In an undoubtedly innovative — and some might say terrifying — approach to language education, a teacher at a Japanese secondary school has introduced a novel method for students to learn English: by playing P.T., the chilling teaser for the unreleased Silent Hills game.
P.T., widely recognized as Hideo Kojima’s masterclass in psychological horror, plunges players into an eerie home filled with unsettling events and enigmatic puzzles. Though ultimately a ‘Playable Trailer’ for a project that never saw the light of day, P.T. remains a benchmark for many as one of the most frightening video game experiences ever created.
As revealed on the school’s blog and further reported by Automaton, students were tasked with navigating this horror experience entirely in English. They were instructed to vocalize commands like “walk around the room” and “answer the phone” in English. This immersive, high-stakes environment reportedly fostered an exciting atmosphere, enabling students, typically around the age of U.S. sophomores, to naturally practice and familiarize themselves with English vocabulary and expressions while enduring a truly petrifying game.
Unsurprisingly, the students were particularly startled when the in-game phone began to ring. However, they were encouraged to articulate their reactions using “natural English expressions,” turning moments of fear into spontaneous learning opportunities.
The cancellation of Silent Hills in 2015 by Konami, following a very public disagreement with Kojima, led to the demo’s removal from the PlayStation Network. This sparked widespread concern, including false rumors about already downloaded copies being deleted from PlayStation 4 consoles globally. It’s clear this dedicated teacher had the foresight to safeguard their copy for over a decade, allowing this unique educational experiment to take place.
Meanwhile, with Death Stranding 2 now released, Hideo Kojima continues to develop new projects. Among these is the horror game OD for Xbox Game Studios. The first trailer for OD, unveiled last month, immediately fueled speculation about potential connections to P.T. Indeed, there are striking similarities. This mysterious upcoming title will feature a star-studded cast including Sophia Lillis (from Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves), Udo Kier (Hunters), and Hunter Schafer (Euphoria). The trailer itself shows Lillis’ character navigating a spooky house, lighting candles before encountering a malevolent presence.
Kojima has clarified that the game’s subtitle is OD: Knock, with a creepy knocking sound prominently featured throughout the trailer. This distinction also helps differentiate Kojima’s game from a separate OD project by filmmaker Jordan Peele. Kojima stated, “There is a different kind of fear Jordan [Peele] will do. Mine is the ‘knock,’ is the fear. I really am afraid of big knock sounds.”
Photo by Amy E. Price/SXSW Conference & Festivals via Getty Images.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.