Loathing universe
Asymmetric has made three Loathing games (Kingdom of Loathing, West of Loathing, and Shadows over Loathing). Shadows over Loathing is explicitly set in the same world as West of Loathing, and there are some KoL references in both other games as well.
Rufus
Rufus, now all grown up, is searching for their sibling (the main player from West of Loathing), saying that they disappeared and he requires our help finding them. If you completed his entire quest then in the Ending (SoL) Rufus teleports to a random cave, not knowing where he is but knowing his one step closer to finding his sibling.
The nexus
In West of Loathing by completing the El Vibrato questline the player could travel to a Temporal Nexus, which offered multiple items and there was a Sign that reads "Camp Crystaldream"
now in shadows over loathing you can access the nexus again , by completing the Möbius ring quest , which offers the same items
Skeleton owl
In west of loathing you meet Hobart Buppert who needs a skeleton owl pic from Petting Cemetery
In goldthwait park in shadows over loathing you can see the statue again, with a description saying that Hobart donated it.
Kellogg
the player discovers Kellogg in west of loathing as a ghost in his ranch , explaining his 3 step technique for purity ( which also offers the only way to remove Cowrruption)
in shadows over loathing the Box of Wafered Corn cereal indicates that kellogg has become a wide brand and that any infringing of the kellogg name will cause mr kellogg himself to haunt whoever infringed the name
The necromancer
a comment from Random event in the big moist that involves vampires trying to vampirise a gatorman delcares that ever since the player defeated the last Necromancer in west of loathing , there has been no skeletons or undead running around since
Douglas, Janet, and Ted
the two faced man , the mechanical lady and the one eyed man return from the circus from west of loathing , having escaped the circus and needing new jobs they joined the sit library
Duke bovicus
Originally seen in Hellstrom Ranch in WoL. Using the Weird leather pouch on the book in the sit opens a page on The duke explaining how to summon him
Cows
When you pick up the mounted cow skull, the narrator comments that it's a rare item because cows haven't been seen in 30 years. WoL is set in the year ???, SoL is set in the year ???.
Roberto
The spiral constellations in the S.I.T. (Astronomy Classroom) is labeled ROBERTO'S WHORL. Similar spirals are seen in Roberto's cult in Madness Maw Mine in West of Loathing.
Spitoons
in west of loathing the player encounters many spitoons in their journey , in shadows over loathing the player finds a spitoon in The Purple Door , asking fancy dan about it , he says that spitoons went out of fashion eve since mass produced cigars became a thing , and comments that it was once worn as a hat.
References to Kingdom of Loathing
- MacMillicancuddy's Farm and Grode Valley Orchard can be originally found on the expanded Mysterious Island of Mystery in KoL.
- Professor Jacking can be researched in the S.I.T. (Library) is a reference to the The Quest for the Legendary Beat quest in KoL.