The World Next Door

A visual novel with real-time battles fought by matching runes

Rose City Games · Published by VIZ Media · Released Mar 28, 2019

Reviews: Very Positive; 82% of 237
Recent reviews: Not enough recent
Players: 0; daily peak, Oct 29, 2026
Steam Deck: Verified
Last update on Steam: 7 years ago; May 15, 2019
Minimum PC: 4 GB RAM; Full requirements

What is The World Next Door?

This 2D adventure combines visual novel dialogue with real-time puzzle combat in the magical world of Emrys. You play Jun, a teenager trying to return to Earth before time runs out, making choices that affect relationships and combining runes to cast spells in battle.

For you if...

+you enjoy supernatural teen stories centered on friendships
+you prefer a short adventure over a lengthy campaign

Not for you if...

−you prefer turn-based puzzles with no time pressure
−you want action without visual novel conversations

What players say

82% of 237 reviews are positive

Players praise the character art and matching-based combat. The most common complaint is that the ending feels rushed or incomplete, leaving story threads unresolved.

Screenshots and trailer

The World Next Door system requirements

Minimum: 4 GB RAM.

As published by the developer.

Can my PC run The World Next Door?

The published requirements do not name a graphics card we can compare.

Set up my PC →

Minimum

Memory: 4 GB RAM

Does The World Next Door have co-op or multiplayer?

Yes: PvP split-screen. It also has a single-player mode. With Remote Play Together, one copy is enough to play the local modes online with friends.

Does The World Next Door run on Steam Deck?

Verified Yes, Verified by Valve: it works on Steam Deck out of the box.

All functionality is accessible with the default controller configuration
In-game text is legible on Steam Deck
Default graphics settings perform well on Steam Deck

PC version details

DRM: None declared on Steam
Controller: Full controller support
Platforms: Windows, macOS
Achievements: 24
Steam features: Family Sharing, Trading cards
Languages: Text only: English.

Does The World Next Door use AI-generated content?

No AI-generated content is disclosed on the game's Steam page.

Self-reported by the developer under Steam rules: it covers AI content that ships in the game, not tools used to make it. Steam page checked on Oct 27, 2026. How to filter AI games on Steam