Junji Ito is considered a master of horror manga. His terrifying tales of the weird and unexplained have launched him into mainstream consciousness, with his works often being referenced by other franchises. Uzumaki and The Enigma at Amigara Fault are among his most well-known titles, having inspired many other creators with his mastery. Not only has he impacted the horror genre of manga, but also video games.
World of Horror is a turn-based RPG that uses a 1-bit pixel art style and chiptune music to tell a tale of terror. Set in 198X, a Japanese seaside town begins experiencing increasing madness as the apocalypse looms on the horizon. Strange creatures roam the streets and prey on the unsuspecting citizens as the Old Gods reawaken from their slumber. Taking control of one of the playable characters, the player can explore the town and its many mysteries, with each mystery having multiple possible endings.
The main objective in World of Horror is to collect five keys that will unlock the town's lighthouse. To find these keys, the player must solve five randomly selected mysteries. With the passing of each turn, the player's chosen character will slowly begin losing their mind and the town will fall into the Old God's control. This is depicted with the DOOM status, which will increase with most actions.
Once the meter reaches 100 or the Stamina or Reason meters dip below 0, the character will die, and the player loses the game. The characters skills and stats can be leveled up much like in a game of Dungeons and Dragons or Call of Cthulhu. There are also a number of random events that can affect a character's stats based on the choices the player makes. It's up to the player to decide which mysteries to solve in which order to manage their stats effectively.
The game was created by Polish game developer Paweł Koźmiński (Panstasz) and published by Ysbryd Games in 2020, when it received an early access release on Steam. The game hasn't received a full launch as of writing, but received an update in December 2021 adding new content. A 1.0 release is planned for sometime in 2022. Panstasz has gone on record stating that the game is a "love letter to the works of Junji Ito and H.P. Lovecraft," a sentiment echoed on the official World of Horror site. The chosen art style is reminiscent of 80s adventure games, which helps the horrifying atmosphere the game gives off. The game offers a standard run, a Quick Play option, and a customized run.
H.P. Lovecraft and Junji Ito have both left their marks on the cosmic horror and sci-fi worlds. World of Horror encapsulates not only the madness of otherworldly abominations and Elder Gods, but the unsettling emotions that would result as these situations played out. There's a creeping fear that permeates the atmosphere, something that Ito is iconic for. This game takes the terror he has mastered and put it into a playable format.
World of Horror is currently available on Steam, Itch.io, GOG, and the Windows Store.