is the Lynch(pin)

The grim, wet, diverse town of Silver Pines is my favourite aspect of this fantastic game. It is a place that feels off, its people are obscure and everything makes you feel unwelcome. From the moment I started the journey, waking up in the Miner Diner, the allure of exploration hit me immediately. Where is everyone? What’s behind the toilet door? Where to next? It is a town where everything appears to be a clue to its, and Red’s, story.

You’ll begin on an initial island for the first hour or so, before making your way to Downtown and other neighbouring areas. There is a linear progression to the sections you visit, however like the best Metroidvania’s, there are plenty of dangled carrots to entice you to come back to open new doors, or go into dark spaces with your new flashlight. Possibly my favourite moments of the game are the two sections where you’re taking the slow ferry to Downtown, and cable car to Mt Siah Kopa. As I watched these new sections close into view, I became excited, nervous and fearful all at the same time.

Exploration is deeply rewarded with extra items, upgrades and story progression. Positively, nothing is particularly difficult to find if you can solve the light-touch puzzles, enabling you to develop a much-needed stronger inventory and arsenal. In the Pines you will need to locate inventory expanding pouches, perk offering Mementos and Vessel Shards which enable Red to equip even more Mementos, all of which are entirely worth hunting. For my playthrough, I sought absolutely everything I could, finishing with a 93% completion score and only missing one Memento and cannot overstate how enjoyable it was. There will be many guides appearing online in the days ahead – including many here at Gamer Social Club – but I deeply implore you to spend the time to find everything you can first.

Key to the above is Silver Pines’ excellent map which does a terrific job in helping you find new places and backtrack to previously inaccessible rooms. Debuted to universal praise in the phenomenal Price of Persia: The Lost Crown, you’re able to use Red’s Polaroid camera to take pictures on your travels of locations you know you’ll be able to access with new items later.

Behind all of this is one of the finest, well-tuned atmospheres I have experienced in a game in many years. Silver Pines has a sombre, almost macabre mood, that felt like it was entering me via osmosis. Some of the town is in a state of disrepair, its trees lacking leaves and as many of the in-game clocks suggest, it is stuck in time. Softly amplifying the visual aura of the Pines are its curious soundtrack and sound effects which aren’t designed to make you scared, rather, on-edge and suspicious. Thankfully, there are rare moments of respite for Red in safe rooms and when engaging with the off-the-wall residents who can indeed be amusing.

Final Thoughts

The greatest compliment that I can give to Silver Pines, is that if David Lynch envisaged a Twin Peaks game, I expect it’d look something like Wych Elm’s sensational Metroidvania. The collision of a Twin Peaks-like town, 2D survival horror gameplay and Castlevania exploration was an ambitious project, but I’m delighted to say it has comfortably delivered. The town of Silver Pines is a wonderfully sinister place to explore, it’s story deep and intriguing, and presentation a horrific delight. Silver Pines is the best horror game you can play for Halloween 2026.

Silver Pines releases October 8, 2026 on XBOX Series X|S (including XBOX Play Anywhere), PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC. This review was played on XBOX Series X. Thank you to the developer and publisher for the code provided for review.

Silver Pines Guides

• Silver Pines A Call for Help Achievement Guide
• Silver Pines All 7 Stamina Upgrade / Coffee Machine Locations
• Silver Pines All 9 Inventory Upgrade Pouch Locations Guide
• Silver Pines All 16 Vessel Shard Locations Guide
• Silver Pines All 25 Memento Locations Guide
• Silver Pines All Map Locations Guide
• Silver Pines Find the Shovel Guide
• Silver Pines Fix the Broken Speedboat and Unlock Fast Travel Guide
• Silver Pines Moment of Calm, Brief Respite Achievement Guide
• Silver Pines Nail Gun Location Guide
• Silver Pines Open the Palm Tree Door Guide
• Silver Pines Open the Ship Sealed Hatch Guide
• Silver Pines Restart the Ferry Guide
• Silver Pines Sheriff’s Station Door Handle Location Guide
• Silver Pines Sheriff’s Station Prison Cell Code
• Silver Pines Sheriff’s Station Safe Puzzle Solution / Crowbar Location
• Silver Pines Swedish K SMG Location Guide
• Silver Pines Union Building Supervisor Door Solution and Lift Level 4 Button