DOLL EYE: CHAPTER ONE

About

DOLL EYE: CHAPTER ONE is the first part of a dialogue-based, story-driven psychological horror game made in RPG Maker MZ. "Where did this all start?" Tomorrow is the anniversary of your son's death, but you can't let that distract you from your everyday life. Your daughter has just sent you a message asking you to pick her up near that one shark dude's bar. Worry not - your guardian an…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 97 reviews

story14 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

The game features a unique art style and engaging character designs that captivate players.
The narrative is intriguing, with a blend of humor and darker themes that keeps players invested.
Players appreciate the replay value due to achievements and the potential for future chapters to expand the story.

Some players feel the game lacks depth and player choice, making it feel more like a visual novel than an interactive game.
The pacing can be slow, with dialogue and interactions that may feel drawn out or repetitive.
There are technical issues, such as freezing cutscenes and minor bugs, that can detract from the overall experience.

story
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
53%
8%
The story has been widely praised for its intriguing mysteries, engaging character development, and charming art style, which together create a captivating narrative experience. Many players express excitement for future chapters, highlighting the potential for deeper exploration and psychological horror elements. While some note a need for more detailed storytelling, the overall consensus is that the narrative serves as a strong foundation for what promises to be an exceptional story.
- “The narrative here is really good; just this one-hour glimpse already has me invested in the plot, and I'm hungry for more.”
- “A wonderful beginning to a horror story, with lovable characters and an interesting premise. I look forward to chapter 2!”
- “The story has me hooked, and I can't wait to see what's in store for the next chapters.”
- “The story needs more details since there are only a few notable scenes.”
- “It feels like there's going to be this creepy psychological horror game at some point, but you're only getting a bit of plot setup/narrative here.”
- “It's not doing much, but it's made out to be more of a pillar for a flourishing, unconventional story with a number of characters which I myself have shared a strong interest towards.”
graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
38%
19%
The game's graphics are widely praised for their unique art style, charming atmosphere, and quality cutscenes, which enhance the storytelling experience. While many players find the visuals beautiful and engaging, some note inconsistencies in style due to the evolution of the artist's work over time. Overall, the combination of distinctive visuals and a balance of humor contributes to a captivating aesthetic that resonates with players.
- “I love this game's unique art style and satirical humor.”
- “I love the art style and general atmosphere!”
- “There are dark and funny dialogues, quality cutscenes, and a unique art style.”
- “I will say that the difference in styles in some portions is rather jarring, given that much of the game's CGs/sprites date back to the first ever iteration, with some altered/additional visuals coming in around its anniversary edition, a time where his style had changed drastically enough to separate itself from older visuals.”
- “You're mileage may vary for the artwork.”
- “I will say that the difference in styles in some portions is rather jarring, given that much of the game's CGs/sprites date back to the first ever iteration, with some altered/additional visuals coming in around its anniversary edition, a time where his style had changed drastically enough to separate itself from older visuals.”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
20%
The music in the game is consistently praised for its quality and ability to enhance the overall experience, contributing to a charming and nostalgic atmosphere. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as solid and enjoyable, complementing the game's impressive art style and engaging story. Overall, the music is seen as a strong asset that complements the game's other elements effectively.
- “The music is also very splendid.”
- “Great art style, great music, interesting characters, and a promising story!”
- “An enjoyable experience; the music is nice, I enjoy the art style, there's a kind of nostalgic and comfortable atmosphere to a lot of it (in between the moments of dread, haha.) It's all very charming, and I'm intrigued to see where the story will go.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is characterized by a blend of satirical and dark elements, with well-crafted dialogue and memorable characters that contribute to its charm. While some players appreciate the unique art style and the balance of humor with darker themes, others feel that the comedic aspects can be hit-or-miss and may not resonate with all audiences. Overall, the humor adds a distinctive flavor to the narrative, though some find it lacking in depth.
- “I love this game's unique art style and satirical humor.”
- “A very nice game; I usually don't leave reviews, but this game is an exception. The art style is very nice, the dialogue is funny at times and dark when it needs to be, and the characters are very well made, in my honest opinion.”
- “This game has a promising narrative structure, distinctive visuals, and a nice balance of humor and little 'warnings' that it's about to get spookier.”
gameplay
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
60%
The gameplay has been criticized for its minimal mechanics and very slow pacing, which detracts from the overall experience. While the story is engaging, the lack of interactive elements and player choice leaves much to be desired in a game format.
- “Dolleye is definitely interesting; however, the pacing is very slow, and there are minimal game mechanics.”
- “This style of writing necessitates having a dialogue tree of some kind, especially in a video game that's supposed to have gameplay.”
- “With games like these, there's a certain minimum to the amount of time an interaction between characters takes, but also in books, there's no expectation for gameplay, mechanics, player choice, and so on.”
- “Dolleye is definitely interesting... however, the pacing is very, very slow, and there are minimal game mechanics.”
- “This style of writing, whatever you want to call it, necessitates (especially in a video game that's supposed to have gameplay) having a dialogue tree of some kind.”
- “With novels, you read at your own pace; with games like these, there's a certain minimum to the amount of time an interaction between characters takes... but also in books, there's no expectation for gameplay, mechanics, player choice, and so on.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers praise the character development for its engaging designs and intriguing plot, which creates a strong desire to explore the story further. The appealing art style and well-crafted sprites enhance the overall experience, contributing to high replay value.
- “This was such a great first chapter, I'm thrilled to see what's to come! I also love the character designs; I need to draw Alfred right now.”
- “The character designs are very interesting, the drawing style is catchy, and the plot is fraught with many mysteries that you want to solve as quickly as possible!”
- “Very good, amazing sprites, character design, and story. The achievements give this a lot of replay value.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its charming art style and nostalgic, comfortable feel, which contrasts effectively with moments of dread. The music complements the overall experience, enhancing the engaging and enjoyable ambiance that keeps players intrigued by the story.
- “I love the art style and general atmosphere!”
- “An enjoyable experience; the music is nice, I enjoy the art style, there's a kind of nostalgic and comfortable atmosphere to a lot of it (in between the moments of dread, haha). It's all very charming, and I'm intrigued to see where the story will go.”
- “Fun little read with great art and atmosphere.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
50%
The game offers high replayability due to its engaging story, impressive character design, and achievements that encourage players to revisit the experience. Overall, it provides a well-rounded and interesting narrative that enhances its replay value.
- “Very good, amazing sprites, character design, and story; the achievements give this a lot of replay value.”
- “I think it offers not only replayability, but a generally fleshed out and interesting way to tell the story.”
- “I think it'd offer not only replayability, but a generally fleshed out and interesting way to tell the story.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be mildly tedious, particularly due to slow text pacing in cutscenes, but remain optimistic that these issues are minor and can be improved.
- “The cutscenes are nice, but I read much faster than the text, which is, at worst, barely mildly tedious.”
- “I'm still holding high hopes because these are mostly just minor, tedious coding errors.”