Wow! What else is there to say about Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! (DDLC+)? It’s equally as cute as it is terrifying. Originally launching solely on PC back in 2017, Doki Doki Literature Club received an enhanced re-release known as Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! The enhanced release made its way onto PC and consoles in 2021. In addition to the base game, there are also new side stories that take place prior to the events of the main game. The new side stories detail how the members of the literature club first meet, including new frights in store for returning players.

New songs were added to the soundtrack, along with collectible images that unlock based on in-game choices. The game also utilizes improved HD remastered art. Having not played the original, I went into this game completely blind. I had no idea that this game wasn’t the uwu-inducing, anime dating sim I was shamefully craving. Imagine my surprise when the cute and innocent little visual novel turned into a full-blown psychological horror game.

The main story starts out in a modern-day Japanese suburb. You’re quickly introduced to your childhood friend Sayori. After some convincing, your character decides to swing by the high school’s Literature Club where you meet the rest of the cast. Inside the club classroom, we’re introduced to the shy mature Yuri, the small-statured and short-tempered Natsuki, and the club president Monika. Along the way, there will be choices you make that will bring you closer to one of the girls.

Yuri acts as the more mature character, delighting in her tastes for sophisticated language and darker novels. Natsuki is the complete opposite, with a love for manga, baking, and all things cute. Sayori is the bubbly personality that keeps the group from falling apart and keeps the squabbles to a minimum. Finally, Monika is the multi-talented class beauty and trusted leader of the group. Each NPC will be fighting for your attention, but ultimately it’s up to the player to choose who to go after before the descent into madness.

The “gameplay” is mainly composed of scrolling through text boxes with the background art changing from scene to scene. The most interactive aspect part of the game is when the player is allowed to create poems to share at the next club meeting. Composing a poem consists of choosing 20 words from a randomly generated list of words that changes after each selection.

To the left, there will be chibi avatars of the club members. Each member of the club has a word that resonates with them, and when selected will cause their avatar to jump in joy. If there’s a particular club member that you’re fond of, you can try to choose words that they like. I’m sure they’ll enjoy reading it!

The other interactive portion of the game actually takes place outside of DDLC+. On PC and consoles, the game files are interactable and provide clues to a story that’s outside the scope of the game. The interactive desktop display is also where players will be able to access the game’s side stories, look at the artwork they’ve unlocked, and use a music player to listen to the game’s soundtrack. The game files will provide valuable clues, such as each character’s favorite word choice for poems and other terrifying details.

For a game presented as a visual novel, the presentation is great. The art is crisp, the shading adds so many flourishes to characters, and the lighting is the cherry on top. The art looks like still images from a very high-budget anime. The text boxes aren’t as glamourous as the art, and I feel like that contrast helps players to really enjoy the artwork on display.

Throughout the game, you will be sharing poems with club members. When you get to read a member’s poem, this is where the art starts to falter. The poem you read is just a blemish-free white box that covers most of the screen with handwritten-looking text. It takes away the beauty of the background and swaps it for a boring and bland backdrop. This is probably the only visual aspect of the game I didn’t enjoy.

The sound design of DDLC+ is also pretty top-notch. The soundtrack is perfectly composed to fit every scenario, from the game’s innocent introduction to the more gruesome story beats. Some of the tracks are intentionally composed imperfectly. This is done in such a flawless way that it is truly unsettling to listen to, adding to the dramatic scenes in the game.

Even some of the happier songs have hints of imperfection that subtly indicate that not everything is as it seems. The tonal shift between happy times and horrific is immaculate. I found myself dazed as I exited an unsettling scene to be greeted by the happy tones of the intro. It was an unreal feeling.

Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! isn’t a perfect game, but it’s an extremely good one. Once the story gets rolling, every step is anxiety-inducing. For the majority of the game, you’ll be placed in the club classroom. There aren’t many other locations that’ll be set as the backdrop, aside from some story beats.

The side story additions to DDLC+ sought to fix this, by adding more beautiful locations that we don’t get to see in the main game. Along with the new music tracks, the side stories are a more than worthy addition to the package. I enjoyed my time playing this game, even though I’m not by any means a horror enthusiast. Quite the opposite actually. I was drawn to the characters and empathized with each of their own internal struggles.

This game is not for the faint of heart and is extremely graphic in sections. The game does provide warnings about the nature of its content. If you get nauseous easily or are easily disturbed, I recommend not playing this game. I genuinely found a few scenes very unsettling and they come so randomly that I can see why they have warnings at the beginning. If you’re into psychological horror, then this game is oddly a must-play!

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Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!

$14.99

8.5

Score

8.5/10

Pros

• Amazing Artwork
• Gripping Horror Story
• Soundtrack Composition
• Poignant Character Study

Cons

• Very Slow Start
• Bland Poem Sharing Visuals
• Not Much Location Diversity