Paper Dolls: Original / 纸人
Get on SteamIn "Paper Dolls: Original," you navigate a realistic, immersive environment to uncover a gripping, surreal narrative. As the protagonist, you must interact with lifelike paper dolls, solving intricate puzzles to reveal their dark secrets. This atmospheric first-person puzzle game delivers a unique experience, where reality and illusion blur and tense, suspenseful storytelling takes center stage.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game effectively creates a creepy atmosphere with well-designed enemies and jump scares, making it genuinely terrifying for players.
- Puzzles are challenging and rewarding to solve, providing a satisfying gameplay experience for those who enjoy problem-solving.
- The game incorporates unique elements of Chinese culture and folklore, enhancing the narrative and immersion for players interested in this theme.
- Navigation can be frustrating due to visually indistinct areas and a confusing map, making it difficult to progress without getting lost.
- Many puzzles are poorly translated or require knowledge of Chinese culture, which can lead to confusion and reliance on external guides.
- The quick-time events (QTEs) are often frustrating and can detract from the overall horror experience, especially during critical moments.
- story21 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it intriguing and well-designed, while others criticize it for being typical, incoherent, or lacking depth. Many note that the narrative is often overshadowed by gameplay mechanics like quick time events, and some express frustration over poorly translated notes that hinder understanding. Overall, while there are moments of strong storytelling and atmosphere, the execution leaves much to be desired for a significant portion of the player base.
“The story is intriguing and puzzles are generally well designed, although in one occasion the way to reach an area seems perplexing.”
“I particularly enjoyed finding pieces of clues that eventually led up to a complete story at the end which fascinated me.”
“This game is action packed, full of difficult but fun puzzles, and a nice storyline full of relevant drama!”
“The story is completely lacking and just you wait until you get to the very end......”
“There doesn't seem to be a coherent story, unfortunately.”
“Like some other Chinese horror games I've played, the narrative/story is impossible to understand; the notes are all poorly translated and make no sense. You seem to be trying to save your daughter from some malevolent spirits, but I forgot all about her because other than right at the start of the game, they do nothing to remind you this is your goal.”
- atmosphere20 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its creepy and immersive qualities, effectively creating tension and mystery through well-crafted graphics and sound design. However, some players find that navigation can be challenging due to visually indistinct areas, and the presence of cheap jump scares detracts from the overall immersion. While the atmosphere is generally considered strong, the balance between puzzles and environmental storytelling could be improved to enhance the experience further.
“The graphics, audio, and atmosphere are all well done.”
“So beautifully crafted with one of the spookiest atmospheres around.”
“It has an amazing mysterious and scary atmosphere and it gives you anxiety many times, as the main character walks around extremely slow!”
“The game’s atmosphere is effective but makes navigation difficult, as areas are visually indistinct, complicating map-building.”
“There's more silence to add to the atmosphere and when there is music it does exactly the opposite.”
“For both Paper Dolls 1 & 2, the atmosphere and some jumpscares are pretty okay but the level design/combat design are pretty uninspired.”
- gameplay18 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
Gameplay reviews highlight a mix of tension and frustration, with effective monster chases and atmospheric elements being overshadowed by convoluted puzzles, slow movement, and ineffective sprint mechanics. While some players appreciate the unique blend of adventure and stealth, many express dissatisfaction with the gameplay's design, particularly regarding the mechanics that hinder immersion and enjoyment. Overall, the game succeeds in creating a spooky atmosphere but struggles with gameplay elements that detract from the experience.
“This confusion adds tension during monster chases, and with pausing not halting gameplay, only one room provides true safety.”
“The game succeeds in scaring the player throughout, by leveraging a persistently dark environment, well-designed enemies, and a run-and-hide gameplay.”
“The gameplay is an interesting and expected mix of unique adventure game style item-combining puzzles and tense stealth bits, where antique artifacts within the environment are used to hide inside and escape the sights of vengeful old spirits.”
“However, a few things killed this game for me - the convoluted puzzles, the slow movement speed, the randomized QTE inputs, and the mechanics of the last boss fight.”
“First of all, the sprint mechanic is awful; it may as well not exist, as the character seems as if he weighs 1000 lbs because he takes 2 steps and is instantly exhausted.”
“The sprinting is so short and the recovery is so long that I'm confused about what the purpose of the mechanic even is? You can't use it to avoid enemies or navigate more effectively, so the mechanic is very nearly useless.”
- graphics16 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the detailed artwork and atmospheric design, particularly in the context of its Chinese culture theme and the reconstruction of a Qing-dynasty mansion. While some players find the visuals impressive and immersive, others criticize them as outdated or inconsistent, noting that technical issues and poor sound design detract from the overall experience. Overall, the graphics are generally regarded as a strong point, though opinions vary on their execution and impact on gameplay.
“The graphics, audio, and atmosphere are all well done.”
“Excellent Chinese culture-themed first-person horror, 'Paper Dolls' boasts great graphics in its reconstruction of a typical Qing-dynasty mansion.”
“The graphics are nice and the atmosphere is really good too, reminds me a bit of Fatal Frame/Project Zero.”
“The graphics are way outdated, the jumpscares are just obnoxious and annoying, there is nothing spooky other than that it's pitch black.”
“The game has bad controls that you can't change, bad sound breaking immersion, and some decent graphics.”
“The graphics is mostly ok.”
- music8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally appreciated for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, with some reviewers noting that the sparse use of sound adds to the tension, while others suggest that more musical elements could enrich the experience. The traditional and eerie soundtrack effectively complements the game's themes, particularly in relation to its cultural narrative, though there are calls for additional ambient sounds to further immerse players. Overall, the music and sound effects are considered good, with standout voice acting contributing positively to the experience.
“As for the music (there's not much of it), I actually liked it.”
“Everything from the style of clothing on various apparitions to the traditional yet broken and spooky music, and the emotional narrative of paternal struggle told through a specific lens of Chinese culture and eventually darker sides of occultism.”
“There's more silence to add to the atmosphere, and when there is music, it does exactly the opposite.”
“I feel like there could be a little more as far as music or atmospheric noises.”
“Nothing dramatic, maybe have some phantom koto music float through the air every once in a while or voices whispering lightly sprinkled in.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly due to the lack of a sprint button, which exacerbates the monotony of gameplay.
“The tedious games of cat and mouse grow old very quickly.”
“What enhances this problem is that there is no real sprint button, so things get tedious.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers suggest that the replayability of the game is lacking, with some comparing it unfavorably to Cyberpunk 2077 at launch, indicating that it may not offer enough engaging content or variety to encourage multiple playthroughs.
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is deeply intertwined with its narrative, exploring themes of paternal struggle within a unique Chinese cultural context, complemented by haunting music and visually striking character designs. This combination creates a poignant atmosphere that resonates with players, highlighting both traditional values and the darker elements of occultism.
“Everything from the style of clothing on various apparitions to the traditional yet haunting music contributes to the emotional narrative of paternal struggle, told through a specific lens of Chinese culture and the darker sides of occultism.”
