Dolls Nest

 
Dolls Nest is a raw gem for mecha enthusiasts. You pilot a customizable android frame through a crumbling industrial hellscape. The game blends the gritty assembly mechanics of Armored Core with the punishing difficulty of a Souls-like. Consequently, it offers a surprisingly deep experience for players who love tweaking stat sheets as much as pulling triggers.
Building the Perfect Doll: Core Gameplay

Modular Assembly: You don’t just upgrade stats. Instead, you swap physical limbs. Change your legs to hover units or tank treads. This completely alters your movement physics.
Energy Management: Every dash and shot consumes energy. Therefore, you must balance aggression with evasion. Running out of juice leaves you vulnerable to massive damage.
Scavenge and Survive: Defeated enemies drop parts. You scavenge weapons and armor directly from the battlefield. This turns every victory into a potential upgrade session.
Unforgiving Combat: Enemies hit hard. You will die often. Success requires learning attack patterns rather than just overpowering foes with raw stats.
Exploration Focus: Unlike arena shooters, you traverse a massive factory world. You must find shortcuts and secrets to survive long treks between save points.

How It Stacks Up
Dolls Nest offers a distinct flavor of mecha action compared to its bigger rivals.



Game
Key Difference




Armored Core VI
AC6 is a polished spectacle. In contrast, Dolls Nest is an indie title with rougher edges but a unique focus on “mecha girl” aesthetics.


NieR: Automata
NieR focuses on narrative and combos. However, Dolls Nest prioritizes simulation-heavy customization and ranged ballistics.


Custom Robo
Custom Robo is built for quick arena battles. Meanwhile, Dolls Nest emphasizes exploration and resource management in a hostile campaign.



Key Details

Developer: NITRO PLUS.
Publisher: NITRO PLUS.
Platforms: PC (Steam).
Release Date: April 24, 2025.
Genre: Action / Mecha / Souls-like.
Vibe: Industrial Ruin meets Anime Androids.

Who It’s For

Must-play for mecha nerds who spend more time in the garage than on the battlefield. If you love min-maxing weight ratios, this is your jam.
Perfect for difficulty lovers. Players who found modern mecha games too easy will appreciate the brutal learning curve here.
Skip if you want a cinematic story. The narrative is sparse and cryptic. Therefore, players looking for a movie-like experience will be disappointed.

Why It Works
It works because it respects the tinkerer’s spirit. Most anime games simplify mechanics for mass appeal. Dolls Nest, however, demands that you understand your machine. You cannot just slap on the biggest gun. You need legs that can support the recoil and a generator that can power the fire rate. This complexity makes every successful build feel like a personal engineering triumph.