Dokuro

About

Dokuro is a single player casual platformer game. It was developed by GAME ARTS Co., Ltd. and was released on December 8, 2014. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

This charming, chalk-art puzzler tests your wits and tugs at your hearstrings as the bony underdog Dokuro strives to solve and swashbuckle his way through the Dark Lord's castle to save the Princess.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

66%

Audience ScoreBased on 32 reviews

graphics4 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

Charming and cute art style with a unique chalk drawing aesthetic.
Engaging puzzle-platformer gameplay with interesting mechanics like transformation and chalk drawing.
Good pacing and challenging but fair puzzles that encourage critical thinking.

Poor PC port with no or partial controller support and no key rebinding, making controls frustrating.
No graphic options, fixed 30 FPS lock, and lack of save/restart features leading to a cumbersome experience.
Occasional AI issues with the escorting princess and some sluggish or repetitive gameplay elements.

graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
56%
19%
The game features a unique and charming chalk art style with a black-and-white aesthetic that many find visually appealing and memorable. However, it lacks graphic options and suffers from minor graphical hiccups like slightly laggy animations and occasional screen tearing. Despite these flaws, the graphics effectively complement the gameplay and overall atmosphere.
- “The graphics are very interesting and memorable.”
- “Simple and fun puzzle-platformer with a cute chalk art style that kind of reminds me of Madoka Magica.”
- “Dokuro has a few tricks to help with this, such as different kinds of chalk, befitting the game's graphical motif, that can create ropes to fix pulleys, light fires, or other effects.”
- “No graphic options at all.”
- “Zero graphic options and no remapping of keyboard controls as far as I know.”
- “Some repetition in gameplay. Difficulty doesn't scale properly. No graphics options and ample screen tearing.”
gameplay
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
28%
27%
The gameplay features unique mechanics like mouse-driven chalk drawing to solve puzzles and a transformation ability between undead and human forms, adding strategic variety. While controls can be awkward due to non-rebindable, unconventional key bindings and frequent mouse-keyboard switching, the puzzle-platforming experience remains engaging and creatively challenging. Despite some repetition and difficulty scaling issues, the gameplay offers a fresh, enjoyable puzzle experience overall.
- “The game's most interesting and defining gameplay mechanic is the magic chalk powers, which allow you to complete puzzles by drawing chalk lines on the screen to create ropes and fuses.”
- “Early in the game, you can drink a potion to change from an undead demon to a living human prince for short periods, adding a unique spin on puzzle-solving with different abilities and gameplay strategies.”
- “Dokuro's puzzle gameplay is challenging and makes players think, providing a refreshing experience in the puzzle genre.”
- “The basic gameplay is that of an escort mission.”
- “Some repetition in gameplay. Difficulty doesn't scale properly. No graphics options and ample screen tearing.”
- “It needs mouse and keyboard for a few parts with a chalk drawing mechanic.”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
50%
30%
The story is simple yet charming, centered around a fantasy kingdom where the player escorts a kidnapped princess, creating an engaging underdog narrative. While it’s described as cute and emotionally appealing, the gameplay and controls can detract from fully enjoying the story. Overall, the tale is well-received for its warmth and artistic presentation.
- “The game looks quite nice, and the story, while simple, makes you care about Dokuro as a believable underdog.”
- “After beating it: The story is very charming and its own art are really good.”
- “The story is set in a non-descript fantasy kingdom, where the dark lord has just kidnapped the local princess.”
- “The basic gameplay is that of an escort mission.”
- “The levels consist of fairly short escort missions where you pave the way to be clear of obstacles for the AI princess.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music is pleasing and family-friendly, complementing the game's cute and unique art style. It creates an enjoyable atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
- “The art and music are cute and family-friendly.”
- “Unique art style and pleasing music.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Dokuro is praised for its heartwarming and emotionally engaging experience, blending puzzle action with a touching narrative.
- “Dokuro is a very heartwarming puzzle action game.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report that the game is more stable and less buggy on mobile devices, suggesting the phone version offers a smoother experience compared to other platforms.
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game is often tedious and frustrating, not because of puzzle difficulty, but due to the AI-controlled princess frequently making poor decisions that hinder progress.
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Dokuro offers strong replayability through its charming design, unique aesthetic, and challenging platforming levels that encourage multiple playthroughs.
- “Dokuro is a charming platform title featuring a unique aesthetic, challenging levels and strong replay value.”