Dollmare

98%
Game Brain Score Based on 425 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • atmosphere
Dollmare Game Cover
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"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.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

98%
Audience ScoreBased on 425 reviews
story45 positive mentions
grinding3 negative mentions
  • Unique and engaging gameplay that combines horror with doll inspection mechanics.
  • Creepy atmosphere and well-designed dolls that create a sense of unease without relying on jump scares.
  • Multiple endings and randomized events enhance replayability and keep the experience fresh.
  • Some players experienced technical issues, including crashes and performance problems.
  • The game can feel repetitive over time, with some tasks becoming tedious.
  • The story leaves some questions unanswered, which may frustrate players looking for a more conclusive narrative.
  • story85 mentions

    The game's story is generally praised for its intriguing and mysterious elements, effectively creating suspense and a creepy atmosphere. While some players found it slow-paced or lacking in depth, many appreciated the unique concept, multiple endings, and the potential for further exploration in a sequel or DLC. Overall, the narrative is seen as a compelling aspect that enhances the horror experience, despite some calls for more substance and length.

    • “What an amazing experience, great story and a very unique idea I've never seen before.”
    • “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.”
    • “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.”
    • “The story is not up to the required level and is closer to non-story.”
    • “I just wish it was a bit longer and had more to offer, like more objectives and more to the story.”
    • “The 'good' ending was a bit of a let down as there isn't really anything elaborated on about the story.”
  • gameplay45 mentions

    The gameplay is generally praised for its interesting mechanics and engaging loop, with many players enjoying the balance of horror and simulation elements. While some find it a bit easy and linear, the overall experience is described as satisfying and immersive, with a strong emphasis on atmosphere and clever design. Players appreciate the polished execution and hope for more depth and content in future iterations.

    • “The gameplay part of the game is enjoyable and pretty easy, which left me craving more difficulty and more in-depth analysis on the dolls. Although provided as you go, it just becomes easy with more steps; nothing wrong with that.”
    • “Polished horror game that doesn't overstay its welcome and has an enjoyable and evolving gameplay loop.”
    • “Excellent unsettling atmosphere, cute-but-uncanny-valley aesthetics, and addictive gameplay make for a fantastic horror experience that's pretty well suited for anyone.”
    • “Instead of a balance between deep mechanics and atmosphere, the game leans heavily into its creepy factor—about 25% mechanics and 75% ambiance.”
    • “The gameplay is simple, maybe a bit too easy.”
    • “The gameplay is also strikingly linear, and there was never a point where I felt unsure about what to do next.”
  • atmosphere44 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and chilling qualities, effectively creating a tense and creepy environment without relying on jump scares. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to build unease through sound design, visuals, and storytelling, making it a standout in the horror genre. Overall, the atmosphere is described as phenomenal, engaging, and a key element that enhances the gameplay experience.

    • “The atmosphere in this game is incredible.”
    • “The atmosphere is absolutely top notch, with phenomenal sound effects that are very satisfying, and all of the voice acting is very well done.”
    • “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.”
    • “Instead of a balance between deep mechanics and atmosphere, the game leans heavily into its creepy factor—about 25% mechanics and 75% ambiance.”
    • “The atmosphere managed to scare me, the concept is quite charming, and I also enjoyed the pacing of the game.”
    • “My thanks to the developers for making it in such a creepy atmosphere without annoying loud jump scares or similar; the atmosphere was heavy even without those tropes.”
  • graphics20 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally praised for their quality and ability to create an eerie atmosphere, with many users highlighting the well-designed doll aesthetics and smooth performance. While some players noted that the visuals may not be particularly scary for seasoned horror fans, they still contribute to a rich and engaging experience. Overall, the game's graphics are considered solid, enhancing both the gameplay and storytelling elements.

    • “I love the game a lot and the graphics, in my opinion, are fantastic.”
    • “The game has a rich atmosphere, great graphics, cool doll designs, and an interesting story.”
    • “Excellent unsettling atmosphere, cute-but-uncanny-valley aesthetics, and addictive gameplay make for a fantastic horror experience that's pretty well suited for anyone.”
    • “For indie games, this can be an issue as even if they are not system-crushing in terms of graphics, if not coded well, it can cause stuttering or frame issues.”
    • “I feel like the last section of the game could've been a little longer, and the graphical assets in this area do not really fit the rest of the game. I don't know if this game was made in Unity, but it has that 'cheap Unity game' feel at the end.”
    • “There's no two ways about it, the designs are unnerving and capture your eye, but they're also nothing too graphic or grotesque - in a few words: you wouldn't find this game scary if you're a frequent horror player.”
  • replayability12 mentions

    Overall, the game offers decent to good replayability, primarily due to its multiple endings, randomization elements, and unique playthrough experiences. Players appreciate the engaging gameplay loop and the presence of easter eggs, though some suggest that the addition of a New Game+ mode could further enhance replay value. While opinions vary, many feel the game is worth revisiting for its atmospheric and creepy elements.

    • “Easily comparable to FNAF but by far superior; it's more frightening and less annoying, has a far more engaging gameplay loop, and has multiple endings for replayability.”
    • “Admittedly, the randomization is a bit of a double-edged sword - on one hand, it adds a lot of replayability, and there's tons of easter eggs and creepy defects to be found.”
    • “Each playthrough is unique with a variety of different things that can happen, which is great for replayability (if you're going for another ending).”
    • “I understand the replay value is exactly average for a game with unique playthroughs, but you should implement New Game+ to raise the replay value.”
    • “The game has two endings that give some replayability to the game.”
    • “It has a little bit of replay value in the random moments and to get all endings.”
  • humor7 mentions

    The game effectively blends humor with horror, providing players with a unique experience that elicits both laughter and tension. Many users found the quirky, silly nature of the dolls and the overall atmosphere to be amusing, often leading to unintentional comedic moments during gameplay. This balance of eerie elements and lightheartedness contributes to a memorable and enjoyable experience.

    • “I was relaxed and laughing.”
    • “The game is occasionally eerie but also very humorous, as the dolls themselves are more silly than scary.”
    • “It's the perfect blend of hilarious and scary; I'm glad that there aren't jump scares or chase scenes, but the feeling of being watched made it even more terrifying while playing the game and finding out what was going on.”
  • emotional6 mentions

    Players report a strong emotional impact from the game, with many expressing feelings of sadness and anxiety, particularly in relation to the dolls and the narrative. The experience evokes a mix of trauma and unease, with some moments leading to tears, while frustrations with gameplay mechanics contribute to an overall sense of emotional investment.

    • “I cried.”
    • “I came for the spooky dolls, stayed for the emotional trauma.”
    • “I had to repeat so many days and that made me feel sad.”
  • optimization5 mentions

    Overall, optimization feedback for the game is mixed. While some users report significant issues like screen tearing and frame drops on high-end systems, others praise its smooth performance, lack of stuttering, and solid gameplay experience, even on Linux. The game appears to perform well for many players, particularly in terms of stability and frame rate.

    • “There is some clever gameplay, the graphics are good, the game runs smoothly, the voice acting is good.”
    • “Played on Linux using Proton Experimental, runs and plays great. I found no bugs or problems with my playthrough, performance was good, had no freezes or dropping FPS, micro stuttering, it just played and ran great.”
    • “Graphics are great, sound is great, gameplay is hard to explain, it is a walking sim but with checking dolls/fixing dolls/reading notes and instructions/object and doll finding. 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.”
    • “Screen tearing and horrible frame drops on 14th gen and 4080 Super; there's no excuse for this game being poorly optimized.”
    • “For indie games, this can be an issue as even if they are not system-crushing in terms of graphics, if not coded well, they can cause stuttering or frame issues.”
  • stability4 mentions

    The stability of the game is mixed, with some users experiencing complete freezes and crashes when attempting to navigate certain areas, particularly on Linux with Proton Experimental. However, other players report a smooth experience with no bugs or performance issues, highlighting that the game runs well overall and has addressed some glitches.

    • “Played on Linux using Proton Experimental, runs and plays great. I found no bugs or problems during my playthrough, and performance was good with no freezes or dropped FPS.”
    • “The game has an uneasy feeling to it, and the graphics and sound are great. It just played and ran smoothly without any issues.”
    • “My first playthrough took me 1.9 hours, which is longer than the usual 10 to 30 minutes for horror games at the same price or higher. I can't think of anything bad about this game.”
    • “It completely freezes whenever I click back over to the game.”
    • “I can't even open the gate before it freezes and then crashes.”
    • “Some glitches were addressed, which is great.”
  • grinding3 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, particularly during quality assurance tasks, which can lead to moments of boredom. However, the variety in scares and doll defects helps to alleviate some of the monotony, keeping the experience engaging overall.

    • “Good game, but doing quality assurance gets a little tedious.”
    • “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.”
  • music1 mentions

    Users note that certain audio effects in the game are fixed and cannot be adjusted through the audio settings, which can limit the customization of the ambient music and sound during gameplay.

    • “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.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

2hMedian play time
3hAverage play time
2-4hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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