Where is Silent Hill: Townfall set? What to know about St. Amelia and St Monans - the real village in Scotland that inspired it
Here’s where Silent Hill: Townfall takes place, how the developers created the setting and what to know about its real life inspiration, St Monans.
Silent Hill: Townfall is now out, transporting people around the world to the fictional Scottish fishing village of St. Amelia.
The setting is inspired by St Monans in Fife, which Glasgow-based developers Screen Burn partly recreated in the game. Those who have walked along the village streets in real life will recognise its narrow passageways and architecture, as well as specific buildings, such as those along the beachfront, which have made their way into the latest instalment in Konami horror franchise.
Thankfully, when visiting the real location there is little risk of running into any monsters. There is, however, a high chance of encountering fog, which is just as common in villages such as St Monans as it is in Silent Hill games. Also known as haar in Scotland, the phenomenon regularly blankets towns, villages and cities across the east coast of the country.
Where is Silent Hill: Townfall set?
Silent Hill: Townfall is set in St. Amelia, a fictional fishing village in Scotland.
(Scotland, not England as some outlets have been writing.)
St Monans and the East Neuk of Fife inspired Silent Hill: Townfall’s setting
Discussing how Screen Burn arrived at St. Amelia as the game’s setting, writer and director Jon McKellan said: “There was a drive to create something that felt authentic to us, and it kind of felt natural to bring it home.”
One of the most prominent locations to have inspired Silent Hill: Townfall is St Monans in Fife. There are almost identical buildings from the real village which have been recreated in the game for players to explore.
However, it is just one of the communities along the East Neuk of Fife which helped shape the game, from the region’s unique architecture to the fishing vessels, weather and more.
In a Silent Hill Transmission released in February, McKellan revealed he would take team members on trips to the coast (often at unsociable hours) to “recreate what we felt, not just what we saw”.
Making St. Amelia feel authentic was key to the developers.
The East Neuk of Fife simply refers to the fishing villages and communities located around the coast of Fife, which face the Firth of Forth and the North Sea. As for “neuk”, this is the Scots version of the English word “nook”, or “corner”. It can be pronounced the same way, with other variations including “nyook”.
Common to these coastal locations is “haar”, the Scots word to describe the cold mist or fog which covers areas of the east coast of Scotland.
If you want another Scots word which also applies to the game, why not “dreich”? Fittingly, it means damp, grey weather - perfect for Silent Hill: Townfall.
In an interview with Eurogamer, he said: “Players having empathy for the town and understanding what this town's been through is an important aspect of the story. And you write what you know. We know these communities. We grew up in these communities. It felt like if we were going to set it anywhere, it would feel almost disingenuous if we were to set it in an American town, somewhere that we've never experienced and wouldn't know.
“There are a lot of reasons why it's this kind of place and this kind of town, and not in Edinburgh, for example. It's very specific. I wanted it to be something that seemed as believable as possible, and that was the best way to achieve that."
There have already been plenty of reactions about the uncanny attention to detail evident throughout St. Amelia, as well as the period-specific interior design, NHS Word Art posters and more when exploring the buildings.
Not only is Silent Hill: Townfall visually recognisable, the story is also deeply connected to Scotland. It addresses issues such as medical trauma and the impact of large corporations on small communities, with political undertones which point to the lingering effects of Margaret Thatcher’s time in power.
Make sure you don't miss a moment of breaking news from across Scotland by signing up to our free newsletter here.
Where St. Amelia and St Monans meet
With that being said, there are some areas of St Monans and the surrounding towns and villages which appear to have been almost directly placed into the game. One of the houses along Mid Shore in St Monans can be seen very early on in the game.
The Harbourmaster’s building and the village’s Heritage Centre also appear, though there have been some changes to the venue. Overall, it is extremely reminiscent of the actual location, taking on the same shape and proportions of the building in real life, despite different signage.
In addition, St Monans has a number of boats which are used as decorations or planters, with some of the names even remaining the same in the fictional town as pictured below.
Otherwise, fans of the game won’t be able to miss all of the nautical references which appear across St Amelia including large buoys, mooring ropes, various fishing equipment and other items typically seen around the harbour.
Given that the game is also set in 1996, there are plenty of cars, televisions and other items from the period as well.
Silent Hill: Townfall is out now on PlayStation 5 and PC.
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.