World of Horror, a creepy 1-bit style horror RPG, will release next month

(Image credit: panstasz)

World of Horror is a gorgeous horror RPG with an art style inspired by manga artist Junji Ito. Presented in an austere 1-bit aesthetic (think The Return of Obra Dinn), it's a card-oriented RPG with roguelite elements, turn-based combat, puzzles, choice driven scenarios... basically, it seems to be a lot of things, and it's the game I'm most excited to play in early 2020.

"The Old Gods are reawakening, clawing their way back into a world that’s spiraling into a mysterious madness," so reads the Steam description. "In a small, seaside town of Japan, the population’s sanity is dwindling and otherworldly, grotesque creatures terrorize those who call the place home. In World of Horror, it’s the end of the world and the only solution is to confront the terror reigning over the apocalypse."

Developed by Pawel Kozminski aka panstasz, the game also features writing by Cassandra Khaw, best know for work on Wasteland 3 and Sunless Skies, as well as the novel Hammers on Bone. It'll launch into Early Access on February 20 with five playable characters and ten mysteries. When the game launches proper later in the year it'll get more characters, mysteries and events. If you're desperate to check it out sooner, there's currently a demo available on panstasz's Itch page.

Check out the new trailer:

Shaun Prescott

Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.