I've recently started streaming on Twitch & have been looking for good, short indie games to play on my channel during the week. The Doll Shop was perfect for a few reasons: a full playthrough took less than 2 hours, the art style & music are amazing, & the story & characters are intriguing. This game was seriously unsettling & I loved every minute of it! I will absolutely be on the lookout for more games like The Doll Shop, especially games by Atelier Sentô.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkLh8yTxGV0FCgadlpcjTUANidFH74EtL I did a LP on your game The Doll Shop and wow, I really enjoyed it a lot! It was very interesting, and the visuals looked incredible and I love how there was multiple different endings although I think I got the bad ending haha, thanks for creating such a wonderful game! :)
Amazing game. Such a chilling story and lovely art. I finished all three endings, I don't think there's really a "good ending" per se, they're all pretty dark and sad in their own ways. I'm looking forward to checking out your other projects!
Thank you! It was interesting to work of the different endings: making each one reveal a different part of the story without having one being the "good" one.
Thank you for an amazing game, it was a lot more in depth than I was expecting. I loved the art style, it's an extremley pretty game. I hope to see more from you, this video is my first playthrough and I did go back for more, which is on the channel if, anyone wants to see that too.
I just finished streaming this game; I really enjoyed it a lot! The story was great; intriguing and creepy....just how I like it. xD And the artwork was fantastic; well done!!
8/10. Great game! Superb arts! Nice story! It would be better if you add "mission" tab or something like that because I always forget where should I go next after a day or two not playing this game.
This was an amazing game, thank you for this experience <3 I'm definitely going to try the other games you guys made. Brilliant story telling and dialogue <3
You have to place the sandpaper over the cracks on the doll's face. If the position is correct, the sandpaper will be slightly highlighted. Left and the crack will be erased. Repeat the operation until there's no crack left. I hope it helps!
I love the artstyle, I love the atmosphere, but it took up too much time to move from one place to another. And I don't know how to feel about the story, I got the B ending and watched the rest on Youtube and I think my ending is the best of it all. Though I still don't know why he did what he did. I have my theories but it's still confusing. Overall, I enjoyed playing it so far, thank you. ^^-
Thanks for the feedback! We wanted the game to be mysterious but here's a link to a page that analyses all its themes: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Videogame/TheDollShop It's an interesting read if you want to learn more about The Doll Shop.
This game is amazing. Loved the artstyle and the music. I've divided the game into two videos, yesterday played the first half. For now, sharing the first part. Second one being with all endings will be posted latrer today :D
One of the most beautiful and atmospheric games I've ever played. It truly captivated me, the storytelling was brilliant and chilling, and the fact that the art was hand-painted and the whole game done in just a few days is really impressive. Kudos to the team <3
I aboslutely LOVE this game! Played it all the way through. The story is just fanTASTIC, the art is BEAUTIFUL, the music is PERFECT! Loved every little detail about the game.
::Spoiler Portion::
Although the ending was kind of predictable, my FAVORITE stories are the ones where you're the bad guy of the story. But once again, beautiful art, beautifully pieced together, beautiful music. Everything just AH! MUAH! MUCH LOVE!
Thank you SO MUCH! It's so motivating!!! Yes, there's something special about the stories where the main character is the bad guy. It was totally new for us to write something like that and we enjoyed it a LOT!
An amazing game with a really soothing soundtrack and stunning visuals. I just cannot believe that the whole game was completed in just a few days, you guys totally nailed it! Keep up the great work , can't wait to play more of these :D
Beautiful game and story telling like always~ I have a fascination with dolls, and this combined with an isolated, snowy town made for such a haunting setting. It seems like there was more symbolism here compared to your other games, so I was really interested in trying to understand the underlying plot elements related to the murder.
Also, I was wondering if the mention about the school girl will be in a spin off game, or if you'll be selling a game in the future as I'd really love to buy them to support you guys. Anyway, I love your work! I always look forward to playing your games.
Thank you so much for the feedback! There won't probably be a spin off game about the missing girl but we will make more games in that style. And yes, we're working on a commercial game to be released in the near future: http://thecoralcave.com/
This game is fantastic, the art direction coupled with the branching story. It's defiantly unique and not something to avoid. My only complaint is how hard the punch to the gut is towards a few of the endings. You play the game you'll understand. It really knocks the air out.
But this really is a fantastic surreal game thats both relaxing and well paced.
Oh, that's very kind! Thank you! Unfortunately, there's no way to donate to us but, if you're interested in more stories from us, our first graphic novel was recently translated in English. It's called "ONIBI" and it's published by Tuttle.
This was SO amazing. I usually don't have the patience for graphic novels but this was like a good book that I didn't want to put down. It caught me off guard in the best ways. I forgot that this was a horror game before I played it so when it started getting creppy I was really freaked out but I loved it. I am also super impressed with the HAND PAINTED art and the fact that it was made in only three days by a group of students. Amazing job. I was able to get all the endings and posters but I wasnt able to figure out what that meant so maybe you could possibly clear that up? If not that's fine I'm still happy with the entire game.
Thanks you so much for your kind words! If you're interested in the meanings and themes of the game, someone wrote a very interesting page that should answer most of your questions. Here it is : https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Videogame/TheDollShop
We used Unity and the awesome plugin Adventure Creator which is designed to create point-and-click games. It has a good dialogue system so it was easy to create the visual novel parts as well.
I really enjoyed this game!! I was expecting it to be way scarier than it turned out to be but the suspense was perfect. So was the artwork! A fave. Here’s my review. Part one at least👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽
Really gorgeous game, with beautiful handpainted visuals and moody music. It really sets the atmosphere to a very satisfying ending. Great job Atelier Sentô!! <3
Waah, thank you! We're fan of your work: we played your 3 games on itch.io and we loved them!!! The art, the story and the atmosphere are so great! We can't wait for a new one!!!
Really nice game. The art is great and the music goes perfectly with it. I had a good guess for the story going in, but the way it progressed took me off guard.
It's impressive how detailed the art is, especially considering the short time frame for development.
It didn't hit me until long after I played that the first shard of the new doll appeared before we even knew Ms. Sato was back in town. Does that mean the dollmaker knew who she was when Mrs. Sato mentioned her granddaughter, and he planned to "collect" her from the start? Was he just pretending he forgot her to lure her in, or are the doll shards just a sign that his compulsion is surfacing again?
The first shard appears mixed with Ms Sato's broken doll... a few seconds before we meet her granddaughter. It can have many meanings but we cannot give you one clear explanation. What's happening in the twisted mind of our protagonist remains a complete mystery...
amazing job for a game that was completed (correct me if im wrong) a time span of 3 days?. it looks really good!. the story was also very creepy and interesting. as soon as the main character showed the doll, i was like "ooh its ones of those games" lol, the main character reminded me of a cartoon version of keanu reeves lol, if you guys were going for that, you guys nailed it. i know you guys get this a lot but the art style looks amazing as heck, the water paintings look whoa :O . you dont get a lot of games with this kind of style and you guys did an amazing job. i hope you guys have future projects. keep up the good work, i made a small walkthrough of it if!
A the graphics from the game were made during a 3 days workshop. But the programming, story and music took longer. Actually the main character was inspired by a Japanese actor (Joe Odagiri) but, now that you mention it, there's something of Keanu Reeves indeed! And thank you for all your kind words about the game!
I remember a long time ago playing Yurei Station. The art style blew me away as, does this game. I do have to say the story of this game is way deeper and, I was hooked about the mystery of it all.
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I've recently started streaming on Twitch & have been looking for good, short indie games to play on my channel during the week. The Doll Shop was perfect for a few reasons: a full playthrough took less than 2 hours, the art style & music are amazing, & the story & characters are intriguing. This game was seriously unsettling & I loved every minute of it! I will absolutely be on the lookout for more games like The Doll Shop, especially games by Atelier Sentô.
Here is link to my Twitch playthrough: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/470510763
Thanks a lot for the feedback! It means a lot to us!
Fantastic game!
Thank you!
man it gave me the spooks :o
Haha, thanks a lot for the feedback!
Lovely! Beautiful and interesting
Thanks a lot!
Just finished the game, it was so beautiful and interesting.
Thanks for playing! We're glad you liked the game.
Thanks a lot!
you are a genius
An evil genius then!
stunning visuals, beautiful soundtrack and interesting storyline~! perfect amount of pretty, sweet, and disturbing ♡
Thanks a lot, we're glad you liked the game!
breathtaking visuals and sound, captivating story. disturbing of course, but beautifully done.
Thanks a lot for your kind words!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkLh8yTxGV0FCgadlpcjTUANidFH74EtL I did a LP on your game The Doll Shop and wow, I really enjoyed it a lot! It was very interesting, and the visuals looked incredible and I love how there was multiple different endings although I think I got the bad ending haha, thanks for creating such a wonderful game! :)
You're welcome!
It was very fun to make this game and work on the multiple endings. So we're glad you liked it!
Amazing game. Such a chilling story and lovely art. I finished all three endings, I don't think there's really a "good ending" per se, they're all pretty dark and sad in their own ways. I'm looking forward to checking out your other projects!
Thank you!
It was interesting to work of the different endings: making each one reveal a different part of the story without having one being the "good" one.
Thank you for an amazing game, it was a lot more in depth than I was expecting. I loved the art style, it's an extremley pretty game. I hope to see more from you, this video is my first playthrough and I did go back for more, which is on the channel if, anyone wants to see that too.
/edit
Thanks a lot for the video!
I just finished streaming this game; I really enjoyed it a lot! The story was great; intriguing and creepy....just how I like it. xD And the artwork was fantastic; well done!!
Thanks a lot for your kind words! We're glad you liked it!
8/10. Great game! Superb arts! Nice story! It would be better if you add "mission" tab or something like that because I always forget where should I go next after a day or two not playing this game.
Thank you!
A "mission" log would have been a helpful option indeed.
We'll keep that in mind for our coming games.
This was an amazing game, thank you for this experience <3 I'm definitely going to try the other games you guys made. Brilliant story telling and dialogue <3
Thanks a lot for your kind words!!!
Is there some special technique for the sandpaper exercise? y actions don't seem to produce any change.
You have to place the sandpaper over the cracks on the doll's face.
If the position is correct, the sandpaper will be slightly highlighted.
Left and the crack will be erased.
Repeat the operation until there's no crack left.
I hope it helps!
I love the artstyle, I love the atmosphere, but it took up too much time to move from one place to another. And I don't know how to feel about the story, I got the B ending and watched the rest on Youtube and I think my ending is the best of it all. Though I still don't know why he did what he did. I have my theories but it's still confusing. Overall, I enjoyed playing it so far, thank you. ^^-
Thanks for the feedback!
We wanted the game to be mysterious but here's a link to a page that analyses all its themes:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Videogame/TheDollShop
It's an interesting read if you want to learn more about The Doll Shop.
This game is amazing. Loved the artstyle and the music. I've divided the game into two videos, yesterday played the first half. For now, sharing the first part. Second one being with all endings will be posted latrer today :D
As promissed, part 2 of the full playthrough with all endings.
Thank you for the video!
We're glad you liked our game!
this was so eerie and visually beautiful. you guys did an amazing job!
Thank you!
Really great. The graphics and the atmosphere are awesome and the story, wow!
Thank you! We're glad you liked the game!
Such a beautiful game, I loved it! Here is my gameplay 💖
Thank you for the video!
You’re welcome, I love your games 💖
One of the most beautiful and atmospheric games I've ever played. It truly captivated me, the storytelling was brilliant and chilling, and the fact that the art was hand-painted and the whole game done in just a few days is really impressive. Kudos to the team <3
Thanks a lot for the kind words!
Such a beautiful and emotional game (just like your other games). We enjoyed it very much.
Here is our playthrough:
Thanks for the video! We're glad you liked our game!
I aboslutely LOVE this game! Played it all the way through. The story is just fanTASTIC, the art is BEAUTIFUL, the music is PERFECT! Loved every little detail about the game.
::Spoiler Portion::
Although the ending was kind of predictable, my FAVORITE stories are the ones where you're the bad guy of the story. But once again, beautiful art, beautifully pieced together, beautiful music. Everything just AH! MUAH! MUCH LOVE!
Thank you SO MUCH! It's so motivating!!!
Yes, there's something special about the stories where the main character is the bad guy.
It was totally new for us to write something like that and we enjoyed it a LOT!
An amazing game with a really soothing soundtrack and stunning visuals. I just cannot believe that the whole game was completed in just a few days, you guys totally nailed it! Keep up the great work , can't wait to play more of these :D
This is the first part of the video that i made:
Thanks a lot for the video! We're glad you liked the game!
ฅ/ᐠ｡ᆽ｡ᐟ \ Hello~
Beautiful game and story telling like always~ I have a fascination with dolls, and this combined with an isolated, snowy town made for such a haunting setting. It seems like there was more symbolism here compared to your other games, so I was really interested in trying to understand the underlying plot elements related to the murder.
Also, I was wondering if the mention about the school girl will be in a spin off game, or if you'll be selling a game in the future as I'd really love to buy them to support you guys. Anyway, I love your work! I always look forward to playing your games.
Thank you so much for the feedback!
There won't probably be a spin off game about the missing girl but we will make more games in that style.
And yes, we're working on a commercial game to be released in the near future: http://thecoralcave.com/
This game is fantastic, the art direction coupled with the branching story. It's defiantly unique and not something to avoid. My only complaint is how hard the punch to the gut is towards a few of the endings. You play the game you'll understand. It really knocks the air out.
But this really is a fantastic surreal game thats both relaxing and well paced.
Sorry for the punch to the gut and thank you so much for your kind words!!!
Maybe use some kind of padding before you throw a hook like that.
Hi I was wondering if there is a way to donate to you. I've seen a few things you make and I really love your work!
Oh, that's very kind! Thank you!
Unfortunately, there's no way to donate to us but, if you're interested in more stories from us, our first graphic novel was recently translated in English. It's called "ONIBI" and it's published by Tuttle.
This was SO amazing. I usually don't have the patience for graphic novels but this was like a good book that I didn't want to put down. It caught me off guard in the best ways. I forgot that this was a horror game before I played it so when it started getting creppy I was really freaked out but I loved it. I am also super impressed with the HAND PAINTED art and the fact that it was made in only three days by a group of students. Amazing job. I was able to get all the endings and posters but I wasnt able to figure out what that meant so maybe you could possibly clear that up? If not that's fine I'm still happy with the entire game.
Thanks you so much for your kind words!
If you're interested in the meanings and themes of the game, someone wrote a very interesting page that should answer most of your questions. Here it is : https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Videogame/TheDollShop
We used Unity and the awesome plugin Adventure Creator which is designed to create point-and-click games.
It has a good dialogue system so it was easy to create the visual novel parts as well.
I really enjoyed this game!! I was expecting it to be way scarier than it turned out to be but the suspense was perfect. So was the artwork! A fave. Here’s my review. Part one at least👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽
Thanks for playing! We're glad you liked it!
Really gorgeous game, with beautiful handpainted visuals and moody music. It really sets the atmosphere to a very satisfying ending. Great job Atelier Sentô!! <3
Waah, thank you! We're fan of your work: we played your 3 games on itch.io and we loved them!!!
The art, the story and the atmosphere are so great! We can't wait for a new one!!!
Really nice game. The art is great and the music goes perfectly with it. I had a good guess for the story going in, but the way it progressed took me off guard.
Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate!
It didn't hit me until long after I played that the first shard of the new doll appeared before we even knew Ms. Sato was back in town. Does that mean the dollmaker knew who she was when Mrs. Sato mentioned her granddaughter, and he planned to "collect" her from the start? Was he just pretending he forgot her to lure her in, or are the doll shards just a sign that his compulsion is surfacing again?
The first shard appears mixed with Ms Sato's broken doll... a few seconds before we meet her granddaughter.
It can have many meanings but we cannot give you one clear explanation.
What's happening in the twisted mind of our protagonist remains a complete mystery...
amazing job for a game that was completed (correct me if im wrong) a time span of 3 days?. it looks really good!. the story was also very creepy and interesting. as soon as the main character showed the doll, i was like "ooh its ones of those games" lol, the main character reminded me of a cartoon version of keanu reeves lol, if you guys were going for that, you guys nailed it. i know you guys get this a lot but the art style looks amazing as heck, the water paintings look whoa :O . you dont get a lot of games with this kind of style and you guys did an amazing job. i hope you guys have future projects. keep up the good work, i made a small walkthrough of it if!
A the graphics from the game were made during a 3 days workshop. But the programming, story and music took longer.
Actually the main character was inspired by a Japanese actor (Joe Odagiri) but, now that you mention it, there's something of Keanu Reeves indeed!
And thank you for all your kind words about the game!
i was was way off on the keanu reeves hah a whole different continent off lol. you guys have any more projects in the makings?
We put a lot of work in the story this time so we really appreciate. Thank you!
Thanks for the video!
awesome game!!! i want next season or another game from your studio.
Thank you! A next season is an interesting idea!
But for now we're working on another game. Stay tuned!
Got it.