World of Horror: The Surprising Horror Game Made by a Dentist on MS Paint

World of Horror was developed by Paweł Koźmiński and published by Ysbryd Games, and is a game that challenges any modern gaming style. Combining retro 1-bit aesthetics, direct inspirations from Junji Ito's mangas, H.P. Lovecraft's cosmic horror, and roguelite mechanics, the title proves to be a unique experience that can be terrifying, as a good horror story should be. After its final version arrived in late 2023, the game became a favorite among players, becoming an instant classic.

In this article, we’ll explore how World of Horror balances a fragmented narrative, difficult choices, and an atmosphere that lingers long even after the game is turned off. Prepare to enter Shiokawa, a coastal Japanese town where sanity is a scarce resource and the Old Gods await for awakening.

Almost every human being who owns a PC has tried at least once in their life to have fun drawing in MS Paint. Most people can only do doodles, but Polish dentist Pawel Kozminski went much further than anyone could imagine.

Kozminski made a complete game, something that seemed impossible with this simple drawing tool. For seven consecutive years in his free time the dentist practiced drawings and little by little, frame by frame, he created World Of Horror.

The first impression of World of Horror is its visuals. With 1-bit monochromatic art, the game has a purposeful raw feel, very similar to early computers from the 1980s, such as the Macintosh II.

The characters and creatures are drawn with minimalist lines, details such as empty eyes, distended mouths and deformed bodies convey a sense of unease. This aesthetic is not accidental, it’s inspired by the horror manga of the 80s and 90s. A notable example is the Kuchisake-onna, a figure from Japanese folklore, a tribute to the Ito-esque body horror.

Through his passion for Japanese manga, Pawel Kozminski transformed World of Horror into a love letter to this type of art. He himself confirms that he grew up reading many of them as a teenager.

"Junji Ito's (horror manga author) incredible work has left me with many sleepless nights and this is my tribute*”.

The soundtrack is composed by Sebastian Zybowski and Joseph Bailey, who use dark-toned chiptunes to heighten the tension. Footsteps in empty hallways, unintelligible whispers, and dissonant chords create a claustrophobic atmosphere; there are no jump scares here, but a persistent anxiety with each passing screen. The choice of optional color palettes (such as green, amber, or red) allows you to customize the experience, but the black and white version remains the most impactful in the game, like a moving manga.

There are a total of twenty investigations to complete, but the game is structured in standalone runs, each with five mysteries that must be solved in order to obtain keys and access a beacon, the final barrier against an Old God. The DOOM meter advances with each action, putting pressure on the player to balance exploration, combat, and resource management.

Each game is estimated to take about two hours, and finding all scenarios and unlocking all extra content can take up to 38 hours.

Each mystery is a self-contained story, with multiple endings determined by choices and attribute tests (Strength, Knowledge, Dexterity, and Luck). For example, in The Mermaid’s Curse, the player can confront a mermaid-obsessed janitor, choosing to fight, flee, or even burn down the school. These decisions affect progression.

The writing was assisted by Cassandra Khaw (Sunless Skies), although succinct, it’s effective, using narrative gaps to stimulate the imagination, such as a bloody package on the subway or a man who exchanges memories for money, are hooks that leave the player intrigued.

Combat is turn-based and actions are selected on a timer (attacks, dodges, rituals), but the repetition of strategies, such as prioritizing guaranteed hits or running away, makes encounters predictable. Enemies like the Doll Nurse (a faceless nurse) are visually striking, but their AI reduces the tactical challenge. Magic, although thematically appropriate, is often not worth the cost. It’s clear to the player that the focus of the game is on the stories and narrative, with combat taking a back seat to provide some of the tension of the action in the story.

The roguelite system is great. Each run unlocks new spells, items and characters (like Aiko, a student with paranormal abilities), something that allows us to experience different ways of playing.

Different Old Gods (e.g. The One Who Crawls or The Serpent of Chaos) bring unique modifiers, such as contaminating the water supply or limiting healing. The option to create custom stories and mods adds more depth to the game.

World of Horror doesn't rely on scares, but on an atmosphere of suspense and growing despair. The lack of a linear narrative, replaced by fragments of stories, reflects the incoherence of a nightmare. In one playthrough, you might investigate a ramen restaurant with suspicious meat; in another, you might face a school ghost obsessed with prime numbers.

The character's sanity (Reason) decreases with traumatic events, such as witnessing dark rituals. When the bar reaches zero, the player is consumed by madness, a game over in the best Lovecraftian poetic form. The DOOM meter, in turn, acts as a symbolic clock: each 1% accumulated is a step towards the apocalypse, creating dilemmas such as "Heal a wound or hasten the end of the world?".

World of Horror has received critical acclaim, with 91% positive reviews on Steam and praise for its originality. It won the Best Visual Design award at IndieCade 2023 and was nominated in the audio categories. For horror fans, it's a must-try, but not recommended for those looking for frenetic action or linear narratives.

Regarding future projects, Paweł Koźmiński said: “I am currently designing a horror game that will explore yet another exotic location for the Western player”. Will everything be drawn in MS Paint again? We’ll find out soon.

World of Horror isn't for everyone. Its unforgiving difficulty, gritty aesthetics, and slow pace may put off casual gamers. But for those willing to brave the unknown, it's a masterpiece that reinvents cosmic horror. As the Rock Paper Shotgun reviewer puts it, "It's a game that knows exactly what it wants to be" — and in that, it succeeds.

Recommended for: Fans of horror manga and Junji Ito, narrative roguelite enthusiasts, and gamers who enjoy psychological horror, and especially for gamers who want to experience what 1980s PC games were like.

World Of Horror is available for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PC, macOS, Android, Mac OS.