Silver Pines Review Roundup: 9/10 Indie Darling or Flawed Combat?

Players are split on Silver Pines, a survival horror from a 5-person Swedish team. Some call it a GOTY contender, others say the combat drags it down.

Silver Pines has sparked a heated debate among players, and it's easy to see why. One player gave it a glowing 9/10, calling it a serious contender for indie game of the year—while also lamenting that it launched during a packed release window. So what's the deal with this survival horror from a five-person team? Let's dig in.

According to that player, Silver Pines looks fantastic. No cheap, low-budget 2D jank here—the visuals have real texture and polish. The puzzle design, meanwhile, is described as top-tier for recent survival horror: puzzles feel natural, mostly solved by observing your environment, and never deliberately obtuse. The story, in their view, isn't told thoroughly enough, but the atmosphere is pure Silent Hill and totally immersive. A first playthrough runs about 12 to 13 hours.

The controversy centers on combat. The player notes the arsenal follows the classic Resident Evil template—pistol, shotgun, SMG, magnum—aiming for survival resource management. But the resource balancing misses the mark. On their difficulty, it was basically "avoid every fight if you can." Combat depth and enemy variety also fall flat, with late-game encounters devolving into repetitive patterns. Others agree, saying the shotgun and pistol feel indistinguishable, and the melee system is hobbled by both a stamina bar and durability limits.

Not everyone's down on it, though. Some argue the game is "deeply Remedy-inspired"—including the mediocre combat. One player who watched a full playthrough said they're tired of cryptic, riddle-heavy storytelling and still had no idea why monsters show up in the town. Another pointed out that the window before big AAA launches is actually ideal for smaller games, since players get restless waiting for the heavy hitters.

Silver Pines was developed over four years by Swedish studio Wych Elm—a team of just five people—and published by Team17. It launched October 8 on Steam, PS5, Xbox, and Switch, and currently holds an "Overwhelmingly Positive" rating on Steam. The original poster hopes that once the AAA rush dies down, more people will pick up this gem.

So, what would you score it? Sound off in the comments and let us know your take.