Doki Doki Literature Club!

Free psychological horror visual novel disguised as a cute dating sim

Team Salvato · Released Oct 6, 2017

Reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive; 96% of 228K
Recent reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive; 96% of 2,193 in 30 days
Playing now: 412; peak 24h 658
Steam Deck: Playable
Last update: 8 years ago; Apr 15, 2018

What is Doki Doki Literature Club!?

A free single-player visual novel set in a literature club. You read conversations, spend time with its four members, and take part in club activities as a cute dating-game setup turns into psychological horror.

For you if...

+you like story-driven visual novels with psychological horror
+you enjoy cute anime romance that takes a dark turn
+you prefer single-player stories best approached without spoilers

Not for you if...

−you want horror to begin quickly
−you dislike extended dialogue and limited interaction
−you want a light, straightforward anime dating sim

What players say

96% of 228,132 reviews are positive · 96% of 2,193 in the last 30 days

Players praise the surprising shift from dating sim to meta psychological horror, especially its fourth-wall-breaking concept. The most common complaint is that the dialogue-heavy opening drags, with little interaction before the horror begins; some also find the later scares forced or ineffective.