New Steam horror game has serious Silent Hill vibes

A number of modern horror games have taken heavy inspiration from the 90s juggernauts of the survival genre, and The Carnival Massacre proudly wears its inspirations on its sleeve with a nostalgic visual experience combined with an exciting new journey through a creepy abandoned theme park. The Carnival Massacre launched exclusively for PC via Steam and Itch.io on December 29, 2025, fans of old-school horror games can relive one of the best eras of the genre while diving into an all-new story of facing nightmares brought to life.

Heavily inspired by a host of classic survival horror games, take a look at The Carnival Massacre instantly brings back memories of playing as Heather Mason Silent Hill 3. The theme park, unsettling mascots, and the overall sense of dread faced by a teenage girl trying to find someone she loves combine to create a familiar retro-inspired experience that simultaneously takes longtime horror fans on a new journey.

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New Survival-Horror Game is a return to the classics

An upcoming survival horror video game pays homage to retro classics of the genre and brings modern fans old-school style horror games.

Carnival Massacre trailer brings back memories of Silent Hill 3 and other horror classics

IN The Carnival Massacreplayers take on the role of 17-year-old Harley, who has been declared missing just two weeks after her younger sister, Chloe, also went missing. Harley takes it upon herself to search for her missing sister, who she has been having nightmares about every night since Chloe's disappearance. Despite embarking on what she expected to be a simple but heroic journey, Harley is quickly confronted with horrors beyond anything she could have imagined, and the quest to find her missing sister becomes far more dangerous than expected. As Harley explores the Pebbles Wonderland theme park, Harley must fight pesky carnival creatures, solve mind-bending puzzles, and manage a limited inventory of items to aid her in her quest to find her sister.

Similar to other retro-inspired survival horror games, Harley will have to use weapons to fight the enemies that stand against her while putting her wits to the test to solve various puzzles before finding out what happened to Chloe. The gunplay is reminiscent of both early on Silent Hill and the original Resident Evil games, while puzzles involving pianos and shadows are more obvious to showcase an appreciation for their spiritual predecessors. The Carnival Massacre also has a storage box mechanic, similar to the item boxes available everywhere Resident Evil franchise, while a moment's inspection of Harley's father's car is directly comparable to the opening of Silent Hill 2 with James Sunderland's car.

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These similarities to legendary survival horror games are celebrated with pride The Carnival Massacrealong with their subsequent genre tropes, to draw in veteran and first-time horror fans alike. Gamers who have enjoyed other recent indie entries in the world of survival horror like Heart worm, Crowlandand Fear the limelight can expect a like-minded story and gameplay experience with The Carnival Massacre. Despite a shorter playtime, clocking in around 2-3 hours in total for many Steam users, players have praised the game for its engaging story, fully voiced cutscenes, PS1 aesthetic, and rock track that seems perfect for a late 90s or early 2000s release.

The Carnival Massacre is offering a free demo for those who want to try it out before making a full purchase, though the game itself is only $4.99 regular price and has a 15% discount running until January 12th, making this new horror ride just $4.24 at the time of writing. With its similarities to well-ranked games such as Silent Hill 3 and the current “Highly Positive” review score on Steam, gamers looking for a fresh dose of nostalgia while uncovering a unique mystery surrounding a disappearance may want to take advantage of the ongoing sale and grab The Carnival Massacre for a short but sweet survival horror adventure.