World of Horror

World of Horror, also known by its Japanese title Kyōfu no Sekai (恐怖の世界), is a role-playing video game with a 1-bit pixel art style inspired by the works of H. P. Lovecraft and Junji Ito.[2] The game was created by Polish developer Paweł Koźmiński and published by Ysbryd Games.[3] It was released into early access on February 20, 2020 through Steam, GOG.com, and Microsoft Store.[4][5][6] The full game was released on October 19, 2023 for existing macOS and Windows platforms, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.[1]

World of Horror
Developer(s)Paweł Koźmiński
Publisher(s)Ysbryd Games
Platform(s)
ReleasePC
October 19, 2023[1]
Consoles
December 8, 2023
Genre(s)Role-playing, horror
Mode(s)

The game takes place in the year "199X" in a fictitious version of Shiokawa, Japan. The player must explore various locations and fight otherworldly creatures in order to halt a looming apocalypse.[2]

Gameplay

World of Horror features turn-based combat where the player queues up actions and attacks to be used against hostile creatures,[7] many of which are based on creatures from Japanese horror manga or urban legends, such as Kuchisake-onna.[8] The game also incorporates adventure game and roguelike elements through its exploration and puzzle-solving mechanics.[9][10]

Development

The game's developer, Paweł Koźmiński (a.k.a. Panstasz) worked on the game part time in between his work as a dentist.[11] All of the in-game artwork was designed using MS Paint, with additional writing provided by author Cassandra Khaw.[3] The game's music was composed by ArcOfDream and Qwesta. Interest in a console release has been expressed since 2020,[12] and a release date was revealed during Nintendo's Indie World Showcase in November 2022.[13]

Reception

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.[14] Jenna Stoeber of Polygon called the game's horror "engaging", though she criticized the visuals as "mixed", and called navigating the interface "frustrating".[15] Lane Martin from CGMagazine said it "strikes at the very bone of what can be truly terrifying".[16] According to Metacritic, World of Horror currently has "generally favorable reviews".[17]

References
  1. O'Connor, Alice (7 June 2023). "World Of Horror spreads Junji Ito-inspired spookings in October". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  2. "WORLD OF HORROR". wohgame.com. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  3. "ysbryd games". Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  4. "WORLD OF HORROR on Steam". Steam. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  5. "WORLD OF HORROR". GOG.com. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  6. "Buy WORLD OF HORROR (Game Preview)". Microsoft Store. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  7. McMullen, Paige (3 May 2020). "World of Horror: Beginner's Guide to Combat and Enemy Stats". Screen Rant. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  8. Shaver, Morgan (21 February 2020). "World of Horror | A Junji Ito Fan's Nightmarish Paradise". IndieObscura. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  9. Norman, Thomas (5 November 2020). "WORLD OF HORROR: An Investigative Interactive RPG, Grimoire of Horror". Grimoire of Horror. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  10. Watts, Rachel (21 February 2020). "World of Horror is a gruesome adventure game inspired by the work of Junji Ito". PC Gamer. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  11. Conditt, Jessica (20 September 2019). "A dentist made a game in MS Paint and it's terrifying". Engadget. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  12. Smith, Callum (19 February 2020). "World Of Horror: PS4 and Nintendo Switch release date after Early Access on Steam". HITC. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  13. "Latest Indie World Showcase unveils a wave of indie games coming to Nintendo Switch in 2022 and beyond". Nintendo Official Site. 9 November 2022. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  14. Devore, Jordan (26 February 2020). "Early Access Review: World of Horror". Destructoid. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  15. Stoeber, Jenna (24 February 2020). "World of Horror lets me bring doom upon myself". Polygon. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  16. Martin, Lane (5 March 2020). "World of Horror Review". CGMagazine. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  17. "World of Horror for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
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