Doki Doki Literature Club!

About Doki Doki Literature Club!

Doki Doki Literature Club is a visual novel made by Team Salvato, written and coded by Dan Salvato with character art by Satchely and backgrounds by Velinquent. It came out free on PC and Mac in 2017 through its own site and Steam. Doki Doki Literature Club Plus, published by Serenity Forge in 2021, is the same game with extras, sold on Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch and other PC stores; the iPhone and iPad version is free to start, with the Plus content as an in-app purchase.

You play a student who reluctantly joins the school's Literature Club, partly in search of romance. The members are Sayori, your cheerful childhood friend; Natsuki, small and sharp-tongued; Yuri, shy and fond of books; and Monika, the club's leader. Each day you talk with them, and you write poems by choosing words from a list, which tells the girls which of them you favour.

That is all the game shows on its surface, and it is best to start it knowing little more. It is a psychological horror game, and its fear comes from things not being as they should, not from monsters or chases. The Plus edition's own store page warns of self-harm, suicide and suggestive sexual themes, and both editions say the game is not suitable for children or those who are easily disturbed.

The Plus edition adds six side stories about friendship and literature, more than 100 unlockable images, 26 music tracks with 13 new songs, a music player and art in full HD. Plus is rated M by the ESRB for blood, strong language, suggestive themes and violence. The original is in English only, while Plus adds French, Italian, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Korean and Japanese. The main story takes about 4 hours. It suits adult players who like reading, choices and horror that works on the mind.

How to play Doki Doki Literature Club!

1. Download the free game from its own site or Steam, or the app on iPhone and iPad, or buy the Plus edition on another platform.
2. Read through each club day, clicking to advance and picking answers when the game offers a choice.
3. Write your poem each day by choosing words from the list; the words you pick appeal to different club members.
4. Save often from the menu so you can return to earlier choices.
5. Keep playing past the point where it seems the story should end.

Tips

• Go in knowing as little as possible; avoid spoilers before you finish.
• Read the content warnings first if self-harm or suicide in fiction is hard for you.
• Pay attention to small details in the text and on screen.

Questions