Doll Explorer Prologue
- January 22, 2021
- Pico Games
Get on Steam"Doll Explorer Prologue" you can play a free thinking puzzle game where you choose commands such as "move forward" or "attack" to traverse a dungeon! In search of dungeon treasures, the adventures of apprentice witch Tia and her magical life form Doll begin!
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The art style is cute and visually appealing, enhancing the overall experience.
- The gameplay offers challenging puzzles that require strategic thinking, making it engaging.
- The characters are lovable, and the story is intriguing, leaving players eager for the full release.
- The game is quite short, with only eleven stages, which may leave players wanting more content.
- There is a lack of variety in gameplay mechanics, leading to a repetitive experience.
- Unskippable cutscenes and dialogues can be frustrating, especially when retrying levels.
- graphics15 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are consistently praised for their charming and cute art style, which enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the delightful visuals and how they complement the music, creating an engaging atmosphere. Despite the game's short length, the appealing artwork and character designs leave a positive impression, making it a standout feature.
“Incredible, just incredible, I love the art style and both of the main characters are very cute. The fighting system is amazing; it made me think and I love it so much.”
“The art style in this game is super enjoyable; it's cute, the monsters and the backdrops look good, and even though this starts as a simple game, the later levels are difficult.”
“The artworks in contrast to the music are very charming for the eye and ear.”
“It's only about 11 stages, about half of which are tutorials, but it's got a charming artstyle and some of the later puzzles can be a bit tricky since they demand you do everything perfectly in order to finish within the time limit.”
“But the cutest of them all is doll, I really like her artstyle!”
- gameplay14 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by simple yet engaging mechanics that may initially be challenging but become easier with practice. Players appreciate the satisfying puzzle elements and the cute visuals, although some noted a lack of variety in the core mechanics. Overall, the game offers a pleasant experience with a good balance of challenge and enjoyment, making it worth trying, especially given its free availability.
“Anyway, it's a short and sweet game with cute visuals, fine music, and decent puzzle gameplay. Plus, it's free; there's no reason not to play it.”
“So if you want the brief version of this review: the art is adequately anime-cute, the translation is a little odd but fine considering the game’s development, and the puzzling gameplay is pretty satisfying.”
“It has a good little story with nice puzzle mechanics, pleasant art style, ambiance, and music.”
“It’s got a dungeon crawl-ish appearance, but from the prologue it doesn’t use any mechanics associated with that genre.”
“I would like to see the full version of this project, with more variety on the core mechanic.”
“The mechanics were simple, took some error and trial but easily able to learn.”
- story13 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The story is generally well-received for its charm and cuteness, though it is noted to be relatively short and somewhat derivative of existing titles like "Labyrinth of Refrain." Players appreciate the lovable characters and engaging narrative, but many express a desire for a more developed storyline and hope for future expansions or sequels. Overall, it serves as a pleasant and enjoyable experience, particularly for fans of the genre.
“The story is adorable and you want to know more about it.”
“Excellent game, the characters are very lovable, the story is interesting and having to plan all of your actions in advance is a very good concept and can be very challenging.”
“I recommend this game for anyone that wants to play a cute short story to pass some time!”
“This is basically a copycat story inspired by 'Labyrinth of Refrain' and the 'Doll', and the 'Book' is essentially a production of the 'Grimoire' from the NISA franchise. Being a short and free indie/doujin game, it's probably okay, but if this goes commercial, it might face some legal difficulties with NIS/NISA.”
“The starter story of this prologue is essentially a copy of 'Labyrinth of Refrain' in my opinion, but it has been twisted a bit to fit a narrative that may lead to a shop simulator.”
“The starter story of this prologue is essentially a copy of 'Labyrinth of Refrain' in my opinion, but it has been twisted a bit to fit a narrative that may lead to a shop simulator.”
- music8 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is consistently praised for being charming, enjoyable, and well-suited to the gameplay, enhancing the overall experience without being overpowering. Reviewers appreciate its pleasant ambiance, which complements the cute visuals and challenging puzzles, making it a delightful addition to the game.
“The artworks in contrast to the music are very charming for the eye and ear.”
“The music is done greatly, not too loud and overbearing but nice and soft to actually enjoy while playing.”
“The puzzles are challenging, the art is great, the soundtrack is great, and the characters are adorable and really likable.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players express frustration with grinding, likening it to tedious school flashbacks where they felt ignored and unengaged, suggesting that the repetitive nature of grinding detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.
“School flashbacks from grinding for my 'friends' while they chatted and ignored the teacher.”
“The grinding feels endless and tedious, making the game more of a chore than a fun experience.”
“I spent hours grinding for resources, only to realize it was all for nothing in the end.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its emotional appeal, featuring cute visuals and wholesome dialogue that enhance the overall experience, while also providing a satisfying level of challenge through its puzzles.
“A very cute puzzle game with wholesome dialogue and relatively challenging levels.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features charming and enjoyable optimization puzzles that engage players with their fun mechanics.
“Cute and fun optimization puzzles.”
“The game offers a variety of challenging optimization tasks that keep you engaged.”
“I love how the optimization mechanics encourage creative problem-solving.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
While the character designs are praised for their quality, there is no specific mention of character development in terms of growth, backstory, or emotional depth in the reviews provided.
“The character designs are great!”
“The depth of character development really makes you feel connected to the story.”
“I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making each decision feel impactful.”
