Silent Road is the latest first-person psychological horror game from Endflame, the developer behind the J-Horror game Ikai. According to Gematsu, This game invites players to become a night-shift taxi driver in a remote mountain forest region in Japan that has a tragic history and a supernatural story.
Japanese Forest Setting and Psychological Horror Theme
Silent Road is set in a Japanese mountain forest region known as a suicide spot and a source of supernatural folklore. Silence, thick fog, and deserted villages are the main elements in building tension. The horror approach is more psychological, with a slow build-up of tension that keeps players on the edge of their seats throughout the night.
You take on the role of a taxi driver working the night shift, navigating mountain roads, forest trails, and small villages. The routine of the job as a taxi driver is used as an entry point to a series of bizarre events that arise from the passengers, the surroundings, and the dark history of the region. Endflame emphasizes inspiration from classic J-Horror aesthetics, so the focus is more on atmosphere, bizarre dialogue, and an experience that lingers long after the game is over.
The Role of Taxi Drivers and Passenger Dynamics
Silent Road builds its horror core through the interaction between taxi drivers and passengers. Every passenger who climbs into the car brings a new atmosphere: strange conversations, cryptic clues, and personal stories that point to local tragedies and myths. A sense of unease grows from the increasingly awkward dialog, unusual gestures, and passenger requests that make the player hesitate.
You don't just sit behind the steering wheel. There are moments when a passenger asks for help off the usual route, asking you to get out of the car and accompany them to a certain location. Situations like these have the potential to open up new areas of forest, villages, or abandoned structures. It's these moments of getting out of the taxi that make room for more direct instances of horror, from the changing visual atmosphere to the feeling that something is watching from the darkness.
As the night progresses, the passengers you encounter seem more and more out of the ordinary. The streets grow colder and emptier, while signs of the presence of something unnatural appear more frequently. The game positions the player as an ordinary person who is slowly drawn into the curse of the forest and a long-standing tragic story.
Visual Style, Atmosphere, and Story Approach
Visually, Silent Road features a cyan-green color palette with foggy roads and dim lighting, giving the impression of being in a world that has long lost its warmth. Endflame cites visual inspiration from works like Silent Hill f and Fatal Frame, which are known for their gloomy worlds and way of utilizing empty space as a source of tension. The focus on the environment makes small details like old signboards, wooden buildings, or shadows in the distance feel important to observe.
The story is not presented through long, straightforward explanations. The game relies on environmental storytelling, where players can pick up clues from changes in the atmosphere, objects around the road, and passengers' reactions to certain locations. The conversations in the taxi also serve as layers of the story that slowly reveal the forest's past, the legend of the suicide, and the passengers' connection to the tragedies that have occurred there.
The approach to horror is one of slow-burning dread, building up tension little by little through the repetition of nightly routines, the variety of passengers, and the increasing intensity of strange occurrences. For players who like their horror action-packed, it may seem a bit slow, but this style is perfect for the psychological horror genre that wants to make players question what is real and what is just in the main character's head.
Release Plans and Potential among Horror Fans
Silent Road was announced for PC via Steam with a target release of 2026. The game is aimed at players interested in atmospheric horror, especially those who like works with a modern J-Horror feel. Endflame is already known for Ikai, so the announcement of Silent Road can be seen as a continuation of their exploration of horror set in Japanese culture.
The concept of being a night taxi driver in a wooded area provides a variation from many horror games that usually place the player as a fixed explorer in one location. The format of traveling, picking up and dropping off passengers, and the possibility of an episodic or branching story structure provide ample room for narrative development. There is no detailed information on the choice system, different endings, or the depth of gameplay mechanics beyond driving and exploration, so these aspects are still awaiting further details from the developer.
For fans of psychological horror who are drawn to desolate atmospheres, foggy roads, and social interactions that feel unnatural, Silent Road seems set up as an experience that relies on a prolonged sense of dread. It blends night work routines, the collective trauma of a region, and Japanese supernatural folklore into a package that focuses on atmosphere and story.
