The Silent Jungle just unveiled its official trailer on New Year’s Day, and it’s serving up a brutally atmospheric take on classic survival horror that transplants Resident Evil-style gameplay into the haunting jungles of Vietnam. Developed by indie studio IRIS and published by Anh Thi, this upcoming PC game promises fixed-camera angles, limited resources, and supernatural terrors lurking between the trees.
When War Becomes Something Worse
The game follows Stephen, an American soldier deployed during the Vietnam War. During what should have been a routine mission through dense jungle terrain, Stephen and his squad get ambushed by the North Vietnamese Army. The attack leaves him gravely wounded and separated from his unit. When he regains consciousness, something has changed. The jungle isn’t just dangerous anymore, it’s cursed.
The official trailer showcases Stephen navigating through fog-drenched jungle paths, dilapidated structures, and claustrophobic underground tunnels while something unnatural stalks him through the vegetation. The atmosphere drips with dread as the footage alternates between eerie silence and sudden bursts of violence. War is already hell, but The Silent Jungle asks what happens when hell itself invades the battlefield.
Old School Horror in a New Setting
IRIS isn’t trying to reinvent the survival horror wheel, they’re polishing it and placing it in an underutilized historical context. The game embraces the design philosophy of late 90s and early 2000s horror classics with fixed camera angles that limit your field of view, creating constant tension about what might be lurking just off-screen. Resource management plays a critical role, forcing players to carefully consider every bullet fired and every health item consumed.
This approach feels refreshingly deliberate in an era where most horror games have shifted toward first-person perspectives and action-heavy gameplay. The camera work specifically harkens back to the original Resident Evil trilogy and early Silent Hill games, where the static viewpoints weren’t just a technical limitation but a crucial part of building atmosphere and suspense. You can’t see around that corner until you walk past it, and by then it might already be too late.
Vietnam War as Horror Setting
Using the Vietnam conflict as a backdrop for supernatural horror is relatively rare in gaming, though it makes perfect thematic sense. The real Vietnam War was already characterized by fear, confusion, and an environment that felt fundamentally hostile to the soldiers fighting in it. Dense jungle foliage limited visibility to mere feet, booby traps could be anywhere, and the guerrilla warfare tactics of the North Vietnamese Army meant threats could emerge from any direction without warning.
The Silent Jungle seems to be building on that historical dread while adding a supernatural layer that transforms survival from difficult to nearly impossible. The few glimpses we get from the trailer suggest grotesque creatures and paranormal phenomena that Stephen can’t explain, let alone fight effectively with his limited military equipment. It’s one thing to prepare for human enemies, it’s entirely another when the jungle itself seems to be working against you.
This isn’t the first game to explore Vietnam War horror. Jungle Rot, another indie title that emerged in 2025, similarly combines the conflict with survival horror elements including zombies and experimental toxins. However, The Silent Jungle appears to be leaning harder into psychological terror and supernatural dread rather than straightforward zombie shooting. The cursed jungle concept also brings to mind the horror potential of real Vietnamese folklore and the Aokigahara-style legends about forests where troubled spirits linger.
What We Know About Gameplay
Based on the Steam page and trailer footage, The Silent Jungle emphasizes exploration, puzzle-solving, and careful combat management. Players will need to navigate through multiple environments including above-ground jungle terrain, abandoned structures that might have served as bases or villages, and underground tunnel systems reminiscent of the famous Cu Chi tunnels used by Vietnamese forces during the actual war.
The game supports multiple languages including English, French, German, Spanish, and Vietnamese, suggesting the developers want to reach both international audiences and Vietnamese players who might appreciate seeing their country’s landscape represented in a horror context. Steam lists the game as featuring frequent violence and gore, along with general mature content, so expect this to pull no punches when it comes to disturbing imagery.
The Indie Horror Renaissance
The Silent Jungle joins a growing wave of indie developers returning to classic survival horror design principles. While AAA studios have largely moved away from fixed cameras and tank controls in favor of more modern mechanics, independent developers recognized there’s still a hungry audience for that specific brand of tension and dread. Games like Tormented Souls, Crow Country, and Signalis have all found success by embracing retro horror aesthetics while adding modern polish and quality-of-life improvements.
What makes The Silent Jungle stand out in this crowded field is its commitment to a historical setting that most horror games ignore entirely. The Vietnam War provides built-in atmosphere and context that developers can leverage without having to construct elaborate fictional backstories. The horrors of war and the horrors of the supernatural blend together naturally when your protagonist is already isolated, injured, and surrounded by an environment designed to kill him.
Release Window and Availability
The Silent Jungle is currently listed as coming soon on Steam with no specific release date announced. A demo is available for players curious about the gameplay before committing to a purchase. The game will launch exclusively on PC through Steam, with no console versions announced at this time. Given the indie development scope and the recent trailer release, a 2026 launch seems most likely, though IRIS hasn’t committed to a firm timeline.
The developers have been building buzz gradually, with an earlier teaser trailer dropping in April 2025 and gameplay footage circulating among horror game YouTubers throughout the year. The official trailer released on January 1, 2026 represents the most polished look at the game yet, suggesting development has progressed significantly and a release announcement might not be far behind.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Silent Jungle?
The Silent Jungle is a classic survival horror game set during the Vietnam War. Players control Stephen, a wounded American soldier who must survive in a cursed jungle filled with supernatural threats after being separated from his squad during an ambush.
What platforms will The Silent Jungle release on?
The game is currently confirmed only for PC via Steam. There has been no announcement regarding console versions for PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo platforms.
When is The Silent Jungle coming out?
No specific release date has been announced. The game is listed as coming soon on Steam, and based on the recent official trailer release, a 2026 launch window seems probable.
What style of gameplay does The Silent Jungle use?
The game uses classic survival horror mechanics including fixed camera angles, limited resources, puzzle-solving, and exploration. Think early Resident Evil or Silent Hill games rather than modern action-horror titles.
Is there a demo available for The Silent Jungle?
Yes, a demo is available on Steam for players who want to try the game before purchasing. This allows you to experience the gameplay mechanics and atmosphere firsthand.
Who is developing The Silent Jungle?
The game is being developed by indie studio IRIS and published by Anh Thi. It’s an independent project rather than a big-budget AAA production.
Does The Silent Jungle have multiplayer or is it single-player only?
Based on all available information, The Silent Jungle appears to be a purely single-player experience focused on atmospheric storytelling and solo survival.
What languages does The Silent Jungle support?
The game will support English, French, German, Spanish (Latin America), and Vietnamese for both interface and audio, with subtitles available in all five languages.
Why This Matters
The Silent Jungle represents more than just another indie horror game trying to recapture the magic of 90s classics. It’s taking a meaningful risk by setting its story during a real historical conflict that remains controversial and emotionally charged decades later. The Vietnam War affected millions of lives across multiple countries, and using it as a backdrop for horror requires careful handling to avoid trivializing genuine trauma while still creating an effective scary experience.
What’s encouraging from the trailer and available materials is that IRIS seems to understand this balance. The horror elements don’t mock or diminish the historical reality, they build upon the already terrifying nature of jungle warfare to create something that feels thematically appropriate rather than exploitative. By focusing on survival, isolation, and psychological dread rather than just gore and jumpscares, The Silent Jungle appears positioned to deliver horror that resonates on multiple levels.
For fans of classic survival horror who have been waiting for something that truly captures that old-school tension, The Silent Jungle looks like it could be exactly what you’ve been craving. The fixed cameras are back, the resources are limited, and the jungle is waiting. Stephen’s nightmare is just beginning, and soon you’ll be able to experience it for yourself.