You've probably heard of Doki Doki Literature Club. The anime dating simulator achieved massive popularity largely through word of mouth, and the Switch version — which this review is about, obviously — comes almost four years after its debut, which means you've either already played it, or you've heard about it and not played it, or... well, you know absolutely nothing. And you're in for a treat.
[SPOILER WARNING from this point on — We have kept it to only the vaguest, most minor spoilers, but if you want to go into Doki Doki Literature Club completely blind, then stop here, and play it. To summarise the rest of the review: It's really really good, with some extra content that's nice to have, but the PC version is a slightly 'truer' version of the story.]
Usually, when writing reviews, we can talk about the things that make the game good or bad without spoiling too much of what the plot is about. But with Doki Doki Literature Club, that's a bit harder, and we can't even tell you why. What we can say is that the game begins with a warning: "This game is not suitable for children or those who are easily disturbed." You may wonder what could be so terrifying in a candy-coloured dating sim, but we're here to tell you just trust the warning, okay?
Doki Doki Literature Club begins in as generic a setting as any: you are roped into joining the titular Literature Club by your childhood best friend, and despite your reservations about poetry, you decide to go along with it, if only because all the girls in the club are cute. After a few poetry-writing minigames, which provide you with lists of words designed to appeal to one of the three girls, you'll end up getting the attention of at least one.
Sayori, your best friend, is a cheerful and outgoing girl who, more than anything, wants you to be happy. Natsuki is the youngster of the group; in true anime dating sim style, she's the prickly, tsundere one who looks about twelve. Yuri is a dark-haired lover of novels who loves drama, death, and decay — in a literary sense, at least. And, of course, there's Monika, the club president, who's confident and organised, but sadly undateable. Through your poems and your choices, you'll get to know them all — but that's just the pastel candy coating on a chocolate filled with regret and despair.
We know, we know — it's terribly annoying to read a review that keeps hinting at dark things to come and refuses to tell you about them, but trust us: Doki Doki Literature Club is one of the most inventive and creative visual novels we've played. Though the visual novel genre has existed for decades, it's only fairly recently that developers have begun to toy with the metagame — the parts of a game that exist as presentation devices, like menus, interfaces, text logs, and so on. If you've played any of the Zero Escape games, or The House In Fata Morgana, you'll know what we mean: these are games that set up your expectations only to knock them down.
Doki Doki Literature Club came out originally on the PC, and the PC itself is a large part of DDLC's weirdness-twist-meta-genre-breaking-absurdity. Many people, upon seeing that DDLC was coming to Switch, had one main question: How will they manage the [REDACTED]? It's a fair question, because the [REDACTED] is intrinsically tied to the platform.
You'll be glad to know that it's handled pretty well on the Switch. We can't tell you how, because, you know, spoilers, but it seems to us that the PC version doesn't give the game away quite as obviously. It's not a huge problem, of course — the Switch version is a clever adaptation — but if you want the real deal when it comes to the bit of Doki Doki Literature Club that gets weird, you're best off sticking to Steam. It would have been fun to see DDLC playing with the Switch in the same way, but we can understand why that might not have been possible on top of the time and effort that porting takes.
By and large, the Switch version is fantastic, and if you're looking for more metafiction on the hybrid console, then this is one of the best out there. Team Salvato have used a number of smart, creative, and unexpected tools in their arsenal to craft an experience that will constantly leave you surprised, horrified, and nervous. It's hard to imagine how a visual novel can leave you unsettled until it does, repeatedly, and without warning.
What's more, the Switch version is technically called "Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!" which includes concept art, key art, a music player, and "Side Stories", which give you more insight into the four girls before you turned up. The side stories are sweet and bitesized, taking no more than five to ten minutes to read through, and playing them after the events of the main story will flesh out the characters nicely, adding a bittersweet flavour to everything you've learned. The visuals have been revamped to be fully HD, too, and there are thirteen new tracks to listen to.
To turn away from the prose and the [REDACTED], though — because this is a review, after all — there are a few little issues on the Switch version that make it a little difficult to play. The most egregious of these is the text size, which is absolutely minuscule in handheld mode, and not much better docked. The text is white with a black outline on a pale pink background, which is pretty tricky to read, and the options — which allow for text speed, content warnings, and the power to skip dialogue — don't have any settings for size, font, or colour. Good luck if your eyes are any older than the girls in the game; you're going to be squinting for days.
So, is Doki Doki Literature Club good? Without qualifiers and without reservations, the answer is a resounding "yes". If you love visual novels, post-modern narratives, horror, or you're just looking for something a little different to the normal fare, then give DDLC a go. It'll only take you about five hours to play through (if you don't immediately play it again, like we did) and it's a great price for the creepy stamp it'll leave on your brain for days.
Conclusion
Don't discount Doki Doki Literature Club because it's cute, because it's pink, or because it's an anime dating game — this is one of the most unnerving, effective horror games on the Nintendo Switch to date. The extra content adds nicely to the creeping anxiety and the heartbreaking story, but the Switch version does end up feeling slightly inferior to the PC version, despite fantastic effort on the port. You won't lose anything by playing this version, though — if it's the one you want, go for it!
Comments 81
I'm not going to read this until I've played it lol. hey, just realised, this is a shinning example of why number scores are great. If it was a 4, I would have had to wonder why.
@GrailUK I have only went to see this for the rating for the game. Looks like it is good. Might pick it up.
If a game is 7 or above, I will buy. I will also look at Metacritic scores too
[REDACTED] is more effective on PC. I see what you did there Nintendolife.
Except, that it's not a dating sim. It only looks like one.
Which is the best part of the game.
(and yes, the game is great.)
@sanderev Its bc they try to make you think that!
Pretty nice review, how I would review the game, Still kinda sucks there's no free to play version saying as you didn't have to pay for this back on the pc.
(SPOILERS!) to me , i always found that ending kinda unreasonable with the real girl talking to us and singing the song , it broke the immersion and i wished the game remained in its own dimension , also i feel this game was mostly popularized by content creators giving it better scores than it deserves , overshadowing some VNs that are just way better.
@anoyonmus I'm avoiding the comments section like the plague too hahaha
This game is a 10. Not biased at all in that, heh
Had zero interest when the premium edition sold out immediately through Serenity Forge's website. But when the standard edition was made more widely available through retailers, I snagged a copy. Looking forward to this.
also if you want a better highschool VN , you can try something like Tokyo school life
@Natsukidood it probably would be, but I think the PC version is a better representation of the game's [REDACTED]! The new content is brilliant, though
@moodycat without spoilers:
the story MIGHT hit harder on PC, but the Switch version is plenty good enough. If you prefer to play games on Switch, you won't lose out by giving this version a go! It's the same experience, more or less... and you'll see what I mean when you play it
@GrailUK @anoyonmus Yes. Absolutely play this game and absolutely play it blind. This game is definitely worth the cost of admission.
@moodycat Hard to say. The free PC version can have some more effective moments because of [REDACTED], but I imagine you'll have a similar experience in Switch. You'll just have to decide if the extra content and upgrades are worth the $15. But whether you go for the extra content or not, you absolutely should play this game. It's really good.
@moodycat oh wowww that's a lot of points! Yeah, do it (and then we can talk about the bit with the THING and the OTHER THING and the STUFF)
It’s best to watch your favourite YouTuber let’s play series than actually playing it yourself.
Remember "Just Monika".
After reading the review and the comments, I'm going to play this just to find out what the Hell [REDACTED] is. I've read [REDACTED] more times in the last 10 minutes than I have in the prior 36 years.
The review has actually made me want to get this game after thinking it wouldn't be for me (despite previously acknowledging it'd probably be interesting for others).
Thanks for the review.
The uninitiated should take note of just how much everyone is trying to avoid spoilers, even though we all obviously REALLY want to give spoilers. That's your sign that this game is something special.
They should also take note that, years after playing it, the images displayed in this review, while undeniably adorable, make me feel deeply unsettled. Do with that what you will.
I do want to try this one day but I don’t want to spoil myself so I might read all this after I’ve played it.
Spoiler:
How do you delete files on Switch?
@VenomousAlbino hahaha, [REDACTED] about that!
@samuelvictor oh yeah, on Switch Lite it'll be tricky. At least you can move it closer to your face!
@KateGray @samuelvictor I imagine the built in system zoom feature will be especially helpful here!
@JokerCK Do they mean,... the "spice"?
I just bought this from the eshop after seeing this review score (I avoided the rest of the review) and hearing the creator/dev talk about it on the IGN's Nintendo Voice Chat podcast. I'm going in blind for the most part, I'm not big on visual novels, not a big anime fan, and I'm truly baffled as to why this is such a good horror game. I'm a big horror fan and am very much looking forward to trying this out after I'm off work in a few hours. Been trying to get into visual novels, I want some stuff to play through on the Switch when I'm tired & don't need crazy fast reflexes/reaction times & can just chill out & click through the story. I've got this & Phoenix Wright on deck, so hopefully they turn me on to the genre. Thanks for the review! You definitely helped sell me on a game that I usually would've passed right over & never thought twice about it.
Even for me it's a buy to own and if I get around to playing it - I'll get around to it.
@GalacticBreakdown I'm always so thrilled when my review can convince someone to try something new!! I really hope you enjoy it
Is this game really that good? I’ve never really played a visual novel but I enjoy anime and thought about picking up famicom detective or whatever it is but maybe this is better? And it has physical 🤷🏽♂️ Any insight would be appreciated
@moodycat Better on PC. It makes great use of the platform.
@TDRsuperstar2 This game is not for the faint of heart. After one scene I had to take a few days away from it. And then it gets worse.
@SmaggTheSmug really? Geeze… now I gotta see what the hype is about
@Screen
(More spoilers)
The game’s initial interface is its own made up OS: in other words, it lets you access the game as normal and later do the [REDACTED] when necessary
I was worried about the translations in other languages.But when i played it earlier,the poems translated in my language,italian,were perfect.
@SmaggTheSmug actually I just read some spoilers online and I think I’ll pass on this one.
After reading the review and the comments, I'm going to play this just to find out what the Hell [REDACTED] is.
@VenomousAlbino I wonder if I can adopt [THAT] as my username. ... Well, maybe after the vaccination rate climbs.
I really don't like visual novels but the mystery here is just too intriguing
@KateGray is that the free game on PC?
Is this game worth the price?
Game is free on PC and sounds like the more authentic experience anyway.
It doesn’t sound like the “Plus” content gives much if side stories are that brief at like 5 min a piece. This game was never beefy to begin with and was more for the “experience” which was why I was fine when this was free.
I don’t mind paying money for VNs. I felt Clannad on Switch was worth the price, but hard to justify this one if there is a free version that has most of the content/delivers the “experience” better anyway.
Wow...that review both said so much...and so little at the same time LOL! I am very intrigued
I’m playing this based on reputation alone. It’s a shame content creators and the internet in general spoiled the big surprises, but oh well; it was a free VN.
This game really caught my attention as of late. I don’t have a PC so the Switch version will do.
@jcboyer515 You do know I get notified when someone responds to me. And I give you the benefit of the doubt you are not an ass and going to spoil anything. (I don't read the other comments - hope you can see how that works, else maybe pay more attention in school?)
sick of hearing about this game. "Wow, it subverts expectations, mocks dating sims and uses mental illness for shock value, meanwhile contributing to real life kids committing suicide! It's so great!" (sarcasm)
I'm intrigued by this and was regretting not having a Windows machine to give it at least an initial "taster" whirl with the freeware original version, but a quick look at Wikipedia shows that in this case, when people say "PC" it really is "Personal Computer" - it's free on Windows, Mac and Linux. Will be downloading the Mac version tonight...
I played this for free on PC knowing nothing about it (and was all the better experience for it, as you would imagine!) but I'm really happy to double dip on Switch, because I feel I owe the creator for such an incredible job — plus the extra content (and how they handle the Switch version) intrigue me no end.
@KateGray So then if it's a slightly better game on PC anyway, what's the point in paying so much money for this instead of just playing the better version for free? Surely the extra art galleries and stuff aren't worth $15, are they?
@BulbasaurusRex Some people might want to play it on Switch — it's worth the price to have it on their preferred platform for those people, I imagine
@KateGray No, it's not! Just about everyone who can afford a Switch also has a decent PC, and it's not a big deal for most people to find time to play the game on it. Paying $15 for portability (and with a terrible text size for it) and some minor extras while getting a slightly inferior story experience is simply not economical.
@BulbasaurusRex for quite a while I only had a Switch and a laptop that couldn't run games, so I probably would have loved to have it on the Switch
How disturbing / gruesome is the horror content in this game? I've played the Zero Escape games and Corpse Party, and found the former to be just about within my tolerance threshold while the latter went beyond the level of good taste for me.
Regarding whether or not to play on PC or switch (in fact any of the console ports) I'll just say this. The Ring is a great Japanese horror movie regardless of how you watch it, but it has a little extra when watched on ye olde VHS, like that one spice, dressing or ingredient that takes a great meal and just adds that chef's kiss. A similar principle applies here.
@CivilMadman
These days PC is just that, Personal Computer.
The old x68 compatable definition of the word was a slightly incorrect defition that many people used to use.
I do blame them for not saying "windows version".
PC could be everything you said or Android/iOS as well as they are portable PCs.
@KateGray congrats on writing the most compelling review i have ever read. bought the game and look forward to playing it over the 3 day weekend.
@Clutchtime that's quite the compliment, thank you! I hope the game lives up to what I wrote
13 bucks - figured I'd give it a go. I really enjoyed it, actually. Played through it a few times haha (skipping most of the text I already saw in the subsequent runs)
I watched a playthrough on YouTube and I am glad I didn't get this. Granted I could have played it on Steam for free, but I preferred to just watch someone else do it. I sort of get it, but the whole thing just seems gratuitous to me.
How anyone can play this game blind nowadays is anyone's guess, but it is the way it should be played.
That being said, I wonder how many young innocent teens end up playing this thinking it's another cute dating sim and end up being traumatized for years...
@TheRealKyleHyde It's the kind of horror that just messes with your head. It makes you feel on edge the entire time and uncomfortable despite not showing many gruesome things. It's a good scare.
I looked up why it was scary. I wish i didn't. I just wish I didn't.
Picked this up and played it through multiple times. Not sure what all the fuss is about. There are really no horror elements. It follows other VN type games (just hammer the A button). And, certainly isn't breaking any fourth wall or meta anything. The female characters are incredibly superficial, choices are obvious, there really isn't any twist to anything, and experienced gamers can see the endings coming from the start. Even more so, the endings feel quite forced. Overall, the art style and music are poppy and fit the title; however, the writing and dialogue is disappointing and quite sloppy.
I enjoyed the game but it seems highly overrated. Not once in the entire game did I feel a sense of horror. There were some disturbing aspects to it, but - perhaps bc of all of the warnings in reviews and even in the game itself about just how scary the game is, it never really lived up to the hype.
My favorite part of the game is actually before it gets weird and dark. Like, I know I probably shouldn't admit to this, but I honestly would have preferred it had it just remained a cliche anime dating sim.
Yeah, the girls are a walking set of tropes, but in an anime dating sim, that is simply par for the course. They're all charming, sweet and likeable in their own ways. Sadly, all of these warm and endearing elements to the game are at some point tossed out the window, so as to make room for the (entirely expected) darkness to follow.
And while the descent into madness in the proceedings is interesting - at times genuinely thought-provoking and sad, and distressing to think about - it just feels like after the sweet, warm and breezy opening, the developers decided it best to quite FORCEFULLY buck the expectations of a cute anime dating sim.
The problem is, DDLC's subversion of said expectations largely fails, if only bc - aside from the guy who compulsively buys every anime VN dating sims without even reading a review - everyone is expecting it. By three quarters of the way in, it became difficult for me to escape the feeling that the writers of DDLC were dark and meta just for the sake of being dark and meta.
I'll note that meta nature of the plotline introduces a few plot holes, but...I won't knock it too hard for that, as I think that comes with the territory of being meta, and overall the meta aspect to the game is actually pretty neat.
If I'm sounding like I hated the game, I don't hate it at all. I enjoyed it. I'm in the midst of a second (real) playthrough. I wouldn't have continued playing if I thought the game was bad.
I just wanted to point out that while I appreciate passionately written reviews like this one, they can create unrealistic expectations that can't possibly be met. I didn't even read the entire review until today, but even just the sub-headline and opening paragraph were simultaneously hype inducing enough to make me want to buy the game while also knowing that I would likely be disappointed due to knowing the game's descent into "horror" in advance.
The game is actually guilty of this, as well. Through its multiple warnings during the game's initial start up, DDLC ends up revealing (some) of its hand BEFORE you even start the game.
As a result, these multiple (borderline hyperbolic) warnings about the game's "ultra dark" content kinda sorta undid what remaining opportunity that there might have been to still feel TRULY blindsided by the game's various subversions.
The effect of this was that I say through much of my first play through waiting around and anticipating the inevitable darkness to become manifest...thus rendering me entirely unsurprised when it did.
All of that having been said, I still love the game and will definitely try out a few other dialogue routes in future playthroughs. If I were to personally rate the game, I would probably give it a solid and respectable 7.
So I finished all side-stories yesterday, and I must say I absolutely loved them, even more than the main game. The only bad thing I can come up with about them is that the ideas are a bit too mature for school girls. But these stories teach a lot about interaction with other humans, and they made me cry or laugh quite often. I cannot wait until my older kid gets home, to get her to play these stories — which are kid-friendly, unlike the main game.
@Andy_Witmyer I find myself agreeing on almost all your points. It's a great experience but it didn't scare me as much as I thought, more... shook me. I really liked the writing, so it was a shame when everything went to hell, because I wouldn't be able to experience the charms of the four girls in better detail.
I did find myself thinking about it a lot over the last few days though. That game is something else.
A solid 10/10 and the best game I've played since 1990. Never knew I'd play something that would knock The Last of Us off the #1 spot.
@Snatcher I've bought it 4 times technically. Digital on Switch and PS4 and pre-ordered physical for Switch and PS4 😁 .. Now if only Snatcher could get a remaster!
@Natsukidood How's it hanging over there?
@Ultrasmiles Yeah but that's a straight up dating Sim and fantastic in it's own right. DDLC is a whole different ball game!
@moodycat I can't wait until tomorrow because I'll be getting the European special edition of World End Syndrome. Snagged it off a Canadian eBay seller for $150 .. Currently finishing my first route of Aokana. I was trying for Mashiro but I think I got Asuka, lol. I may need some tips on Aokana and doing the routes properly. The guides online literally just tell which choices to Pick with no additional information or screen shots, lol.
@KateGray Have you experienced Monika After Story? 😁
@Arawn93 DDLC Plus is worth buying 4 times like I did. Digital on PS4 and Switch and physical pre-orders on PS4 and Switch. I'm planning on getting Clannad as well since I love the anime. The collector's edition is around $200 to $250 on eBay which I also deem worth it.
@Hotaru-Firefly Best game ever made. Pure genius in fact. I'm the lead designer of Projekt Monika so you can take my word for it.
@BulbasaurusRex I bought it twice for Switch and twice for PS4 (Digital and physical). I'd honestly pay $500 for this game if need be.
@JustMonika you crazy man....chill out
@Ultrasmiles The only thing that could make me crazy is working on hiring a team of AI specialists and programmers to make Monika real or more specifically porting all her memories into an advanced AI.
@JustMonika So lets say if you did figure out the tech, think you could, let me borrow some of it, For er, bringing dogs back to life ya, totally not anime.
@Snatcher This isn't Fullmetal Alchemist 😅 .. Think of Steins;Gate 0 and Amadeus.. that's what I'm aiming to accomplish. Instead of a humans memories put into an AI, it'd be Monikas.
@JustMonika I Wish you the best of luck!
Removed - disrespecting others
@Ultrasmiles The ending was supposed to do 2 things: Close off Monika's love for the player and give it a bit like how Portal had its credits, which if you look into interviews, that's actually the inspiration behind that section. It all stemmed from Dan Salvato's love-hate relationship with anime, which if you receive the good ending, there is a letter from Dan stating some reasons on why he created the game. Not all VNs need to be like Tokyo School Life or such and this deserved the praise it got because of how deceptive it was.
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