Steam lands free 'terrifying' retro-inspired take on Silent Hill with 100% review score

Steam has landed a free demo that you can play today, offering a retro-inspired take on the beloved survival horror franchise Silent Hill. Described as “terrifying” by players, the free Steam game has also earned a 100% positive review score.

Halloween is over, but that doesn't mean the horror gaming goodness has to come to an end. For fans of the genre, it's a season-long event, whether you're a gamer, movie fanatic or lover of spooky novels. In particular, if you enjoy the likes of Silent Hill and Resident Evil, as well as a heavy dose of nostalgia, then you're going to want to check out the upcoming horror game, INANIMA.

So, if you're on the lookout for a new psychological horror game with a '90s classic twist that's already winning over players, then INANIMA's free demo should be on your radar.

What is INANIMA, the Silent Hill-inspired horror game?

“A survival horror game set in the isolated facilities of a strange corporation. Search for limited supplies and fight terrifying creatures to reveal the truth behind the Lazarus project. Be part of something that will change the future of humanity,” reads the synopsis of the game on Steam.

Developed and published by indie studio Obscure Tales, INANIMA is a follow-up to the team's 2021 game, Lamentum. The two games share plenty of similarities, both visually and in terms of gameplay, with Obscure Tales describing them as “Two stories, one universe.”

INANIMA features a nostalgic pixel-art aesthetic, brought to life with impressive dynamic lighting that gives it a modern touch. Combat combines melee and ranged weapons, although running away will likely be a useful tactic at times.

Enemies also feature limb damage, meaning where you hit them can affect how much damage you deal. Shooting an enemy in the leg, for example, will slow it down, giving you an opportunity to make a quick escape.

Each enemy type looks and behaves differently, and they're sensitive to both light and sound. You can use this to your advantage, but it could also work against you. As you'd expect from a survival horror game, INANIMA also features resource management and upgrades.

What are Steam players saying about INANIMA?

“Absolutely excellent, I loved the demo and the gameplay. It felt good, and I'm really excited to see the full game!” declared BlueBananaBoy.

“INANIMA is a love letter to Silent Hill and Resident Evil, with an amazing, extremely detailed pixel art style to boot. Creepy and mysterious, it scratches the itch of horror, sci-fi, and supernatural fans,” explained MySoulToTake. “It runs amazingly well on the Steam Deck, and I haven't seen any bugs. Absolutely recommend.”

“Really great demo. The game is clearly very much inspired by Signalis. Looking forward to the full release,” said SunlessVale, comparing it to the fantastic sci-fi horror from 2022.

“As a fan of their previous game, Lamentum, I very much enjoyed this! It delivered what felt like an almost next-gen experience while holding to the playstyle and art direction that pulls so many of us to these games,” wrote LimeAtheLmnPrty. “Great look and feel and a very cool story so far that did make me yelp out loud a few times. Fantastic demo, can't wait for the full release!”

At the time of writing, INANIMA does not have a full release date, but other than playing its free demo now, you can wishlist it on Steam to be notified when it's ready to launch.