Silent Road is an upcoming first-person psychological horror game by independent studio Endflame, which puts players in the shoes of a taxi driver navigating the haunted roads of Japan.
The game is set for release on Steam, with an official release date to be announced in the future. Prior to the game's official announcement, we here at Netto's Game Room were given the opportunity to speak with the developers to learn more about the new title.
Hello my name is Ben and I'm one of the co-founders of our gaming website Netto's Game Room. To kick things off, could you tell our readers a little about yourself?
Hello Ben, my name is Laura and I am the co-founder of the indie studio Endflame. We’re a two-person team where I handle production and game design. We are the developers behind the Japanese horror game Ikai, and after a break from the genre, we’re now returning to Japanese horror with Silent Road.
Silent Road is your newly announced horror game coming to PC, which could be described as "Silent Hill meets Fatal Frame." The game is set within a region of Japan that is infamous for extremely sad and grim reasons, and players will take on the role of a taxi driver as they navigate the streets and nearby villages. Putting aside the previously mentioned titles, were there any other major influences that help shaped the game?
The main influence actually comes from outside the video game world and more from Japanese folklore, specifically the legends surrounding Aokigahara, which is commonly known as Japan’s “suicide forest.” While the region in our game is fictional, it draws heavily from the eerie stories and lingering spirits associated with Aokigahara. We love Japanese horror, and our debut game Ikai explored yokai stories in a feudal setting. This time, we wanted to surprise players with a new angle while keeping the atmosphere they love, with a modern world haunted by the ancient legends of a forest marked by death.
Much of the game will be spent driving your taxi, however there are moments players will need to exit the vehicle to help passengers. Could you tell us a little more about this part of the game?
The game alternates between driving and walking gameplay where players step out of the taxi to help passengers. Each of these outside-the-taxi quests is built around the passenger’s personality, which allows us to explore different gameplay twists so every quest feels uniquely frightening in its own way.
When returning to your taxi, I feel as if it should be your safe place—somewhere you can relax without worry, and get away from the horrors outside... But that isn't necessarily the case is it?
You're right, that's absolutely not the case. You never know what might unfold beyond the windshield… but dangers can also be sitting in the back of your taxi, so there’s really no safe place at all.
During the taxi rides, players will get to know more about their customers and their stories. Are the characters that request your service fixed, or will players be given options on who (or possibly "what") they pick up?
The passengers are fixed because each of them plays a meaningful role in the story and offers a perspective we don’t want players to miss. However, there will be choices during certain quests and conversations that influence the driver’s fate and shape how events unfold.
Outside of making drop offs, are players free to explore the map in a more open-world like style? Or is this a linear adventure from beginning to end?
It’s more of a linear experience in terms of world exploration. That’s why we alternate driving gameplay with quests, creating variety through different scenarios that players can explore within defined boundaries.
Of course Silent Road is a horror game, but what type of horror can players expect? Without ruining the surprise, will it be more on the psychological side of things, jump scares, or the more—sometimes graphic—in your face type? Or maybe a mixture of things?
The horror leans more toward psychological tension, with a strong build-up driven by the stories and unsettling situations that aren’t necessarily jump scares but will definitely be spine-chilling. There will also be some consciously placed jump scares woven into that build-up.
Your previous title Ikai was released in 2022 and was very well received. Is there anything you learned while developing that title you used to your advantage in Silent Road? Or maybe something you wish you could've included that has now made its way into this new project?
From the first prototype of Ikai to the final release, we learned a lot about building atmosphere, crafting memorable scenarios, and creating a creepy mood. We’re bringing all of that into Silent Road. What we felt was missing before was storytelling with different points of view and personalities, which is why this time we’ve added the passengers. Silent Road has more characters, each with a distinct mindset that can shift the player’s perception of the story and help them form their own interpretation.
Currently the game is set for release on PC, but would you like to bring it to other platforms in the future?
We’d love to bring Silent Road to as many players as possible like we did with our previous titles. For now, we are keeping the scope small to guarantee the game’s completion. We’ll evaluate additional platforms and future opportunities as the game takes shape.
With all of that being said, is there anything else you would like to tell your readers about Silent Road?
We are only two developers pouring our hearts into this project, paying close attention to every detail so we can deliver the best experience possible. If players would like to support us, we would be incredibly grateful if they could wishlist Silent Road on Steam. This is the best way to help us move forward and bring the game to life.
And before we go, just for fun, what is your personal favorite horror game?
Even though I love horror, I’m very difficult to scare. The first game that truly gave me goosebumps was Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, especially because I played it in VR. I enjoyed the experience a lot, so that’s why I would say it is still my favorite.
To learn more, here is the game's official overview and newly released trailer.
Overview:
In Silent Road, you take on the role of a night-shift taxi driver navigating lonely forest routes and isolated villages. Each fare becomes a new test of nerve: peculiar passengers, whispered stories, and quiet conversations that turn colder with every mile. As the night unfolds and through tense rides, chilling encounters, and environmental clues scattered along the way, the truth behind the forest begins to emerge.
Visually, the game draws inspiration from classic Japanese horror aesthetics, echoing the likes of Silent Hill f and Fatal Frame, with its cyan-green tones, fog-drenched roads, and eerie atmosphere.
FEATURES
- Japanese Horror: Experience a region shaped by tragedy, inspired by legends surrounding Japan’s most haunted forests.
- Night-Shift Driving: Navigate abandoned highways, mountain passes, and silent village streets as tension builds inside the taxi.
- Strange Passengers: Pick up peculiar characters whose stories grow more disturbing with every encounter. Prepare yourself for whoever (or whatever) steps into your taxi.
- Unsettling Requests: Exit the vehicle to assist passengers during their rides - simple tasks that never feel safe.
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