Indie Game Spotlight – World of Horror

Originally published in the February 26th issue of The Live Wire

Game Information:

Game Title: 恐怖の世界。– World of Horror

Price: Free/Pay what you want

Platform: itch.io
Developer: panstas

Release Date: November 2nd, 2016 (Prototype described here)

Genre: Psychological horror/Card Game

 

 

Remember last issue, when I said I can’t stand visual novels? Well… I was half right.

Heavily inspired by the cosmic horror of H.P. Lovecraft and the art of Manga Artist Junji Ito, World of Horror is a psychological survival horror roleplaying game, and a love letter to the “1-bit” visual stylings of early computers, released by developer “Panstas” in 2016 on the site itch.io.

In World of Horror, you play as a citizen in 1980’s Japan who stumbles upon a eldritch conspiracy, and a plot to resurrect an ancient god who will destroy the world. It is up to you to investigate strange occurrences and stop the ancient god, all while trying to stay both alive and sane.  The game uses a card system to randomize elements of its gameplay, such as events which occur when you explore a destination, which ensures every playthrough is different and completely unpredictable. You rarely know what is behind that next door, and that feeling is petrifying.

At every location you visit, time passes. All the while “Doom meter” is rising as the elder god inches closer and closer to our world. If the doom meter reaches 100%, the world is lost, meaning you must make tough decisions about how to spend your time. If you are hurt, do you really have the time to go to the doctor, or to buy weapons to fight the horrors ahead, or will you have to push on, risking your sanity and safety? Many of these decisions do not have a “best” option, forcing you to choose what resources are needed the most.

These elements combine to create a true sense of dread, something which many Lovecraft inspired games and movies fail to conjure.  The player has the odds stacked against them, and failure never comes quick, it comes slow and shambling. Like Oregon trail, World of Horror is more about the journey than the destination, about how fun (and scary) it can be to fail.

World of Horror does have its issues, however. The current version of the game is a prototype, so at times the game can feel unfinished and buggy. The game also suffers from balancing issues, and several aspects of the game are unfinished;The forest tapes item says it can be fixed but this quest was never put into the game. World of Horror’s biggest issue is a lack of mission content. There are five possible investigations in the current game, several of which have alternate endings to find, but with the way the game hands them out, it is certain that you will have to play the same mission at least twice within the same game session.

And yet, World of Horror is a game I have sunk ten hours into and I still keep discovering new events, new scares, and new ways to resolve situations. There is a lot of love poured in here, and many hidden aspects to the game. Every one of the playable characters from the idol, to the yakuza driver, to the reporter, all have their own skills, starting equipment, and an unlockable outfit. There are four different Old Gods to battle, each with their own card decks to alter the way the game is played, and many, many options such as difficulty, backstory and starting options to keep you coming back for more.

Recommended for: Horror fans looking for a small game, intrigued by the visual style and who want to see cosmic horror done right.

UPDATE May 8th, 2018:

The above article was written when World of Horror was only available as a prototype. The current version of World of Horror,  available here , is classified as a demo, with considerable changes to the polish and style of the game. Most of the overt references to Junji Ito’s work have been cut for possibly copyright reasons. This prototype version can still be dowloaded as “WOH [old version]” in the official download page.