The game takes place in the year "198X" in the fictitious town of Shiokawa, Japan. The player must explore various locations and fight otherworldly creatures in order to halt a looming apocalypse.[3]
Gameplay
Screenshot of enemy encounter
World of Horror is a roguelite role-playing game, built around individual self-contained playthroughs consisting of five different "mysteries" that must be solved, each corresponding to one of five keys that are used at the end of the playthrough to enter a locked lighthouse, in order to defeat one of several possible Old Gods that is threatening the town. The player must do this before the game's "DOOM" meter reaches 100%, which marks the point at which the entity is summoned. DOOM increases each time the player takes an action, and can increase further as a result of certain events. Each of the various Old Gods apply various unique effects or limitations on gameplay.[8][9]
The game features turn-based combat where the player queues up actions and attacks to be used against hostile creatures,[10] many of which are based on creatures from Japanese horror manga or urban legends, such as Kuchisake-onna.[11] The game also incorporates adventure game and roguelike elements through its exploration and puzzle-solving mechanics.[12][13]
Development
The game's developer, Paweł Koźmiński (a.k.a. Panstasz) worked on the game part time in between his work as a dentist.[14] All of the in-game artwork was designed using MS Paint, with additional writing provided by author Cassandra Khaw.[4] The game's music was composed by ArcOfDream and Qwesta. Interest in a console release has been expressed since 2020,[15] and a release date was revealed during Nintendo's Indie World Showcase in November 2022.[16]
Jordan Devore of Destructoid called the game "a rare treat" and praised its modular format, as well as its "eerie chiptune soundtrack and rising tension during a long, hard-fought run," but also criticized its combat as becoming tedious over long sessions.[23] Jenna Stoeber of Polygon called the game's horror "engaging", though she criticized the visuals as "mixed", and called navigating the interface "frustrating".[24] Lane Martin from CGMagazine said it "strikes at the very bone of what can be truly terrifying".[25]
Final release version
According to Metacritic, World of Horror currently has "generally favorable reviews".[17] Kerry Brunskill from PC Gamer called it "one of the year's best horror games".[8] Zoey Handley from Destructoid praised its creative approach.[20]Rock Paper Shotgun described it as a "game that is absolutely being what it wants to be. And because of that, some of you are going to hate it".[9]
