In a sea of roguelite indie games, World of Horror stands out as a refreshing and unique experience. While many games in this genre tend to blend together with similar mechanics and themes, World of Horror takes a different approach. It embraces the retro style of early ’80s adventure games, creating a text-based RPG with a complex and captivating gameplay experience.
World of Horror may appear outdated in comparison to modern standards, but its simplicity adds to its appeal. The game challenges players to solve five self-contained mysteries consecutively, surviving each trial by managing resources carefully. Each mystery takes roughly ten minutes to complete, and the plot progresses as players select various locales to investigate. These locations trigger random events, which present players with choices that can have a significant impact on the outcome.
A Dice Roll Adventure
The game mechanics of World of Horror resemble tabletop RPGs, making it familiar to fans of the genre. Each decision involves a stat check, where invisible dice rolls determine success or failure based on relevant stats. This intricate system adds depth and unpredictability to the gameplay. As a result, players must adapt, make the most of their limited resources and knowledge, and attempt to maintain an advantage. Initial attempts may end in failure, but as players gain knowledge, unlock achievements, and acquire benefits, they can improve their chances over time.
A Highly Replayable Experience
World of Horror is designed to be highly replayable. Not only does the game feature numerous randomly selected mysteries for each playthrough, but each mystery also offers exclusive events and multiple potential endings based on player decisions. This replayability increases the game’s longevity and ensures that players can always discover something new.
Intense and Strategic Combat
While most of World of Horror is text-based, players occasionally encounter combat situations. These turn-based encounters add an element of tension to the game, as players must balance offensive and defensive actions with limited time. With two health bars to monitor—health and “reason”—players must strategize to survive. If either bar reaches zero, the game ends instantly.
Immersive Aesthetics
World of Horror’s retro-inspired visuals, heavily influenced by Junji Ito’s work, perfectly complement its text-based gameplay. The black and white aesthetic, combined with grotesque body horror and cosmic horror, creates a sense of hopelessness and despair. Though the soundtrack is composed of basic creepy chiptunes, it effectively complements the game’s tone and atmosphere.
While World of Horror excels in aesthetics and gameplay design, it falls short in its approach to inputs. Navigating the screen using a mouse controlled by the left or right stick feels clunky and could benefit from optimization. Additionally, the lack of touch screen controls limits accessibility for some players.
A Must-Try for Horror Fans
World of Horror stands as one of the most unique roguelites available on the Switch eShop. Its fusion of text-based adventure, survival horror, and roguelike mechanics creates a challenging, harrowing, and spooky adventure. While its retro aesthetics may not appeal to everyone, players who immerse themselves in the game’s atmosphere will discover a truly captivating experience. If you’re a fan of horror and enjoy gameplay that keeps you on your toes, World of Horror is definitely worth a playthrough.
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