WORLD OF HORROR

WORLD OF HORROR is a horror game with role-playing and roguelite elements. In the Japanese coastal town of Shiokawa, different playable characters investigate supernatural incidents and try to stop the return of ancient gods. The minimalist black-and-white graphics were made with Microsoft Paint. Instead of linear missions, the game combines short investigations, decisions, items and dangerous encounters into changing runs.

WORLD OF HORROR was fully released on PC on Oct 19, 2023. Before that, the game was available in Early Access from Feb 20, 2020. The PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch versions were released in Germany on Oct 26, 2023.

WORLD OF HORROR is available for PC, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. On PC, Windows and macOS are supported. The PS4 version can also be played on PlayStation 5, but it is not a separate native PS5 release. The game is designed for one player on all three platform families.

Investigations take you through schools, hospitals, apartments, forests and other places in Shiokawa. You gather clues, use items and rituals, and choose between possible paths through a case. Random events and different outcomes change how things unfold. In turn-based combat, characters weigh actions against their limited resources.

On Windows, Steam lists minimum requirements of an Intel Core i3, 1 GB RAM, Intel HD Graphics 4400 and 500 MB storage. The historical Windows 7 entry on the product page should be distinguished from the current requirements of the Steam client. For macOS, Catalina, 8 GB RAM and likewise 500 MB storage are listed.

Each run links several mysteries into a larger confrontation with the looming end of the world. Cases can have different endings and trigger different encounters. Which items, allies and horrors appear also depends on the chosen character and random events.

Different investigators bring their own traits and starting conditions. Your choice determines which strengths you can use in fights and investigations. The AS BELOW SO ABOVE expansion adds three more playable characters, including the tarot reader Kiriko.

Ancient gods influence the rules of the game and heighten the threat to Shiokawa. AS BELOW SO ABOVE adds two new beings to this selection. IKT-YOSIS changes the weather conditions, among other things, while THE WAR FOR SHIOKAWA brings several competing cults to the fore.

AS BELOW SO ABOVE has been free to get on PC since Oct 30, 2026. The extensive expansion brings new mysteries, events, enemy types, injuries, items and playable characters. The PlayStation 4 and Switch versions are due to follow in 2027. The new content is permanently part of the game.

With AS BELOW SO ABOVE, the mountains are added as another location. The Weird Weather system changes the conditions for upcoming investigations. If you pay attention to weather forecasts, you can tackle tough cases under favorable conditions. New hiking trails and events expand Shiokawa beyond the previous locations.

Scenario mode tells self-contained stories set before the main game. In FOREST OF FEAR / TAPES OF TRAGEDY, the plot follows Makoto, a member of the school film club, as he investigates a legend in the forest. The story offers its own events, encounters and several endings.

WORLD OF HORROR supports community-created content. The revised mod system allows custom enemies, events and mysteries with interlinked storylines. The expansion stays compatible with content from version 1.0. On Steam, Workshop support is available.

The reduced 1-bit look is a defining feature of WORLD OF HORROR. Developer panstasz drew the graphics in Microsoft Paint. The mood draws on cosmic horror and Japanese ghost stories, while chiptune music underlines the contrast between everyday places and disturbing encounters.

WORLD OF HORROR offers German on-screen text. Other text languages include English, French, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified and Traditional Chinese. The game is designed for single players. German voice acting is not needed, as exploration, dialogue and decisions are conveyed mainly through text.