Death Stranding 2 Artists' Horror Visual Novel The Doll Shop Gets October Steam Release
The duo's transition from comic artists to game NPCs to their own Steam release shows how indie creators can gain visibility through major studio collaborations.
Reporting from 1 source: Game Spark.
French comic artist duo Atelier Sentô, known for appearing as NPCs in Death Stranding 2, will release their horror visual novel The Doll Shop on Steam in October 2026. The game is set in the Japanese countryside and features hand-drawn art in a warm, colorful style, contrasting with its horror themes.
The Doll Shop tells the story of a quiet dollmaker in rural Japan who must choose between his beloved dolls and a childhood friend who returns to the village. Every element is hand-drawn on iPad in a graphic novel style, intentionally using warm colors to create contrast with the horror elements. The game includes repairing creepy dolls, exploring a small village, visiting a shrine, and tasting ramen recipes, with three endings plus a hidden one. Cecile Brun and Olivier Pichard, the duo behind Atelier Sentô, previously appeared as NPCs in Death Stranding 2 after director Hideo Kojima shared their work on social media. The Doll Shop launches on Steam for PC in October 2026.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.