Anyone trying to make sense of Silent Hill's convoluted lore would do well to learn about the

town itself. Before the European colonization of the Americas, native tribes referred to the
land that would encompass the future town as the "Place of Silent Spirits." English settlers
eventually ousted the Native Americans and established a village on the sacred ground.

A strange plague ravaged the budding village at some unknown point in the 18th century
and was abandoned. Silent Hill was officially reoccupied in the early 19th century, where the
mining business became quite lucrative. However, by the dawn of the 20th century, strange
happenings in the form of disappearances began to occur in the town.

By the 1900s, like other cities across America, Silent Hill began to grow. It's also during this
expansionary period that the town started to acquire a dark reputation. The once-successful
mining operations ceased their activities after a series of freak accidents and reports of
occult activity. In 1918, the passenger steamboat Little Baroness sank in Toluca Lake for
unknown reasons.

Indeed, it was during the early 20th century that a secret society, known as the Order, first
took root. Throughout the subsequent decades, members of this shadowy cult slowly
wormed their way into the town's public institutions. By the time of Silent Hill: Origins, the
Order is the dominant force in the community.

From a chronological standpoint, Silent Hill: Origins is the first game in the series. It
explores the trials and tribulations of Travis Grady, a truck driver who decides to investigate
the town after almost hitting a young girl standing in the road. The girl is revealed to be
Alessa, the daughter of Dahlia Gillespie.

Dahlia is the Order's leader, who seeks to use her daughter to birth the cult's "god." Alessa is
immolated and tortured as part of the cult's gruesome ritual. Nevertheless, after overcoming
his own demons, Travis manages to derail the ritual and free part of Alessa's soul. This
spirit, taking the form of a baby, is found by Harry Mason and his wife. The newborn is
adopted by the Masons and given the name Cheryl.

For the next seven years, the Masons raise Cheryl (actually Alessa) as their own. However,
in an attempt to complete the ritual once and for all, Dahlia uses a spell that lures Harry and
Cheryl back to Silent Hill. Dahlia's goal is to reunite both halves of Alessa's spirit so that the
latter may finally give birth to the cult's deity.

Although the plan initially succeeds, Harry manages to defeat the deity, and Dahlia is killed
in the process. Alessa, at last free from her tyrannical mother, reincarnates herself as yet
another baby. Harry takes the infant girl and once again raises her as his own, naming her
Heather.

Harry Mason raises Heather for the next seventeen years. In that time, the Order manages
to regain its strength under the leadership of Claudia. Still intent on birthing the cult's deity,
Claudia lures Heather to Silent Hill by murdering her adoptive father, Harry. After overcoming
the many dangers of the corrupted town, Heather defeats Claudia. This marks the end of the
Order's many attempts to establish their "god" as a physical presence on Earth.
Arguably the franchises' most popular entry, Silent Hill 2 is a bit tricky to nail down
chronologically. The game follows the story of James Sunderland, a widower who believes
his wife is somehow located in Silent Hill. For James, the journey turns out to be a torturous
examination of his own psyche.

There are two theories regarding Silent Hill 2's place in the timeline. Many fans posit the year
1993 as the correct date, citing Silent Hill: Homecoming as their evidence. However, certain
developers at Team Silent have specified the late 1970s or early 1980s as the setting. Both
explanations have their merits, although it's impossible to know with absolute certainty which
theory is correct.

With the conclusion of the Harry Mason saga, Silent Hill 4: The Room explores a new cast
of characters. With the appearance of an unusual hole in his bathroom wall, protagonist
Henry Townshend must unravel the dark mysteries surrounding his apartment.

The main antagonist of the game is revealed to be the spirit of the deceased Walter Sullivan,
a notorious serial killer. Sullivan hopes to enact his own dark ritual by completing twenty-one
murders within the apartment. With the help of allies obtained along the way, Henry
manages to defeat Sullivan and purify the apartment.

Silent Hill: Downpour is a self-contained story with few direct ties to previous entries. The
game relates the story of Murphy Pendleton, an inmate who finds himself stranded in the
eponymous Silent Hill. As usual, Murphy must contend with his own repressed demons as
he navigates the treacherous Maine town.

Considering that Downpour bears few ties to other games in the series, the date possesses
some ambiguity. Fans of the franchise typically attribute the year 2004 as the earliest date
for this particular title.

Silent Hill: Homecoming explores the nefarious history behind Shepherd's Glen, a small
community not unlike Silent Hill itself. The player takes the role of Alex Sheperd, a returning
veteran who finds his home engulfed in a mysterious fog. In addition, several of his
neighbors have also gone missing.

As the game progresses, Alex learns the truth about Sheperd Glen's sordid history. Every
fifty years, the four descendants of the town's founders must sacrifice one of their children to
placate their god. In the end, Alex must decide if he can forgive those around him as well as
himself.

Taking place in 2008, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories is a reimagining of the original title.
As such, it takes place within its own continuity and disregards all the other events present
on this list. Once again taking control of Harry Mason, the player navigates Silent Hill and its
alternative "Nightmare" dimension.

Nevertheless, the game throws quite a curveball at the player by the story's conclusion. It
turns out that Harry has been dead since 1990, killed in an unfortunate car accident. The
crux of the game's theme centers around his daughter, Cheryl Mason's, attempts to come to
terms with his death.