Doki Doki Literature Club Video Game Offers One of A Kind User Experiences

Doki Doki Literature Club has the overall appearance of a cute dating sims game where there are infinite choices that will lead you into different paths, but once players continue on it will reveal the more horror, dark side it has to offer. It was originally released in 2017 on PCs like Microsoft and Xbox but last year in June, Doki Doki Literature Club Plus released on PCs and also Nintendo. The new update still had the same story line to it but it included 4 new side stories, 26 music tracks, new game art, wallpapers, and never-before-seen concept sketches. Although many players have mentioned how they enjoyed the game it is not recommended to those who are still fairly young, those who are easily disturbed, those who are triggered with the topics of suicide and self harm which will be mentioned in this article, and/or those who are struggling with anxiety, depression, or both.

The game starts off when you are waiting for your childhood friend, Sayori, so you two can head to school together. Like usual though she’s late, after a bit she comes out and says good morning. You two chat for a little bit and the topic of clubs comes up. Sayori mentions how you should join one before high school ends, after Sayori tries to convince you to join one you mention how you would maybe consider and you two head off to school. After school you decide to go and look at the clubs you could join, you consider joining the anime club before Sayori finds you and ask if you might want to join the literature club. You go to decline but she had already told the club president that she will be bridging a new member, you’re mad at her for dragging you into this but then become a bit laid back because there were going to be cupcakes. At the club you meet the three other characters, Yuri, Natsuki, and Monika. After a bit of hanging around in the club and the members talking about what the club is you decide you want to continue to be in the club, but you’re mainly staying for the cupcakes.

As time goes by with writing and reading poems and with the festival days away to prepare for, you notice that Sayori starts acting a bit odd and unusual from her normal self. The day after you spend the day with either Yuri or Natsuki, depending on your choses, you wait for Sayori for you two to head to school. This time you decided to check on her in her room. Once you’re at her bedroom door first you knock, no response. So you ended up opening the door to see the horrific image of your friend… there… right in front of you… hanging… by her neck. There’s a short dialogue about how you are thinking how this isn’t how it was supposed to happen and how you think it was your fault. You “start over” the game hoping it will save Sayori.

When the game restarts on the title screen you notice that the Sayori icon is glitched out a bit. The game continues as normal except for one thing, Sayori no longer exists; only you remember who she was. So unlike the first time, Mokina asks you if you wanted to join her club, the literature club, you say yes and get introduced to the other two again. Once again time goes on with writing and reading poems, and with the festival days away to prepare for. When the club is sharing their poems with others you get a few odd ones. Yuri’s poem that she hands to you and by just takinging one look at it, noticeable blood is there along with the unreadable poem which was unlike her delicate handwriting. Natsuki’s “poem” has her mention that she has noticed that Yuri has been acting strange. Once you are done reading her, consider the screen glitches and Natsukii proceeds to say something about how if you just spend more time with Monika then this wouldn’t happen if she just says nevermind about the poem. Which one she says all depends on your previous choses. After that the game casually continues a bit.

At one point with the almost normal story like, your are now in the club room with Yuri, at this point she has confused her love to you and she might of also have shown you her self harm scars too depending on the options you have choses, most likely it doesn’t matter if you aspect her love or not because she pulls out a knife and starts stabbing herself in the chest. After she stabs herself a few times she falls to the floor to which she tells you something but it’s unreadable due to something in the system being buggy. During that time you ended up staying in the club room all weekend. Once she has stop talking, Natsuki enters the room and sees what has happened to Yuri. At that moment after Natsuki saw the scene she ends up vomiting and then proseng to pass out on to the floor. 

A little while later Monika comes in to play then to see the scene then to mention how the coding might have been messed up a bit, and then apologizes for making you stay at the club room for all the weekend. Once she gets rid of both Yuri and Natsuki, then she explains that she had figured out that the reality she lives in is a dating sim game and you as the player would end up with one of  the other three, Sayori, Yuri, and Natsuki, depending on your choses. She wasn’t an option but still had feelings for the player so she decided to take matters into her own hands so you as the player will end up with her. After she explains the whole scenario you and her end up in an empty classroom up in space. She says now you two are together forever even if you restarted the game it will still be just Monika. Only way to get rid of her is to delete her file which then depending on your choices beforehand she will ask why, say would regret it, understands her mistake of doing only what she wanted and not thinking about you, or say you two will meet in a different reality. After that the game will go back to normal but without monika and now with Sayori as club president. There are multiple endings that are once again depending on your choices but after your ending the game ends with the credits and that then concludes the game.

Overall the game is fairly fun and has a lot of physiological things on to why Monika had coded Sayori and Yuri to go off and end their lives but on to why Nastiki didn’t have to go though the same traumatic experience. Every time I have played this game there is always something that was different from the last time because of choosing different things.  This game feels like more than just a game which provides the user with a one of a kind experience.  I would definitely recommend for my friends or peers to play this game if they are suited to play, and to hope that more games like this or a sequel will come to be soon.