World is an intense survival horror game set in an ancient, malevolent forest that consumes souls. Players take on the role of a traveler desperately searching for a lost friend, but they must confront a primal and deadly trial: survive until dawn. The forest is alive with malicious intent, and players must silence their fear, outwit the darkness, and avoid becoming another shadow lost in the mist, facing constant danger and eerie silence.
The core gameplay revolves around relentless survival pressure where players must stay alive through seven increasingly dark and deadly nights. During the day, they gather resources or scavenge for tools like a broken compass or a rusted lantern, essential for survival but never sufficient to fend off the threats. As night falls, the atmosphere intensifies with threats such as predators hunting by scent, roots that can trap the unwary, and hallucinations that distort reality. Any misstep, like a snapped twig or a flickering light, results in instant death, heightening the game's brutal stakes.
The environment in World is highly dynamic and adaptive. AI-driven traps and the terrain itself shift with each cycle, making the forest unpredictable and dangerous. Safe pathways once discovered can become deadly in the next cycle. Players must rely solely on silence and cunning, as no weapon can save them—only the ability to remain undetected and quiet. The game's difficulty scales with the player's skill, with features like No Mercy Mode intensifying the challenge, creating a relentless and unforgiving experience where even the environment responds mercilessly to the player's actions.
Designed for a niche of players who thrive on high-stakes roguelike challenges, World emphasizes atmosphere over gore, offering a suffocating and immersive horror experience. The game features true permadeath, meaning no checkpoints and permanent loss after failure, reinforcing the need for perfection and patience. With ASMR sound design that tracks the player's heartbeat and an environment that physically distorts, the game creates an overwhelmingly tense ambiance. Ultimately, players must resist the primal fear and see if they can endure until sunrise, knowing any scream could be their last.