[1] The book describes mysteries and secrets of the vampire world found in various regions, including the British Isles, Europe, Jordan, Hong Kong and Haiti.

This was followed in 1992 by the supplement A World of Darkness, a 136-page softcover book designed by Steve Crow, Graeme Davis, Frank Frey, Lee Gold, Andrew Greenberg, Robert Hatch, and Ryan O'Rourke, with interior art by John Cobb, Samuel Inabinet, Larry MacDougall, Chris McDonough, Jon Skolund, and Joshua Gabriel Timbrook, and cover art by Clark Mitchell.

[3] In 1996, White Wolf published a second edition, a 158-page softcover book designed by Mark Cenczyk, Ben Chessell, Richard Dansky, Graeme Davis, James Estes, Alex Hammond, Angel Leigh McCoy, Deena C. McKinney, James A. Moore, Lucien Soulban, and Richard Watts, with interior art by Jason Brubaker, Michael Gaydos, Pia Guerra, Anthony Hightower, Eric Lacombe, Larry MacDougall, Heather J. McKinney-Chernik, E. Allen Smith, and Ron Spencer, and cover art by John Matson.

"[9] Mark Barter of Arcane reviewed the second edition and found it to be "a first class sourcebook which opens up a whole world of fresh challenges for players and Storytellers.

He concluded by giving the book an above average rating of 5 out of 6, saying "Because A World of Darkness functions as sort of a Kindred almanac, it’s essential reading.