It's been an emotional time for Silent Hill fans. This roller coaster of disappointments kicks off with developer Konami confirming . The playable teaser at first seemed destined for an early grave, only to defy all expectations and continue haunting the PS4 - though, for how long, is anyone's guess. Hopefully none of you dropped any fat stacks on a P.T.-installed PlayStation over on eBay.

Between the loss of Silent Hills and the turbulence surrounding P.T., there is definitely a pyramid-shaped hole in all our hearts. That's why I've compiled this list of the best Silent Hill fan-games developed by the community, as a way to help us all cope with our continued need to freak ourselves right-the-flip out. The next new Silent Hill game feels further away now than ever, but perhaps these entries will help the horror hit closer to home.

By all accounts, Alchemilla General Hospital is a top-notch medical facility, provided you don't mind the bloody handwriting on the walls or the twisted faces of its caretakers. Running on Source SDK 2013, which you can find under tools in your Steam Library, , Alchemilla isn't a "remake of any game from the Silent Hill series, [but] a completely original story with its own secrets to solve."

True to its namesake, Alchemilla Hospital is the real star of the show. Within its decrepit labyrinth of hallways, players will encounter all the blood, rust, and uncomfortably sexy nurses they've come to expect from Silent Hill. The game is also played entirely in first-person, devoid of combat but with a heavy emphasis on puzzle solving, not unlike a certain playable teaser. Make sure you have a pen and paper handy before jumping into this one.

If you and three friends have a long weekend to kill, consider slumming it in scenic Silent Hill. This 11-map-mega-marathon transforms Left 4 Dead into a highlight reel of Silent Hill's best. And make no mistake, it's a beast to finish - especially if you want to see all four endings (including a UFO ending). Seeing the fog-choked streets of Silent Hill flooded with zombies doesn't exactly gel with the series' tone, but there are genuinely cool moments to be had such as seeing your first zombie horde charge out of the endless mist.

This mod comes by way of developer , who has also authored another Silent Hill collection for Left 4 Dead 2 titled Otherside of Life, which is more of an homage to Silent Hill. It draws visual inspiration from that sleepy town, but is very much its own adventure. Leafo is currently working on porting his original Silent Hill mod from Left 4 Dead to Left 4 Dead 2, promising "minor changes to more than the aesthetic part of the campaign."

As if there wasn't already enough weird stuff happening in Fallout: New Vegas, someone had to throw Silent Hill into the mix. As the story goes - and there's a fair amount of story to be found here - the "great war" that devastated Fallout's world led to Silent Hill being "sealed away" underground. Naturally, the Enclave decided to do a little spelunking in this haunted town and suffered the consequences. And once you track the mysterious White Noise radio station to their dig site, you may end up meeting the same fate.

Fair warning: playing this mod takes patience. You get one quest early on stating "Enjoy your eternal stay in Silent Hill" and no quest markers. And because the quest starts with you being captured by the Enclave, all your fancy items and equipment get shelved for this outing. Hope you dropped some points in unarmed combat, because melee weapons are your lifeline in this ammo-scarce suburb, not unlike the real Silent Hill. Some extra ranks in sneaking will also save your life when you have to hide from a certain pyramid-headed horror.

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finally answers the question: what would Silent Hill 2 be like if it took place on a sunny afternoon? The bright, colorful trappings inherent to Minecraft make this mod feel like more of a parody than a tribute. Instead of cautiously exploring fog-drenched alleyways and side streets, your avatar jauntily jogs down the road on a cloudless day. I'm shocked there aren't birds singing in the distance.

To be fair, there is a lot of creative effort on display in this mod. A Letter from Silent Heaven isn't just some Silent Hill-themed texture pack, it's a meticulous recreation of Silent Hill 2. There's no mining or crafting to speak of, just a dedicated survival adventure. "Countless hours of watching/recording in-game footage, navigating through level editors and texture viewers brought you this custom adventure map," notes author Vladimyr on the Minecraft forums. And it shows, right down to the look of the health drinks and the cries of the monsters. It's certainly a reconstruction unlike anything the series has seen before.

You wouldn't think the dark, violent world of Silent Hill would translate very well to Little Big Planet's cute, cuddly toy box, but leave it to the gaming community to make it happen. There are actually dozens upon dozens of fan-made Silent Hill-themed creations spanning the Little Big Planet series, far too many to parse through here. Some are nothing more than escape from a spooky hospital or run around in the fog, their only connection to Silent Hill a welcome sign or the iconic Halo of the Sun symbol.

Then there are ones that really go the extra mile, such as user MonkeyButler's stelar Silent Hill tribute for the original Little Big Planet. This 2D interpretation of the first Silent Hill is a sort of highlights reel from the game's opening hours, starting with your first visit to the other world through Midwich Elementary (and beyond). You can watch a very distressed Sackboy run through it .

Before making a name for himself with the 2D survival horror game Lone Survivor, developer Jasper Byrne created this NES-style remake of Silent Hill 2. Released as part of TIGSource's demakes competition in 2008, is quite possibly the most adorable remake ever designed. The large heads and tiny bodies of its characters give the (limited) cast a sort of Charlie Brown-aesthetic, as if this were all just a really disturbing cartoon special.

As someone who enjoyed Lone Survivor, it's interesting to return to this game and spot the similarities. The 2D perspective, the look of the world, the way combat is handled: Soundless Mountain is just as much a trial run as it is a tribute. And unlike the other entries on this list, Soundless Mountain II isn't a mod for an existing game. It's a free standalone, which you can download from the developer's site. Too bad it was never finished, as the game abruptly ends once you reach the equivalent of Wood Side Apartments. A pixelated cutout of Pyramid Head in the credits teases what could have been.

In keeping with the spirit of Silent Hill, I thought I'd end this feature with a weird one. It should come as no surprise that someone out there got the rights to produce . By the looks of it, these are just your typical poker cards, but with spooky pictures of Silent Hill characters on them - specifically from 2008's Silent Hill: Homecoming. What is surprising is that a man named Don Riddle decided to create a fan-game using these cards called Silent Hill: Defeated that's sort of like a rust-colored, monster-filled version of Uno.

Looking over , it actually doesn't sound half bad. Up to three players are dealt a hand of cards, with the black suits representing monsters and the red suits representing heroes (and their weapons). Players then take turns playing different combinations of cards on top of each other to defeat whatever the last person put down (again, sort of like Uno). The first player to run out of cards frees themselves from Silent Hill's clutches and escapes. Just make sure you don't shoot Cybil on the merry-go-round, otherwise you'll get the bad ending.

In my opinion, these are the Silent Hill fan-games that top the charts, though they are not the only fan-games out there. Amnesia Hill almost made the cut, though its haunted house-vibe and tenuous connections to the source material ultimately held it back. There are also about a million "atmosphere mods" for Resident Evil 4 if you really want to play that with 100% more fog. My question to you is: are there any goods ones out there I missed? Personally, I hope there are, and if you know one be sure to drop it in the comments below.

It's been an emotional time for Silent Hill fans. This roller coaster of disappointments kicks off with developer Konami confirming . The playable teaser at first seemed destined for an early grave, only to defy all expectations and continue haunting the PS4 - though, for how long, is anyone's guess. Hopefully none of you dropped any fat stacks on a P.T.-installed PlayStation over on eBay.

Between the loss of Silent Hills and the turbulence surrounding P.T., there is definitely a pyramid-shaped hole in all our hearts. That's why I've compiled this list of the best Silent Hill fan-games developed by the community, as a way to help us all cope with our continued need to freak ourselves right-the-flip out. The next new Silent Hill game feels further away now than ever, but perhaps these entries will help the horror hit closer to home.

By all accounts, Alchemilla General Hospital is a top-notch medical facility, provided you don't mind the bloody handwriting on the walls or the twisted faces of its caretakers. Running on Source SDK 2013, which you can find under tools in your Steam Library, , Alchemilla isn't a "remake of any game from the Silent Hill series, [but] a completely original story with its own secrets to solve."

True to its namesake, Alchemilla Hospital is the real star of the show. Within its decrepit labyrinth of hallways, players will encounter all the blood, rust, and uncomfortably sexy nurses they've come to expect from Silent Hill. The game is also played entirely in first-person, devoid of combat but with a heavy emphasis on puzzle solving, not unlike a certain playable teaser. Make sure you have a pen and paper handy before jumping into this one.

If you and three friends have a long weekend to kill, consider slumming it in scenic Silent Hill. This 11-map-mega-marathon transforms Left 4 Dead into a highlight reel of Silent Hill's best. And make no mistake, it's a beast to finish - especially if you want to see all four endings (including a UFO ending). Seeing the fog-choked streets of Silent Hill flooded with zombies doesn't exactly gel with the series' tone, but there are genuinely cool moments to be had such as seeing your first zombie horde charge out of the endless mist.

This mod comes by way of developer , who has also authored another Silent Hill collection for Left 4 Dead 2 titled Otherside of Life, which is more of an homage to Silent Hill. It draws visual inspiration from that sleepy town, but is very much its own adventure. Leafo is currently working on porting his original Silent Hill mod from Left 4 Dead to Left 4 Dead 2, promising "minor changes to more than the aesthetic part of the campaign."

As if there wasn't already enough weird stuff happening in Fallout: New Vegas, someone had to throw Silent Hill into the mix. As the story goes - and there's a fair amount of story to be found here - the "great war" that devastated Fallout's world led to Silent Hill being "sealed away" underground. Naturally, the Enclave decided to do a little spelunking in this haunted town and suffered the consequences. And once you track the mysterious White Noise radio station to their dig site, you may end up meeting the same fate.

Fair warning: playing this mod takes patience. You get one quest early on stating "Enjoy your eternal stay in Silent Hill" and no quest markers. And because the quest starts with you being captured by the Enclave, all your fancy items and equipment get shelved for this outing. Hope you dropped some points in unarmed combat, because melee weapons are your lifeline in this ammo-scarce suburb, not unlike the real Silent Hill. Some extra ranks in sneaking will also save your life when you have to hide from a certain pyramid-headed horror.

finally answers the question: what would Silent Hill 2 be like if it took place on a sunny afternoon? The bright, colorful trappings inherent to Minecraft make this mod feel like more of a parody than a tribute. Instead of cautiously exploring fog-drenched alleyways and side streets, your avatar jauntily jogs down the road on a cloudless day. I'm shocked there aren't birds singing in the distance.

To be fair, there is a lot of creative effort on display in this mod. A Letter from Silent Heaven isn't just some Silent Hill-themed texture pack, it's a meticulous recreation of Silent Hill 2. There's no mining or crafting to speak of, just a dedicated survival adventure. "Countless hours of watching/recording in-game footage, navigating through level editors and texture viewers brought you this custom adventure map," notes author Vladimyr on the Minecraft forums. And it shows, right down to the look of the health drinks and the cries of the monsters. It's certainly a reconstruction unlike anything the series has seen before.

You wouldn't think the dark, violent world of Silent Hill would translate very well to Little Big Planet's cute, cuddly toy box, but leave it to the gaming community to make it happen. There are actually dozens upon dozens of fan-made Silent Hill-themed creations spanning the Little Big Planet series, far too many to parse through here. Some are nothing more than escape from a spooky hospital or run around in the fog, their only connection to Silent Hill a welcome sign or the iconic Halo of the Sun symbol.

Then there are ones that really go the extra mile, such as user MonkeyButler's stelar Silent Hill tribute for the original Little Big Planet. This 2D interpretation of the first Silent Hill is a sort of highlights reel from the game's opening hours, starting with your first visit to the other world through Midwich Elementary (and beyond). You can watch a very distressed Sackboy run through the whole thing .

Before making a name for himself with the 2D survival horror game Lone Survivor, developer Jasper Byrne created this NES-style remake of Silent Hill 2. Released as part of TIGSource's demakes competition in 2008, Soundless Mountain II is quite possibly the most adorable remake ever designed. The large heads and tiny bodies of its characters give the (limited) cast a sort of Charlie Brown-aesthetic, as if this were all just a really disturbing cartoon special.

As someone who enjoyed Lone Survivor, it's interesting to return to this game and spot the similarities. The 2D perspective, the look of the world, the way combat is handled: Soundless Mountain is just as much a trial run as it is a tribute. And unlike the other entries on this list, Soundless Mountain II isn't a mod for an existing game. It's a free standalone, which you can download from the developer's site. Too bad it was never finished, as the game abruptly ends once you reach the equivalent of Wood Side Apartments. A pixelated cutout of Pyramid Head in the credits teases what could have been.

In keeping with the spirit of Silent Hill, I thought I'd end this feature with a weird one. It should come as no surprise that someone out there got the rights to produce . By the looks of it, these are just your typical poker cards, but with spooky pictures of Silent Hill characters on them - specifically from 2008's Silent Hill: Homecoming. What is surprising is that a man named Don Riddle decided to create a fan-game using these cards called Silent Hill: Defeated that's sort of like a rust-colored, monster-filled version of Uno.

Looking over , it actually doesn't sound half bad. Up to three players are dealt a hand of cards, with the black suits representing monsters and the red suits representing heroes (and their weapons). Players then take turns playing different combinations of cards on top of each other to defeat whatever the last person put down (again, sort of like Uno). The first player to run out of cards frees themselves from Silent Hill's clutches and escapes. Just make sure you don't shoot Cybil on the merry-go-round, otherwise you'll get the bad ending.

In my opinion, these are the Silent Hill fan-games that top the charts, though they are not the only fan-games out there. Amnesia Hill almost made the cut, though its haunted house-vibe and tenuous connections to the source material ultimately held it back. There are also about a million "atmosphere mods" for Resident Evil 4 if you really want to play that with 100% more fog. My question to you is: are there any goods ones out there I missed? Personally, I hope there are, and if you know one be sure to drop it in the comments below. It might even get added to the feature.

Consider this the home stretch before all the new hotness. As April comes to a close and we look back on the first third of 2015, it's clear that gaming has been a bit too reliant on remasters and rereleases this year. With exciting, big-budget sequels like just on the horizon, the wait can be almost unbearable - but the best games of April 2015 can help ease the pain. Time flies when you're having fun, so we're told.

Every month, we look back at the best games of 2015 thus far, sorting out all the must-plays from the rest of the recent releases. That way, you know what to prioritize before you're inundated by all the other amazing . So, without further ado, here's what you should be playing right now to tide you over until next month.

It takes a lot to make a fighting game appeal to the masses. You need slick graphics, excellent presentation, and the kind of depth that'll ensnare those highly skilled players who people want to watch. has got all that, and more. While the Fatality finishers still pack in more gore than you can shake a disembodied limb at, MKX brings a lot of new, refreshing ideas to the table that really make this fighter stand out.

For starters, there's the variations mechanic: every combatant has three unique movesets to choose from before each fight, letting character loyalists mix things up and giving the roster a wildly diverse variety of playstyles. You'll also have a blast playing through the elaborate story mode, which introduces a swath of likeable newcomers while imbuing familiar faces with . The online play still has a few kinks that could be worked out, but fans of the Mortal Kombat series - or fighting games in general - will have one hell of a time with MKX.

Of all the re-releases that have come out this year, .

Xenoblade Chronicles 3D is massive, sporting one of the most interesting locales ever designed. Its sprawling swamps and rolling hills - all set on the backs of two titan-sized dead gods and filled with beasts both great and small - are practically begging to be conquered. While its lush, verdant landscapes lose a little luster and detail on the smaller screen, what you trade in graphical quality you gain back in portability. Being able to take an adventure of this magnificent scope with you wherever you go is a technical marvel. Don't miss it.

somehow manages to be diamond tough and lovingly tender at the same time, balancing out its demanding difficulty with a story that'll practically yank your heartstrings right out of your chest. Playing this open-world platformer puts you in a wondrous state of conflict: the tight controls inspire you to run free throughout the lush world, but the sheer depth of the beyond-gorgeous backdrop art makes you want to stand still and gaze at the environment for hours.

The protagonist Ori is such a cute li'l critter that it's hard to watch the fuzzball die again and again while you struggle to overcome the many deathtraps and spike pits in this treacherous forest. But you'll get over any bruises to your ego, so long as you remember that you're the one responsible for plunking down checkpoints before delving into the trickier bits. The degree of challenge here may rattle anyone without an affinity for hardcore 2D platformers, but Ori's dazzling presentation has a universal, heartfelt appeal.

You’ve probably heard that is really hard. You might've heard it’s really easy. The reality lies somewhere in between. Yes, it sends an army of writhing, fanged, flayed, terrible, tormented beasts your way, beasts only someone bragging about their perceived gamer cred would ever deem a pushover. But it teaches you how to deal with them expertly, their unique attacks and defenses and behaviors, building you up until you look and feel like a great gothic badass. And when you do, you'll have earned it.

In streamlining some of Dark Souls’ complexities (the weight system, magic attacks, a few character skills here and there), Bloodborne gains a rawer sense of immediacy, with vital combat that require relentless attacking sans the comfort blanket of a shield, and unpredictable bosses that force you to develop reflexes alongside your already honed skills of pattern memorization. Oh, and the world. That mystifying, atmospheric, intricately hewn world. Developed for PS4 from the ground-up, the enigmatic Yarnham looks like a beautiful waking nightmare.

If you've yet to succumb to monster hunting fever, you might wonder what all the fuss is about. Plenty of games let you battle vicious beasties and craft fancy gear - but few can develop the kind of player investment and cooperative dedication typical of Monster Hunter. For the uninitiated, is a great way to educate yourself on its gloriously addictive ways. Not just because it's the most beginner-friendly entry in Capcom's hit series - it's also the best Monster Hunter game yet.

Gathering materials and killing harmless herbivores is really just a build-up to something greater: downing fearsome creatures after incredibly demanding battles that require true mastery of your chosen weapon. Series vets are already familiar with MH's captivating gameplay loop of fighting and looting, but the new Charge Blade and Insect Glaive playstyles offer entirely unique ways to test your prowess. If you're looking to start or join a dedicated hunting party - preferably with an expert as your guide - Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate offers the kind of adventure that can hook you for hundreds of hours.

Majora's Mask is... well, it's a bit weird. Instead of following the familiar formula that Zelda games have stuck to for years, Majora's Mask asks that you play the same three days over and over again, trying to make the world a little bit brighter each time. It's certainly strange, and more than a little stressful - but taking the time to learn its rhythm opens up one of the most intriguing and creative Legend of Zelda games ever made. Perhaps that's why, 15 years and a 3DS port later, it feels even better than ever.

Much of that feeling is thanks to the improvements found in this portable version of the N64 classic. The updated Bomber's Notebook makes tracking numerous sidequests a painless process, boss design has been retooled to make things teresting, and additional save points help make portable adventuring much more palatable. Plus, New 3DS owners even have some improved camera control with the C-Stick. Whether this is your first time playing through those ominous 72 hours or your hundredth, is a master quest that stands the test of time.

Grim Fandango is, without a doubt, one of the most unique video games ever made. The quest of an undead travel agent as he attempts to atone for his sins is a love letter to film noir greats like Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon, but it also transcends its influences to be something truly original. And with , you'll finally get to play this lost classic on your PlayStation 4, complete with (some) updated graphics and a fantastic re-recording of the original score.

Grim Fandango is also one of the most uniquely frustrating games ever made, and the Remastered edition only serves to highlight its many game-ruining bugs. Whether it's glitching out a puzzle, clipping you through a wall, or just flat out crashing, Grim Fandango Remastered actually seems buggier now than it did 17 years ago. Make no mistake: Manny's journey is still definitely one worth revisiting - just remember to save your game. Often.

sounds kinda ridiculous at first - it's literally a remastered HD version of a rebuilt SD version of the original Resident Evil. Turns out the joke's on us, though, because that's all we really needed to enjoy the survival horror staple all over again: the HD Remake gives all the main characters and the Spencer Mansion an enticing facelift but keeps the little quirks that make Resident Evil awesome/a total headache/undeniably unique.

You'll still need to manage eight (at most) inventory slots, and you'll still need to keep your distance from downed zombies - or preferably burn them on the spot. The most major change is the new default control scheme, which makes it handle more like a modern fixed-camera game, but you're free to select the old 'tank' controls if you want. With modern conveniences where it needs them and good old weirdness where it doesn't, Resident Evil HD Remake is a near masterpiece… of unlocking.

Those are some of the games that made their mark in 2015, but they won't be the last. Stay tuned to this page to see what will are the best games for every month this year. Only time will tell!

For formation on 2015's releases, be sure to check out our list of the .