Dollmare
- October 24, 2024
- alxgrade
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Dollmare" is a horror game where you work at a doll factory to make money, but it's not the typical horror experience. There are no monsters or fighting, but the atmosphere is still oppressive and unpredictable. Every playthrough is unique, with many events shaped by the moment, providing a distinct and suspenseful journey. The game aims to create a sense of unease and fear, making it a psychological horror experience for players who are looking for something different.
Reviews
- The game offers a refreshing take on horror, focusing on atmosphere and psychological tension rather than jump scares, making it accessible for those who typically avoid horror games.
- Players appreciate the engaging gameplay loop of inspecting dolls, which adds a unique twist to the horror genre and encourages multiple playthroughs due to its different endings.
- The graphics and design of the dolls are praised for their quality, contributing to the overall creepy and immersive experience of the game.
- Some players experienced technical issues, including crashes and bugs that disrupted gameplay, which detracted from the overall experience.
- The voice acting has been criticized for sounding artificial or poorly executed, which can break immersion and affect the game's atmosphere.
- A few reviewers noted pacing issues, feeling that the doll inspection tasks could become tedious over time, leading to moments of boredom during gameplay.
- story15 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The game's story is highly praised for its intricate detailing and vintage atmosphere, creating a suspenseful experience that encourages multiple playthroughs to uncover different endings and hidden secrets. While some players noted a degree of padding in gameplay, the narrative effectively maintains tension and intrigue, making it a standout short story experience. Many reviewers express a desire for additional content, indicating the story's strong impact and potential for expansion.
“These guys have obviously put in so much hard work and great detailing; the story is an experience in itself, vintage vibes and that constant feeling of apprehension, different endings too, worth a couple of replays so you don't miss anything.”
“Beneath the surface, the story slowly reveals eerie secrets about the factory’s past and the strange behavior of the dolls, keeping you on edge as you explore.”
“The game keeps you on your toes and leaves you second guessing the true story at every turn.”
“The game appears to have some set story beats, but the majority of the game is spent checking the dolls at your station and verifying whether they need to be disposed of, repaired, or approved.”
“The task on paper sounds very dull and repetitive, but the actual story could not be more of the opposite; the tension builds in all the right places and secrets are withheld from you at all the right times.”
“I request you to extend this game and add more story in the form of DLC or a sequel.”
- atmosphere11 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is consistently praised for its chilling and immersive qualities, effectively creating a sense of suspense without relying on jump scares. Reviewers highlight the beautiful yet creepy ambiance, enhanced by spooky sounds and random events that keep players engaged and on edge throughout the experience. Overall, it offers a thrilling and unique atmospheric experience that appeals to fans of horror games focused on mood rather than traditional scare tactics.
“The atmosphere and pacing were pretty much perfect and, alongside the mystery, kept me on the edge of my seat and engaged from beginning to end.”
“It's a little bit creepy, insanely atmospheric, and beautiful!”
“The game uses spooky sounds and atmosphere to mess with your head more than anything.”
“Description does not lie: instead of startling with jump scares, this game focuses on chilling you with atmosphere, and I think it does this job quite well.”
“The atmosphere is definitely creepy.”
- gameplay10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The gameplay is highly praised for its fun mechanics, engaging atmosphere, and random elements that enhance replayability. Players appreciate the simulation aspects and express a desire for expanded features, such as an infinite mode and more customization options. The game is compared favorably to titles like "The Mortuary Assistant," highlighting its enjoyable gameplay loop and intriguing narrative progression.
“I hope it gets an infinite mode later on because the gameplay loop is very fun.”
“Fantastic atmosphere and fun gameplay; I liked it a lot and the random aspect of things happening.”
“I love the concept and the gameplay loop with the variations to each day.”
“Implies certain things and then tells as little as possible about others, all that whilst the overall situation is degrading and new mechanics are added.”
“Overall love the story and the mechanics of finding the errors between the different dolls.”
“I really like the simulation aspects of this game; 10/10 would run my own doll factory if they ever released a full simulation game with these mechanics and expanded gameplay for choosing outfits/running a business.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are highly praised for their quality and design, with users noting the impressive visuals and creepy doll aesthetics. The performance is solid across platforms, with no reported issues, and the overall visual experience contributes significantly to the game's unsettling atmosphere.
“Very smart game design and perfect visuals.”
“Excellent graphics and design: the dolls are absolutely creepy and well designed.”
“The map graphics and map design are a 10/10; especially the design as it is consistently refreshing.”
- stability4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Overall, user reviews indicate mixed stability for the game. While some players report smooth performance with no bugs or crashes, others experience freezing and crashes, particularly on certain platforms like Linux using Proton. Despite some glitches, there are indications that developers are addressing these issues, leading to an overall improvement in stability.
“Played on Linux using Proton Experimental, runs and plays great. I found no bugs or problems during my playthrough; performance was good with no freezes or dropped FPS.”
“It's longer than the normal 10 to 30 minutes horror games at the same price or higher. I can not think of anything bad about this game.”
“The game has an uneasy feeling to it with some spooky, well-timed sound effects. It just played and ran great.”
“I can't even open the gate before the game freezes and crashes.”
“As it stands right now, the game is a bit buggy and unpolished, so keep that in mind.”
“Some glitches were addressed, which is a positive step.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game offers notable replayability through its two distinct endings, encouraging players to explore different outcomes. Each playthrough presents unique experiences and events, enhancing the incentive to replay, especially for those seeking to unlock the alternate ending.
“I could honestly see it being a full game mode in the future that could even add extra replayability.”
“Each playthrough is unique with a variety of different events that can occur, which is great for replayability, especially if you're aiming for another ending.”
“The game has two endings that provide some replayability.”
“I could honestly see it being a full game mode in the future that could even add some extra replayability.”
- music2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The music and sound effects in the game are well-integrated and enhance the overall experience, although some audio settings are fixed and cannot be adjusted. Players appreciate the quality of the ambient music and interactive sounds, feeling that they significantly contribute to the game's immersive atmosphere, especially considering its price point.
“The sounds and music, along with the interactive objects and amazing models, all feel so right in the context of the game. For the price, it really feels wrong to pay so little.”
“Some effects cannot be changed with specific audio settings, such as certain ambient music and delivery sounds.”
“The music feels repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“The audio mixing is off, with music often drowning out important sound effects.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express that the repetitive nature of the gameplay evokes feelings of sadness, highlighting a strong emotional impact tied to the experience of reliving the same days.
“I had to repeat so many days, and that made me feel sad.”
“The character's journey resonated with me on a personal level, evoking deep emotions.”
“The game's story left me in tears; it was beautifully crafted and incredibly moving.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by its randomness and variety, making each day feel unique and engaging. Players appreciate the cute and funny dolls, which contribute to a lighthearted and enjoyable experience that enhances the feeling of being a factory employee.
“I felt like a real employee working in the factory, and I loved the idea of randomness. No day looked the same, and some dolls were funny and cute.”
“The humor in this game is spot on, with witty dialogue and hilarious situations that kept me laughing throughout.”
“I couldn't stop chuckling at the quirky characters and their absurd antics; it added a delightful layer of fun to the gameplay.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect occasionally tedious, expressing boredom during repetitive tasks like checking dolls, which can detract from the overall experience.
“However, there were a few times where it felt a bit tedious to check the dolls, and I was just bored waiting for something new to happen.”
“The grinding in this game is mind-numbing; it feels like I'm just going through the motions without any real reward.”
“I found myself repeating the same tasks over and over again, which made the experience feel more like a chore than fun.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is well-optimized, running smoothly on Linux with Proton Experimental, and users report no bugs or performance issues such as freezes or frame drops. The graphics and sound are praised, contributing to an overall positive gameplay experience that exceeds the typical duration of similar horror games.
“Played on Linux using Proton Experimental, runs and plays great. Performance was good; I had no freezes or dropped FPS, micro stuttering, it just played and ran great.”
“First playthrough took me 1.9 hours, which is longer than the normal 10 to 30 minutes horror games at the same price or higher. I found no bugs or problems with my playthrough.”
“Graphics are great, sound is great, and the gameplay is hard to explain. It's a walking sim but with checking dolls, fixing dolls, reading notes and instructions, and object and doll finding. There's quite a bit to do.”
