Paper Dolls

About

Paper Dolls is a single player action adventure game. It was developed by Beijing Litchi Culture Media Co., Ltd. and was released on May 28, 2018. It received negative reviews from players.

"Paper Dolls" is a VR game with updated movement methods for a better gaming experience and reduced dizziness. The game now offers two movement options: a recommended method for realistic immersion and a beginner method for those prone to VR motion sickness. Additionally, official language support has been expanded, with Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and English available.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

40%

Audience ScoreBased on 20 reviews

graphics6 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

The game offers a deeply immersive atmosphere, effectively utilizing sound, shadow, and texture to create a sense of dread and tension.
The story is grounded in personal themes of loss and desperation, providing a unique cultural perspective that sets it apart from typical horror games.
The mansion's design reflects traditional Chinese architecture, enhancing the authenticity and overall experience of the game.

The controls, particularly in VR, are clunky and unintuitive, making movement frustrating and detracting from the overall immersion.
Many puzzles can feel opaque or frustrating due to vague clues and a lack of a hint system, leading to pacing issues and potential player confusion.
The game suffers from technical issues such as poor sound quality and graphics that can appear blurry or dark, impacting the overall experience.

graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
43%
19%
The game's graphics are a mixed bag, with some players praising the atmospheric design and effective use of shadow and texture to create a sense of dread, while others criticize the low resolution and optimization issues that detract from the experience. Many users noted that the environments can feel repetitive, leading to confusion during exploration. Overall, while the visuals have potential and contribute to the game's mood, technical shortcomings and control issues hinder the overall graphical experience.
- “The subdued visuals emphasize mood over spectacle, allowing the player to sink into an atmosphere that feels suffocating and alive in its silence.”
- “Graphics were very good, too, and they really nailed the atmosphere as I said.”
- “✔️ Great graphics and nicely designed, super creepy.”
- “The graphics run very slow on my 1070, so I get headaches.”
- “The environment graphics look the same everywhere you go, so it's easy to go in circles.”
- “However, I find that the in-game graphic quality is different from the trailer.”
story
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
33%
25%
The story is a haunting exploration of Chinese folklore, centered on a father's desperate search for his daughter, which effectively grounds the horror in themes of loss and guilt. While the narrative is engaging and unfolds through various storytelling methods, some players find parts of it underdeveloped or vague, leading to unresolved mysteries and a somewhat abrupt ending. Overall, the atmospheric experience and emotional depth resonate well, though some may feel the story lacks closure.
- “The story feels personal and human, grounding the horror in something beyond ghosts and curses—it’s about desperation, guilt, and a parent’s determination to find their child.”
- “The narrative unfolds gradually through notes, environmental storytelling, and supernatural encounters.”
- “I loved the atmosphere here and the little tidbits of story you are getting.”
- “While the premise of a father searching for his daughter provides a strong emotional hook, some parts of the story remain underdeveloped or vaguely explained, leaving certain mysteries unresolved.”
- “I was a bit disappointed by the lack of story at the end; the beginning didn't make much sense to me given how it ends (it actually says 'to be continued').”
- “Most reviews tell the same story.”
atmosphere
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
17%
25%
The atmosphere in "Paper Dolls: Original" is consistently praised for its oppressive and immersive qualities, effectively creating a creepy and suffocating environment that enhances the horror experience. The subdued visuals and intentional slow pacing contribute to a tense mood, although some players find the controls frustrating. Overall, the game successfully delivers a haunting atmosphere that captivates players, particularly in VR, despite some gameplay issues.
- “As a horror game, this is probably my favorite VR game so far; the atmosphere is fantastic, the sound is great, puzzles are good, and you really feel as if you were in that mansion.”
- “Disoriented and separated from his child, he must explore the cursed residence in search of her while contending with restless spirits and an oppressive atmosphere that grows darker with every step.”
- “The subdued visuals emphasize mood over spectacle, allowing the player to sink into an atmosphere that feels suffocating and alive in its silence.”
- “In both standard and VR play, the pace of movement is intentionally slow, which reinforces the atmosphere but can frustrate players who prefer snappier navigation.”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The gameplay focuses on exploration and puzzle-solving, primarily involving finding keys to unlock doors, which can become tedious due to the similar appearance of locks. While the atmosphere and graphics are praised, many users find the mechanics clunky and frustrating, detracting from the overall experience. Despite its potential, the gameplay is considered unplayable by some due to these issues.
- “The gameplay leans into exploration and puzzle solving rather than direct combat.”
- “The game looks like it has good atmosphere and gameplay but it's unplayable as is.”
- “The graphics are great, sound is awesome and I think the story is going to pan out well, a total of 15 hours of gameplay so well worth the money.”
- “Hoping the dev will do something to improve the gameplay experience for VR users.”
- “Gameplay: you find keys to open doors, but the door locks look all the same, so it's a search for which key opens which door.”
- “Although I wanted to finish the game, one very clunky mechanic made me want to stop playing.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is anchored by a compelling premise of a father's quest to find his daughter, which resonates strongly with players. However, some reviewers note that certain story elements feel underdeveloped or unclear, resulting in unresolved mysteries that may detract from the overall emotional impact.
- “The premise of a father searching for his daughter provides a strong emotional hook that resonates deeply with players.”
- “The emotional journey throughout the game is both heart-wrenching and uplifting, making it a memorable experience.”
- “The characters' struggles and triumphs evoke a powerful emotional response, drawing players into their world.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
The optimization of the VR version is criticized for lacking fluidity and not being well-tuned for various headsets, despite having visually appealing graphics. Users report that the controls are particularly problematic, detracting from the overall experience.
- “This game has some very pretty graphics, but they need to be optimized.”
- “However, the VR version is just not fluid or optimized.”
- “Everything is optimized for the HTC Vive, Rift, or Valve Index.”
- “This game has some very pretty graphics that need to be optimized, but the controls are just horrible.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is often unintentional, with players finding it difficult to feel scared due to the poor quality of the voice acting, which leads to laughter instead of tension.
- “It's so hard to be scared in a game when you're laughing at the terrible voice acting.”
- “The humor in this game is top-notch, with clever jokes that keep you entertained throughout.”
- “I love how the game balances its serious moments with hilarious dialogue and situations.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report minor glitches on the title screen, but overall, the stability of the game is considered acceptable.
- “There are glitches on the title screen, which is quite frustrating.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable.”
- “I experienced multiple bugs that disrupted my gameplay experience.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The music in the game is sparse but effective, enhancing the atmosphere through its minimal presence. When it does occur, it contrasts sharply with the surrounding silence, contributing to the overall experience.
- “As for the music, I actually liked it despite there not being much of it.”
- “There's more silence to add to the atmosphere, and when there is music, it enhances the experience.”
- “There's more silence to add to the atmosphere, and when there is music, it does exactly the opposite.”
- “As for the music, there's not much of it; I actually liked it.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and exhausting, primarily due to the frustrating control scheme that limits player options. This leads to a negative experience, as the repetitive nature of the gameplay becomes overwhelming quickly.
- “It's really sad to write a negative review for this game, but with its current control scheme, it's just too tedious and becomes exhausting after a short time of play.”
- “Con: controls are just tedious (give the players options, god dammit), bad voice acting, it's nearly impossible to hide from the ghost (->frustrating)”